Mehdi Yazdani, born in 1965, has been the Executive Deputy of Fajr International Film Festival and International Children and Young Adults Film Festival. He has also worked as the Managing Director of the Visual Media Institute, the Deputy of the Film Provision and Distribution Department and the Executive Deputy of Farabi Cinematic Foundation, and the Senior Advisor of Planning and Development of Khaneh Cinema.

Born in 1957 in Tehran, Amir Esfandiari is a graduate of Business Management from Massachusetts Northeastern University. After his return to Iran, he worked on a number of co-production film projects such as Ron Fricke’s BARAKA (1992). In 1993, he started his collaboration with Farabi Cinema Foundation (FCF) as chief executive of Co-Production Department.
In 1997, Esfandiari began his work as Head of International Affairs in FCF. Since then he has served as a jury member in a number of different international events such as Olympia Int’l Film Festival as president of the jury, Cairo International Children Film Festival, Golden Apricot International Film Festival, Aljazeera International Documentary Film Festival, Armenia Film Festival for Children & Youth, International Children Bangalore Film Festival as president of the jury, Tokyo Kinder Film Festival, China International Children Film Festival, Istanbul Bosphorus Film Festival and so forth.
His other professional activities include: Director of international affairs in Fajr International Film Festival (1997-2012), Director of international affairs in Children and Young Adults International Film Festival (since 1997),Director of international affairs in Oil International Film Festival (2003), Deputy Chairman of 48th Asia Pacific Film Festival in Iran-Shiraz (2003), Director of international affairs in Kish International Film Festival (2011), Founder and Director of Iranian International Market for Films & TV Programs (1997-2012), Member of selection committee of Fajr International Film Festival & Children and Young Adults International Film Festival (1997-2013), Head of Iranian selection committee of best film for Academy of Motion Pictures since 1997, Founder of the International Competition Section of Fajr International Film Festival (1997), Founder of Iran’s Cinema Umbrella in International Film Markets, Vice President and Board Member of CIFEJ (2002 to 2007), Member of Board of Directors of Asia- Pacific Film Festival (since 2000), Director of international affairs in Urban Film Festival (2015). He also has worked as Head of international affairs in 34th and 35th of Fajr international Film Festival.

Iraj Taghipour, born in 1958 in Tehran, graduated in Physics from Sharif University of Technology. He established the Photography Department of the Central Office of Construction Jihad in 1979 and after a year in 1980 started working in Film Archive department of IRIB (Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting). Beside working in international affairs of Farabi Cinema Foundation (FCF) and collaboration with Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance as the head of Film Laboratory in Film and Photo Production Department, Taghipour had a successful career as a special effect director and went on to win two Crystal Simorgh of Fajr Film Festival for his achievements in cinema. He expanded his career by producing movies and TV shows and also attending in Iranian Youth Cinema Society, Azad Universtity and Art University as a professor. Over the years he has produced many films, such as, “Negin“, “Dancing in the Dust“, “The Beautiful City“, “The Empty Seat“, etc. He is one of the members of the Policy Making Council of “Art & Experience” Cinema and has been collaborating with Fajr Intl Film Festival as the art director for the past two years.

Jafar Saneie Moghadam, born in 1958 in Tehran, graduated in Computer Engineering from Shahid Beheshti University. He has worked as the Producer of the War Department of IRIB TV1, the Managing Director of Iranian Youth Cinema Society, the Managing Director of the Department of Supervision and Assessment, an international jury member of International Amateur Filmmakers (UNICA), etc. He is one of the members of the Policy Making Council of “Art & Experience Cinematic Group“.

Born in 1955 in Shiraz, Alireza Shojanouri, is a cinematic manager, actor, and producer with a B.Sc. in biology from Shahid Beheshti University, and a B.A. in Italian Literature from Tehran University. He started his career in IRNA in 1980. He is the founder of the international affairs office of Farabi Cinema Foundation and the administration of International Programing of IRIB. His film production career started in 2008 and he has made numerous features such as “Kandeloos Gardens”, “The Wind Carpet”, “A Little Kiss” and also his acting career is filled with well-known features like, “The Fateful Day”, “Doubt”, “Muhammad, the Messenger of God”, etc. Shojanouri was appointed as the manger of Film Sessions in 2016 and has been a member of FIFF’s directorial team ever since.

