Niki Karimi (; born 10 November 1971) is an Iranian actress and filmmaker. Regarded as "the most prominent figure among the young generations coming after post-Islamic Revolution Iranian Cinema", she has received various accolades, including a Crystal Simorgh, three Hafez Awards, an Iran Cinema Celebration Award, and three Iran's Film Critics and Writers Association Awards.
Born in Tehran, Iran, Karimi began her career in the late 1980s. She received critical acclaim for her performance in Sara (1992), for which she won the best actress award at the San Sebastian Film Festival.
Early life Niki Karimi was born on November 10, 1971, in Tehran, Iran. Her parents are both Persians from Tafresh. She has been active in theater since elementary school, and said that her early interest in film and literature inspired her to become an actress.
Career
In 1990, she was cast as a young bride in Behrooz Afkhami's hit film The Bride.
Karimi began her career in the late 1980s. She received critical acclaim for her performance in Sara (1992), for which she won the best actress award at the San Sebastian Film Festival.
Karimi has won many awards nationally and internationally for "Sara" such as San Sebastian film festival award for best actress. She has also been on the jury for more than 20 renowned film festivals, including Karlovy Vary Film Festival, the Edinburgh International Film Festival, the Locarno International Film Festival and Thessaloniki International Film Festival and Berlin Film Festival and also the 60th Cannes Film Festival. She was the assistant of Abbas Kiarostami from 1992 to 2007.
Expanding on her career as an actor, she wrote and directed the documentary To Have or Not to Have (2001).
In 2001, she won her first award as a director in Iran's Rain film festival for her work To Have or Not to Have, which was produced by renowned Iranian filmmaker Abbas Kiarostami.
Nominated at the 2005 Cannes Film Festival for her feature film directorial debut One Night (2005), she said that acting no longer satisfied her and she would like to direct more movies.Cannes Interview
In addition to films, Karimi has also done translating work. In 1999 she released her first translation, Marlon Brando's biography Songs My Mother Taught Me, which she translated from English to Persian. She also translated two books by Hanif Kureishi, a Pakistani-English writer.
Her third film as director, Final whistle (2011), won three awards at the Vesoul International Film Festival of Asian Cinema in Vesoul, France.
She was nominated for the best actress award in Fajr Film Festival in 2011 for I Am His Wife (2011), directed by Mostafa Shayesteh.
She was awarded by the jury of the Iranian Fajr Film ّFestival for her last film as best director, actress and producer. She also got a jury award for acting in two films, Wednesday, May 9 and Death of Fish.
As a translator Year Title 2005 Intimacy by Hanif Kureishi 1999 Songs My Mother Taught Me by Marlon Brando, Robert Lindsey
As a film critic Year Title2022Member of Jury at Tribeca Film Festival2021Head of Jury at Crime and Punishment film festival, Turkey2020Member of Jury at Antalya Golden Orange Film Festival, Istanbul 2016 Member of Jury at 35th Istanbul Film Festival, Istanbul 2016 Member of Jury at 34th Fajr International Film Festival, Tehran 2015 Member of Jury at 60th Valladolid International Film Festival, spain 2015 Head of Jury at 19th Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival, Tallinn 2015 Member of Jury at 10th Batumi International Art-house Film Festival, Batumi 2015 Member of Jury at 33rd Fajr International Film Festival, Tehran 2014 Member of Jury at 20th Kolkata International Film Festival, India 2014 Head of Jury at 68th Edinburgh International Film Festival, Edinburgh 2014 Member of Jury at 4th International Parvin E'tesami Film Festival, Tehran 2014 Member of Jury at 12th Pune International Film Festival, India 2013 Member of Jury at 27th Isfahan International Children Film Festival, Isfahan 2012 Member of Jury at Abu Dhabi Film Festival 2011 Member of Jury at International Antalya Golden Orange Film Festival 2009 Member of Jury at Karlovy Vary International Film Festival 2008 Member of Jury at Dubai International Film Festival 2007 Member of Jury at Berlin Film Festival 2007 Member of Jury at Cannes Film Festival 2007 Member of Jury at Durban International Film Festival 2006 Head of Jury at Reykjavik International Film Festival 2005 Member of Jury at Locarno International Film Festival 2005 Member of Jury at Thessaloniki Film Festival
