TEHRAN-The first edition of the masterclass “The Glory of Cinema,” with four distinguished instructors, will take place on October 20 and 21 at the Azadi Hotel in Tehran.

Organized by the Iranian film editor and producer Mastaneh Mohajer, the two-day in-person masterclass will hold sessions chaired by acclaimed Turkish filmmaker and Palme d’Or winner Nuri Bilge Ceylan, renowned Iranian writer and director Parviz Shahbazi, independent Turkish filmmaker Selim Evci, and prominent Iranian actor Parsa Pirouzfar, Honaronline reported.

On the first day of the event, Selim Evci will introduce Turkish independent cinema and discuss its characteristics. Then, Parviz Shahbazi will speak about creating atmosphere in cinema. After that, a film by Evci will be screened.

On the second day, Parsa Pirouzfar will share his cinematic experiences in a session titled “The Actor's Entry into the World of a Role”. Following that, Nuri Bilge Ceylan will talk about the origins, features, and elements of his own cinema and answer questions.

Afterward, a tribute to the late Iranian filmmaker Abbas Kiarostami will be held, with Ceylan, Mohammad Yilmaz, and several Iranian filmmakers speaking at the session. The event will conclude with the screening of one of Ceylan's films.

Participants in the masterclass will receive a certificate of attendance.

Nuri Bilge Ceylan, 65, is a screenwriter and director whose introspective and visually stunning films have garnered international acclaim.

His film “Winter Sleep” (2014) won the Palme d'Or at the 67th Cannes Film Festival, while six of his films have been selected as Turkey's submission for the Academy Award for Best International Feature Film.

Recurring themes in Ceylan's films include estrangement, existentialism, monotony, and the human experience. He often features static shots and long takes, usually in natural settings and without the use of staged sets. Ceylan's use of sound includes using silence to cause unease. 

Ceylan's films are characterized by their slow pace, meticulous attention to detail, and exploration of complex emotional states. His visual style, often inspired by his background in photography, creates a sense of atmosphere and mood that draws viewers into the world of his characters. Ceylan's unflinching portrayal of human relationships, combined with his poetic visual language, has earned him a dedicated following and a place among the most respected filmmakers of our time.

Parviz Shahbazi, 61, is a graduate of filmmaking. During the early 80's he began writing short stories and directing short films. He edited several films and directed 12 short films before making his first feature film.

A highly acclaimed filmmaker, he is renowned for his independent films that prominently delve into social issues and the interplay between diverse generations. His cinematic journey has led him to grace some of the most prestigious film festivals worldwide, including the Cannes, Venice, and Berlin Film Festival, where he has received numerous awards for his storytelling prowess.

His debut feature film “Traveler from the South” (1996) as well as his second film “Whispers” (2000) went to countless festivals and brought him international recognition, collecting several prizes along the way.

In 2002, his third film, “Deep Breath” was shown at the Directors' Fortnight at Cannes Film Festival to great success. Among other accolades, it won a FIPRESCI award at Pusan and the Jury special award at Turin as well as the Best Film award at the Belgrade Author Festival.

In 2016, “Malaria” was shown at the 73rd Venice Film Festival and won the Grand Prix at the Warsaw International Film Festival.

His last film “Roxana” won the Best Actor Award for lead actor Yasna Mirtahmasb at the 36th Tokyo International Film Festival in 2023.

Selim Evci, 48, is a director, screenwriter and producer. In 2008, he wrote and directed his debut feature film “Two Lines”. The film made its world premiere at the 65th Venice International Film Festival, in the 23rd International Film Critics Week.

His second feature film “Winds” premiered at the 26th Panorama of European Cinema. The third film “Secret” premiered at the 39th Montreal World Film Festival in 2015. His films have won various awards at international festivals in Turkey, the Netherlands, and Algeria.

He is also the founder and the artistic director of the Akbank Short Film Festival which had its 19th edition in 2023.

Parsa Pirouzfar, 52, is an actor, theater director, painter, playwright, and translator. He has received various accolades, including the Best Actor Award in the Osian’s Cinefan Festival of Asian Cinema in India and an Iran Cinema Celebration Award, in addition to nominations for a Crystal Simorgh and three Hafez Awards.

A graduate of painting from the University of Tehran, he made his film debut by playing a brief part in Dariush Mehrjui’s “Pari” in 1994.

He has played in over 40 films, plays, and TV series. His most famous films include “Sheida,” “Mum's Guest,” “MasK,” “Here Without Me,” “TiTi,” and “Intoxicated by Love”. He is also known for the series “In the Eyes of the Wind,” “At the End of the Night,” “Rebel,” “Under Your Protection,” “In My Heart,” and “The Green Journey”.

Pirouzfar made his directional debut in theater in 2001 with “Art,” a play by Yasmina Reza. In 2015, he directed the play “Matryoshka,” a Persian-language satire based on selected short stories of Anton Chekhov. Matryoshka first premiered at Theater West in Los Angeles. A solo performance, the play had over 30 characters all performed by Pirouzfar in its theatrical production. “Matryoshka” subsequently ran for two years in the U.S. cities of Los Angeles, San Diego, and Berkeley as well as Toronto, Vancouver, and Montreal in Canada in 2015 and 2016; and finally, after multiple performances due to its immense popularity, finished its staging in Tehran, Iran, in 2017.

“Matryoshka” earned Pirouzfar the Golden Statue Award for Best Actor in the 35th Celebration of the Fajr International Theater Festival in Tehran in 2017.

SS/SAB