Mohammad Ibrahim Salavatifard, born in 1952 in Tehran, studied Physics in Iran’s National University. He is one of the senior TV producers with a lot of management experience in IRIB. He has been a member of the selection board in nine editions of Fajr International Film Festival. Salavatifard has also worked as the VIP and ceremonies Manager of AIBD, and ABUconferences, and supervised the Department of the Journalists in the Islamic Summits Conference. He has been cooperating with FIFF since 2016 as the Head of Protocol.

Kayvan Kassirian, born in 1971 in Babol, is a journalist and film critic. He studied Agricultural Engineering at the University of Shiraz also graduated in Journalism from the Media Studies Center. He started his career as a journalist in 1989 and in the mid 90s, he started collaborating with film magazines such as “Naghd Cinema” and “Gozaresh Film”.
In early 2000s, Kassirian was a member of Iranian Association of Theatre Critics and over the years he has been working as the editor in chief of a number of magazines. He has also worked in “Film Negar” Monthly, “Khabar” and “Theran Emrouz” newspapers as an editor and published “Honar & Cinema” quarterly. Alongside being a journalist, Kassirian has worked for several film festivals and events as a curator. He has been a member of Iran’s House of Cinema annual awards directorial board for two years and also a member of juries for 4 years. He has worked for The Iran Society of Film Critics and Writers for 10 years as a curator and manager.
Currently, he is the editor-in-chief of “Art & Experience” magazine, the Director of the Cinematheque of the Iranian House of Artists, the editor-in-chief of the cinematic website www.cinemacinema.ir. He has been working with FIFF as the head of media and public relations during the last two years and in 36th FIFF is the Media Manager.

Shahab Esfandiari was born in Esfahan in 1978. He has graduated in cinema, in both bachelor and master’s degree, from Tehran University of Art. He got his PHD in Film and Television Studies from the University of Nottingham. Currently, he is a Faculty member of Cinema and Theater at Tehran University of Art and also the chairman of the Iran Broadcasting University.
Iranian Cinema and Globalization is the title of the book which he wrote and got published in UK and USA. It was critically acclaimed in Iran and won the prize for best cultural research study of the year and also got nominated for the best cinematic book of the year. His other publications since then are “Cinema of Resistance: Theories, Policies, Criticism” and “Foreign Film Screening: Opportunities and Threats for National Cinema”.
The chairman of Tehran University of Art, Faculty of Cinema and Theater, chairman of film & series department of Tehran Channel, writing and directing for several TV projects and documentaries are some of his other previous experiences. Esfandiari has been working with FIFF since 2017 as the Head of Training Affairs.

Reza Kianian, born in 1951, Tehran, is an actor working in cinema, theatre and television, also a writer, designer, and photographer. He began his acting career in 1989 with Hamid Samandarian’s, “All of the Earth’s Temptations” but it was his supporting role in Ahmad Reza Darvish’s “Kimia” (1995) which made him a familiar face on screen. He went on to become one of the most popular and prolific actors during 90s and 2000s. Continuing his career in cinema, theater and TV, he has gone through a unique path and established himself as an innovative actor and a genuine artist.
“The Glass Agency” (1998) brought him back his first Crystal Symorgh of Fajr Film Festival for a supporting role and he scooped Crystal Simorgh of best actor for “A House Built on Water” (2003), but these are just a number of his cinematic awards throughout his career. He has also been remarkably well-received in his work as an artist, photographer and writer. Since 2016 Kianian has been the manager of fajr festival palace.

Maziar Miri, born in 1971 in Tehran, is a film director, editor, and executive producer, who graduated from Iran Broadcasting University. He started his filmmaking career in the 90s, making short films. Miri’s most notable films include “The Unfinished Song“, “Gradually“, “The Book of Law“, “Felicity Land“, and “The Painting Pool”and “Sara & Aida”. Miri has been working with FIFF as the head of Darolfonoun, the talent campus of FIFF.

Mohsen Shah Ebrahimi is an art director, costume designer and actor. Born in 1954, Iran, he studied art directing in the Accademia di Belle Arti di Firenze , Italy. He started his career with “By the Ponds” by Yadollah Noasri in 1986. Shah Ebrahimi has been art designer of “Mohammad” by Majid Majidi and cooperated with Reza Mirkarimi in “A Cube of Sugar”. As a set and costume designer, he has a long list of sucesseful features such as: “Daughter”, “Bench Cinema”, “In Amethyst Color”, Mum’s Guests”, “White Nights”, “Bomb: A Love Story”. Shah Ebrahim has been working with FIFF as the Palace Interior Designer for the past two years.

