| Mohammad Gorjestani | |
| Birth Date: | 8 February 1984 |
| Birth Place: | Tehran, Iran |
| Occupation: | Director, Writer, Producer and cinematographer |
| Years Active: | 2007–present |
| Nationality: | Iranian-American |
Mohammad Gorjestani (born February 8, 1984) is an Iranian-American writer, director, and producer.[1] [2] He is best known for Exit 12, Sister Hearts and Refuge.[3] [4] [5]
Gorjestani was born in Tehran, Iran. His family fled to the United States in 1988 due to the Iran/Iraq War. He attended Cupertino High School and later attended the Vancouver Film School.[1] His thesis film, The Shade, premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival in 2007 and was later acquired by the BBC.[6]
Gorjestani received film grants from ITVS, for his near future short film Refuge, starring Nikohl Boosheri, and screened at the Tribeca Film Festival and SXSW Film Festival.[7] He was named one of Filmmaker Magazine's 25 New Faces of Independent Film.[8] His most recent short film, Exit 12, was acquired by Fox Searchlight Pictures.[9]
Gorjestani has earned 9 Vimeo Staff Picks for his works.[2] He created “The Happy Birthday Project”, a series of short films on Police killings in America.[10] He is also a 2x recipient of the San Francisco Film Society's Kenneth Rainin Foundation (KRF) Filmmaking Grant for his feature film, currently in development. He is co-founder of Even/Odd.[11]
| Year | Result | Award | Category | Work |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | Won | Tribeca Film Festival | Tribeca X Award[12] | Sister Hearts |
| 2019 | Won | Minneapolis Saint Paul International Film Festival | Audience Choice Award[13] | Exit 12 |
| Won | SXSW Film Festival | Grand Jury Award[14] | ||
| Won | Camden International Film Festival | Best Short Film[15] | ||