Bahman Ghobadi
Bahman Ghobadi (born February 1, 1969) is an Iranian Kurdish film director, producer and writer. He belongs to the "new wave" of Iranian cinema.
Also recorded as Bahman Qobadi
Bahman Ghobadi
Neva Micheva · CC BY 2.5
- Name
- Bahman Ghobadi
- Born
- 1 February 1969
- Birthplace
- Baneh, Iran
- Education
- Iran Broadcasting University
- Occupation
- Film director, producer, writer
- Known for
- A Time for Drunken Horses, Turtles Can Fly, Half Moon, No One Knows About Persian Cats
- Movement
- Iranian New Wave
- Awards
- Caméra d'Or, Golden Shell, Un Certain Regard
- Nationality
- Iran
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Bahman Ghobadi (born February 1, 1969) is an Iranian Kurdish film director, producer and writer. He belongs to the "new wave" of Iranian cinema.
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Authority files
bnf · getty · gnd · loc · wikidata · Q31923 · wikipedia · Bahman Ghobadi
In this article
Biography
Biography
Ghobadi worked across film director, actor, screenwriter, film actor and photographer and 2 further recorded occupations. This article rests on 2 published texts and 11 scholarly references drawn from named institutional registers. Every statement below returns to a source shown in the evidence panel; where the record is silent or divided, the article says so instead of resolving it.
Bahman Ghobadi, Iranian/Kurdish film director in San Sebastian (Spain)
Neva Micheva

Bahman Ghobadi recibiendo la Concha de Oro en el Festival de San Sebastián (2006)
Oneras [2] · FLICKR. Página de la foto: [1]
Key facts
Key facts
• Name — Bahman Ghobadi • Native Name — بهمن قبادی • Born — 1 February 1969 • Birthplace — Baneh, Iran • Education — Iran Broadcasting University • Occupation — Film director, producer, writer • Years Active — 1990–present • Era — Iranian New Wave • Organization — Mij Film • Known for — A Time for Drunken Horses, Turtles Can Fly, Half Moon, No One Knows About Persian Cats • Style — Drama, social issues • Movement — Iranian New Wave • Awards — Caméra d'Or, Golden Shell, Un Certain Regard • Website — http: www.mijfilm.com
Biography
Biography
He was born in Baneh, a Kurdish city in Iran. His family moved to Sanandaj in 1981. Ghobadi received a Bachelor of Arts in film directing from Iran Broadcasting College. After a brief career in industrial photography, Ghobadi began making short 8 mm films. His documentary Life in Fog won numerous awards. Bahman Ghobadi was assistant director on Abbas Kiarostami's The Wind Will Carry Us. Bahman Ghobadi founded Mij Film in 2000, a company with the aim of production of films in Iran about its different ethnic groups. His first feature film was A Time for Drunken Horses (2000), the first Kurdish film produced in Iran. The film won the Caméra d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival. His second feature was Marooned in Iraq (2002), which brought him the Gold Plaque from the Chicago International Film Festival. His third feature, Turtles Can Fly, followed in 2004, winning the Glass Bear and Peace Film Award at the Berlin International Film Festival and the Golden Shell at the San Sebastian International Film Festival. In 2006, Ghobadi's Half Moon won the Golden Shell at the San Sebastian International Film Festival. Iran's renowned actors Golshifteh Farahani, Hassan Poorshirazi and Hedyeh Tehrani acted in this movie. The music of the movie was made by Iran's musician Hossein Alizadeh. The film, which was a collaborative project by Iran, France, Austria and Iraq, was shot fully in Iranian Kurdistan. However, it narrates the story of a group of Iranian Kurdish musicians who would like to travel to Iraqi Kurdistan and organize a concert there. In 2006, Index on Censorship gave Ghobadi an Index Film Award for making a significant contribution to freedom of expression through his film Turtles Can Fly. In May 2009, his film No One Knows About Persian Cats won an Un Certain Regard Special Jury Prize ex-aequo when it premiered at the Cannes Film Festival. This film chronicles the hardships facing young Iranian musicians seeking to evade censorship. In 2012, his next film Rhino Season was released at San Sebastian Film Festival. In this film he worked with Monica Belluci and combined an international cast. Following critical success of this film, he also took part as one of the directors in anthology film Words with Gods directing the segment Kaboki. In 2015, his feature documentary A Flag without a Country was released. The documentary that premiered at Sundance Film Festival is about Kurds, middle-east war and "Kurdistan", a nation with about 45m population and still without a country. Following this documentary, he got back on fiction and directed The Four Walls in which he again assembled an international cast featuring Amir Aghaee, Funda Eryiğit and Denizhan Akbaba. He is currently writing, directing, and producing, and actively participating in supporting human rights and freedom of speech all around the world.
