Hossein Shahabi

FIPRESCI/Cinema critic Lalit Rao writes about The first film Hossein Shahabi: Iranian director Hossein Shahabi chose to highlight the importance of the criminal justice system in his homeland Iran. His debut feature The Bright Day (Rooz-e Roshan) depicts the relentless efforts of a brave woman to ensure that truth should prevail at all costs. What makes his film remarkable is the incessant travels carried out in the car by its protagonist Roshan who wouldn't stop at anything in order to save her lover from death penalty. She is constantly on the move in her car in order to convince witnesses to speak the truth which would result in a person escaping the death penalty. This film constantly reminds viewers a lot about films made by Abbas Kiarostami especially 'Close-Up' and 'Like Someone in Love' whose leading players were always on the move to achieve their personal goals. Iranian actress Pantea Bahram is quite convincing in her role as the lone crusader of justice. It was for this film that Hossein Shahabi won silver crow pheasant award for best débutant director during 19th International Film Festival of Kerala 2014.

Shahabi has got Cinema Directing master degree and Classical Music B.A from Tehran University. After graduation from Tehran University in classical music studies, he spent a few years teaching music. In 1996 he made his first (short) film (Hundred Times Hundred), on the occasion of 100th anniversary of cinema, and received a prize at the (one off) festival, established for the same occasion. Since then he has written, directed and produced 20 shorts, 10 fictional features (for video release in the Iranian market) and 5 features, for the theatrical release, some of them won prizes in the local and international film festivals. The Bright Day (2013) has been his debut, which was well received by the critics and it was nominated in four categories in Fajr International Film Festival, Tehran (February 2013) and won two Honorary Diplomas. The Bright Day had its international premiere at the competition in Mar del Plata film festival, (2013) and got a special mention of the jury [1]. It was also screened at festivals like,3rd Persian International Film Festival Sydney, Australia, 28th Boston Film Festival, 21st Houston Film Festival, 18th Washington DC Film Festival, 29th Los Angeles Film Festival,the UCAL and The Rice University, in the States and has won the best direction and best film prize, at 24th Festival of Films from Iran, at Chicago’s Gene Siskel Film Center also win Silver Pheasant Award and a cash prize for The Best Debut Director of the 19th International Film Festival of Kerala, India the Sale is second long feature film of Hossein Shahabi. For the first time in the 21st international festivals Vesoul France is on the screen.

Hossein Shahabi (Persian: حسین شهابی ‎ pronunciation  (help ·info ) ; Born on 28 November 1967, is an Iranian film director, screenwriter and film producer He belongs to the third generation of Iranian New Wave who is making his first feature film and was appreciated and praised by critics and became famous internationally.