Strasburg Film Festival proudly presents Genesis, a fantasy short film directed by Iranian director Abtin Mozafari. Mozafari presents a captivating visual critique of the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Syria.
Genesis will be shown on Saturday, November the 10th at 1:00 PM at the Town of Strasburg City Hall. Tickets can be found on the film’s event page.
Director Biography – Abtin Mozafari
Film Director, Animator, Film Editor, Supervisor of Visual Effects, Sound Designer and Script Writer Abtin Mozafari was born in 1980 and earned his Bachelor of Cinema at Tehran Soureh University. Mozafari has worked on a bevy of different projects, from Short Films (The People Who, Ctrl+Alt+Del, Caps Lock), to Music Videos (Jam’s Milky Way, Hack’s This City, and Of Ego’s An Alien Crashed In) and visual exhibitions.
A full list of Mozafari‘s films and awards are below.
Short Film
The People who (2001)
• Nominated in Dubai media city festival 2001
• Jury awards Iran Avant-garde Film Festival 2003
Ctrl+Alt+Del (2002)
• Nominated in Tehran Short Film Festival 2003
• Nominated in Kish Short Film Festival 2003
• Nominated in Iran Avant-garde Film Festival 2003
Caps Lock (2002)
Recycle Bin (2004)
• Nominated in Tehran Short Film Festival 2005
All Limits Derestriction (2015) pre-production
Genesis (2017)
Music Video
• Track Title: Milky way – Band: Jam (2002)
• Track Title: This City – Band: Hack (2002)
• Track Title: Mordab – Band: Sarakhs (2002)
• Track Title: An Alien Crashed In – Band: Of Ego (2006)
• Track Title: Javani – Band: Ballgard (2007)
• Track Title: Give me something – Band: B-Band (2011)
Visual Art Exhibition
Photo Exhibition – Atbin Gallery (2000)
Photo Panting Exhibition – Haft Samar Gallery (2001)
Silk Exhibition – Anahita Gallery (2002)
Video Installation (200 Items, interactive video, augmented reality and 3D Hologram) – Tehran Holly Defense Museum (War Museum)
Video Installation Exhibition – Aun Gallery (2012)
Video Installation Exhibition – Ariana Gallery (2013)
Video Installation Exhibition –Niavaran Art Center (2014)
Production
Legrand Commercial Movie (2003)
Paykar Bonyan Movie Commercial (2003)
Ati Saz Movie Commercial (2004)
Falegh San’at Movie Commercial (2004)
4 Episodes of an animation TV series called Speed for IRIB4 (2005)
Morvarid JonoubMovie Commercial (2006)
EBA Movie Commercial (2007)
Kargaryar Series Animations and Info graphic (2015)
Director Statement
I have been very active in trying to make a different kind of cinema. By different, I mean making technical and formalist films instead of the exotic films that have always been so popular at important festivals and conventions. My films have struggled to wow at these festivals, and I caught myself wondering, “What should I’ve done?”. I originally blamed the festivals, but today I know that this is not their fault. It is instead practices of Iranian film distributors. They prefer to promote the technical formalist films from which I have been avoiding. So, I decided to try once more to craft a film my way, to it give my best shot.
I’ve had 5 feature films rejected by the Ministry of Culture and Art, the organization responsible for giving producers permission to make feature films. In Iran there are two ways to making or being professional film director: working for the government (which is easier but you have to sell your soul and make whatever they want) and making some exotic films that film distributors can use to win some awards or selling to the festival market.
So, I’m going to choose the third way which is trying to prove that I am capable as any film director in Hollywood. Iranian distributors wouldn’t accept my film, as they are afraid of the political messages and believe that it would put them in a dangerous situation Someday soon, I hope that all the major festivals across the world accept the way I think and the methods I use.
My dream is to one day make fantasy film in Hollywood or at a European studio.