Mohammad Mehdi Yadegari was born in 1977 in Shiraz and he has got a master’s degree in marketing and advertising and media management from Iran Broadcasting University. Since 2005, he worked as Contracts Director, Program Director, and CEO of International Programing and Media in IRIB. He also was a member of jury in the Fajr International Film Festival, Cinema Verite, Tehran Jasmin International Film Festival, JIFF, Sports Videos, Iran Sakht and Khorshid Short Film Festival. He has been running the FIFF Film Market since 2016.

Born in 1971 in Tehran, Kamyar MOHSENIN studied Control & Instrument Engineering at Sharif University of Technology. After working as film critic and translator with different film magazines as well as Iranian National Film Archive publications, he started an analytical TV Program, “Film 90’s”, as researcher and co-creator in 1996. He co-wrote his first book, “James Bond, 35 Years with a Phenomenon” in 1997. Mohsenin began his collaboration with Farabi Cinema Foundation as Research Executive in 1998. Since then, he has been involved in organization of such international film events as Fajr, Iranian Film Market, Children and Young Adults, Kish, Urban, etc. and publication of “Annual Selection of Iranian Films”, “Iranian Film Market Guide” and so on. Mohsenin has been a lecturer in different courses on the history of cinema and also a film critic in International Film Guide, film magazines, papers and TV programs. He has been working with FIFF since 2016 as the Head of International Relations.

Filmmaker, photographer, and cinematographer, Seyfollah Samadian born in Urumia, Iran in 1943 studied English Literature and later on got involved in photography, cinematography and film making. He published the monthly Image (Tassvir), a popular Tassvir(image) Magazine in the 80s, and has been a regular lecturer in Photojournalism at Tehran University, Art university and Islamic Azad university. Samadian is co-founder and the director of ‘Image of the Year’ (Tasvir-e Saal) gala and ‘Tasvir Festival’. He is also a member of policy makers of Art and Experience Cinematic Group (Honar o Tajrobe) and founder of the Iranian photographer association. As a director of cinematography, he has worked with Abbas Kiarostami on ‘ABC Africa‘, ‘The Roads‘, and ‘Five‘. His latest feature film as a director ’76 minutes and 15 seconds with Abbas Kiarostami’ was screened in more than 120 International events around the world. Samadian, now the Head of Remembrance and Homage section, was Special Events Coordinator in 34th and 35th Fajr International film festival.

Afshin Asadzadeh, born in 1973, earned his bachelor’s degree in Psychology and received his Master’s degree in Executive Management and the third highest degree in Production Management.
He has been working with numerous film festival and events as curator, jury member and executive manager: Chief Organizer of International Section at 31th and 34th Fajr International Film Festival, Chief Organizer of 1st Tehran Jasmin International Film Festival, Technical Support and Screening Manager of 2nd Tehran Jasmin International Film Festival, Jury member at 3rd Jasmin International, Technical and Screening Manager of Urban International Film Festival, Screening Manager and Selection Committee Coordinator of 4th Fajr National Film Festival, Technical Support and Screening Manager of 4th Tehran Jasmin International, Jury member of First Choice Section at 1st Sangar Short Film Festival, Executive Manager of Audiovisual Section at IranSakht Film Festival, Manager & Coordinator of Selection Committee and Jury Members at 35th Fajr National Film Festival, Secretary of Video Production License Council, Chief Organizer of International Section at Urabn International FF, Jury Member at 36th National Fajr FF.
Asadzadeh has been working with FIFF since 2016 as Screening Manager.

Shadmehr Rastin born in 1965, Tehran, graduated from University of Tehran in Architecture and studied Cinema in Islamic Centre for Filmmaking in “Bagh Ferdows”. Before making a career as a well-known and successful screenwriter, he has spent years writing for magazines and newspapers as a professional movie critic. As a screenwriter he has collaborated with great filmmakers such as Reza Mirkarimi on “As Simple as That” and “Today” and other movies like “offside”, “Zagros”, “A Few Days Later”, and “That Man Came”. He was also a member of selection committee for 33th FIFF, board of Iran’s House of Cinema (IHC) and board of Iranian Society of Screenwriters. Since 2005 he has been the regular lecturer in Art University. Rastin is the head of FIFF Fan Club since 2016.

Mohammad Sadegh Mirkarimi was born in 1988, Zanjan. He is graduated in Mechanical Engineering and currently he is working as an executive manager and project control supervisor. He has worked with Tagh Ahang Engineering Company as executive manager, TAALIS industrial as Province Affairs Director and he has been project control supervisor for screening “A Cube of Sugar” and “Today” and was production manager of “Daughter”.