Filmography Film Year Title Role Director Notes 1990TemptationGoharJamshid Heydari1991The BrideMahin NazeriBehrouz Afkhami1993The Wolf's TrailNeginMasoud KimiaiSaraSaraDariush Mehrjui1995The Scent of Joseph's ShirtShirinEbrahim HatamikiaPariPariDariush Mehrjui1997Wind and PoppyZiaeddin DoriMinoo Watch TowerMinooEbrahim HatamikiaShadow by ShadowGilaAli ZhekanPsychoMaryamDariush Farhang1998Jahan Pahlavan TakhtiDirector's wifeAli Hatami, Behrouz Afkhami1999Eve's Red AppleNedaSaeed AsadiTwo WomenFereshtehTahmineh MilaniGirls in ExpectancyRoshanakRahman RezaeiThe Afflicted GenerationRasoul Mollagholipour2000The MixDariush MehrjuiActorRoyaMohammad Ali Sadjadi2001ABC AfricaAbbas Kiarostamias assistant directorA Thousand Women Like MeShahrzadAli KarimiThe Hidden HalfFereshtehTahmineh MilaniTo Have or Not to HaveNiki Karimialso screenwriter2003The Fifth ReactionFereshtehTahmineh MilaniOne Flew Over the Cuckoo's NestYaldaAhmad Reza Motamedi2004The RansomerRanaFarzad Motamen2005One NightNiki Karimialso screenwriterTop of the TowerLeilaKiumars PourahmadGone with the WindTahminehSadra Abdollahi2006Wedding DinnerMitraEbrahim VahidzadehHavana FileZoya FaniAlireza RaeesianA Few Days LaterShahrzadNiki Karimialso screenwriterWho Killed Amir?Ziba ZibadoostMehdi KarampourStars 2: She's a StarFarzaneh MashreghiFereydoun Jeyrani2007The Other WifeMahtabSirus AlvandThe Music BoxAli's motherFarzad Motamen2008Three WomenMinooManijeh HekmatWomen Are AngelsNazaninShahram Shah HosseiniMr. Seven ColorsFiroozehShahram Shah Hosseini ShirinWoman in AudienceAbbas Kiarostami2009Hot ChocolateBanooHamed Kolahdari24th StreetNazaninSaeed AsadiTrial on the StreetNasimMasoud KimiaiThe Day Goes and the Night ComesMarjanOmid Bonakdar, Keyvan Alimohammadi2010Hey to LoveMitraAsghar NaeemiDemocracy in DaylightMs. EhsaniAli AtshaniTwo SistersMahtabMohammad Banki2011The PlayfellowNaghmehGholam Reza RamezaniWakefulnessYasamanFarzad MotamenFinal WhistleSaharNiki Karimialso screenwriter, producerCrimeAtefehMasoud KimiaiAlong the CityFaribaAli AtshaniThe Princess of the MoonElham Gharehkhani, Mehrtash MahdaviCalm StreetsThe ReporterKamal Tabrizi2012The Presiden's Cell PhoneMrs. TayebiAli AtshaniI'm His WifeShahlaMostafa Shayesteh2013Annunciation to a Third Millennium CitizenMrs. SafaiiMohammad Hadi Karimi2014RaspberryHomaSaman SalurLife Is ElsewhereShahrzadManouchehr Hadi2015Wednesday, May 9LeilaVahid JalilvandNight ShiftRoyaNiki Karimialso screenwriter, producerDeath of the FishTahminehRouhollah Hejazi2016StolenMinaBijan Mirbagheri2017Human ComedyMohammad Hadi KarimiAzarAzarMohammad Hamzeialso producerMaybe It Wasn’t LoveSaeed Ebrahimifar2018The TruckKambuzia PartoviAstigmatismMrs. NamiriMajid Reza Mostafavi2020AtabaiNiki Karimialso screenwriter, producer2022Squad of GirlsYeganeh KamayiMonir GheidiUntil TomorrowAli Asgarias producerLalehAsadollah NiknejadA Time in EternityMehdi Norouzianas producer
Web Year Title Role Director Platform 2018ForbiddenParvaneh AsadzadehAmir PourkianVideo CD2020–2021Blue BloodTina FazliradBehrang TofighiFilimo, Namava2022RebelShimaMohammad KartFilimo2023–2024SevenKiarash AsadizadehTamashakhaneh
Television Year Title Role Director Network Notes 1995LifeMohammad Reza A'alamiIRIB TV1TV series 2015–2016KimiaMahboubeh MalekiJavad AfsharIRIB TV22023–2024HomelandShaparak BahadoriKamal TabriziIRIB TV3
Awards and nominations Award Year Category Nominated Work Result Bratislava International Film Festival2015Best ActressWednesday, May 9Cairo International Film Festival2001Best Actress The Hidden HalfCambridge Film Festival 2021Best Fiction FeatureAtabaiCannes Film Festival 2005Un Certain RegardOne NightCaméra d'OrDhaka International Film Festival2022Best Feature Film – Women Film Maker's SectionAtabaiDubai International Film Festival2011Best Feature FilmFinal WhistleFajr Film Festival1991Best Actress in a Leading RoleThe Bride1993Sara1995Pari1998Psycho1999Two Women2003One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest and The Fifth Reaction2015Special Jury PrizeNight Shift2020Best FilmAtabaiBest DirectorFribourg International Film Festival2007Grand Prix A Few Days LaterHafez Awards1998Best Actress – Motion PicturePsycho1999Two Women2001The Hidden Half2003One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest2016Wednesday, May 92023Best Motion PictureAtabaiBest Director – Motion PictureBest Screenplay – Motion PictureHong Kong Asian Film Festival2007New Talent AwardA Few Days LaterIran Cinema Celebration1999Best Actress in a Leading RoleTwo Women2000The Afflicted Generation2001The Hidden Half2003The Fifth Reaction2007Stars 2: She's a StarIranian Cinema Directors' Great Celebration2022Best Film Director AtabaiIran's Film Critics and Writers Association2015Best Actree in a Leading RoleWednesday, May 92022Best FilmAtabaiBest DirectorBest ScreenplayNantes Three Continents Festival1993Best Actress SaraSan Sebastián International Film Festival1993Best ActressSaraSofia Menar Film Festival 2022Best FilmAtabaiTaormina International Film Festival1999Best Actress Two WomenThessaloniki Film Festival2005Golden AlexanderOne NightTorino Film Festival2005Best Feature FilmOne NightSpecial MentionVesoul Asian Film Festival2012Emile Guimet AwardFinal Whistle INALCO Jury AwardHigh Schools AwardGolden Wheel
See also Iranian women Iranian cinema List of famous Persian women Persian women's movement Fajr International Film Festival
References
External links
Official Website
Profile on Cannes Film Festival website Niki Karimi interview with Radio Zamaneh Her filmography New York Times profile