Filmography
Filmography
• Illustration — Ghobadi at the presentation of his film Nobody Knows About Persian Cats in San Sebastián 2009
As director
As director
• Film — Date • Golbaji — 1990 — short film • A Glance — 1990 — short film • Again Rain with Melody — 1995 — short film • Party — 1996 — short film • Like Mother — 1996 — short film • God's Fish — 1996 — short film • Notebook's Quote — 1996 — short film • Ding — 1996 — short film • Life in Fog — 1997 — short film • The Pigeon of Nader Flew — 1997 — short film • Telephone Booth — 1997 — short film • A Time for Drunken Horses — 2000 — feature film • Marooned in Iraq — 2002 — feature film • War is Over — 2003 — short film • Daf — 2003 — short film • Turtles Can Fly — 2004 — feature film • Half Moon — 2006 — feature film • No One Knows About Persian Cats — 2009 — feature film • Rhino Season — 2012 — feature film • Words with Gods, segment Kaboki — 2014 — feature film • A Flag without a Country — 2015 — documentary • The Four Walls — 2021 — feature film
As actor
As actor
Ghobadi made a cameo appearance in the 2019 film The Irishman, where he portrayed a prison cook who serves Jimmy Hoffa an ice cream sundae. While Ghobadi does not enjoy acting, he says he appeared in the film out of respect for Martin Scorsese and Al Pacino.
Jury Duties
Jury Duties
Ghobadi has served as jury president or jury member in many international festivals. • 22nd Busan International Film Festival- New Currents Jury Member, Busan, South Korea, 12-21.10.2017 • 7th Off Plus Camera International Festival of Independent Cinema, Poland, 2-11 May 2014 • 14th International Film Festival of Kerala, December 2009 • The independent Film festival Off Camera Poland. 1-5 October 2008 • Eurasia International Film festival, Kazakhstan, 7-13 September, 2008 • São Paulo International Film Festival, October, 2006 • Anonimul International Film Festival, 14 to 19 August 2006 • Vila do conde International Film Festival, Portugal, 3 to 11 July, 2006 • Gwangju International Film Festival, Korea, 28 April to 6 May, 2006 • Rotterdam International Film Festival, 26 January to 6 February, 2004 • Cannes International Film Festival, Golden Shell district, 2002
Activism
Activism
Ghobadi, as an exile filmmaker, started many campaigns for freedom of speech and freedom of expression. In 2021, he wrote a letter to the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Science to create an initiative to give exile directors possibility to submit their work for best International Film category. He has also played an important role on social media during the protests in Iran following the Death of Mahsa Amini in September 2022. He informed public and followers about the incidents happening in Iran, supporting the cause of Iranian people standing for themselves and against oppressive Iranian regime. He has also written an open letter to Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Science to invite the film industry to support the democratic cause of his people.
Identity
Identity
Bahman Ghobadi is recorded with the occupation film director. Established in Bibliothèque nationale de France under 14498741q. Recorded as film director, actor, screenwriter and film actor. Established in Library of Congress under no2004052262.
Life and career
Dated record
Life and career
Explore 1969–2018
The full dated record · 5 entries
1969
Bahman Ghobadi was born on 1 February 1969.
2006
Receives Index Award.
2006
Bahman Ghobadi received Index Award in 2006.
2018
Receives Annual award ACFK.
2018
Bahman Ghobadi received Annual award ACFK in 2018.
Primary material
Documents and archives
institutional register
- Bibliothèque nationale de France authority file 14498741q
Unverified · Bibliothèque nationale de France
- GND (German National Library) authority file 138650373
Unverified · GND (German National Library)
- IdRef (French universities) authority file 077719689
Unverified · IdRef (French universities)
- ISNI authority file 0000000080450415
Unverified · ISNI
- Library of Congress authority file no2004052262
Unverified · Library of Congress
- MusicBrainz authority file 3d5d0f82-25df-4cb7-b9a8-fc100a50403a
Unverified · MusicBrainz
reference work
- “Bahman Ghobadi”, English Wikipedia, consulted as further reading
Reputable secondary · Wikipedia
- Wikidata, structured authority record Q31923: Bahman Ghobadi
Reputable secondary · Wikimedia Foundation
scholarly publication
- <i>Made in Kurdistan</i>: Etnoficção, infância e resistência no cinema curdo de Bahman Ghobadi
Scholarly · Crossref registry
Notes from the source article
Cited by Wikipedia
Notes from the source article
These works are cited by the source article, in its own numbering. They are recorded as its citations, not as sources VALÉORINE has verified.
- 1.Greencine.com. Iranian New Wave, by Jeffrey M. Anderson.
- 2.The Iranian New Wave, Iranian filmmakers enjoy a golden age
- 3.Full cast and crew for Bad ma ra khahad bord , IMDd. Retrieved November 10, 2012
- 4.Peter Scarlet. Kurdish Director, Stuck Between Iraq and Iran, The New York Times, December 16, 2007. Retrieved November 10, 2012
- 5.Awards for Lakposhtha parvaz mikonand, IMDd. Retrieved November 10, 2012
- 6.Jeannette Catsoulis. Harsh Realities and Mystical Power , The New York Times, December 14, 2007. Retrieved November 10, 2012
- 7.Freedom of Expression Film Award for Turtles Can Fly. www.mijfilm.com.
- 8.BAHMAN GHOBADI – MijFilm.
- 9.Iran's Bahman Ghobadi calls for Oscar recognition for directors in exile.
- 10.Iranian Filmmaker Bahman Ghobadi Asks Academy to Support Mahsa Amini Protests. September 24, 2022.
References
Citations
References
Each reference names the institution holding it, so a reader may go to the document itself.
scholarly publication
<i>Made in Kurdistan</i>: Etnoficção, infância e resistência no cinema curdo de Bahman GhobadiCrossref registry
Verifiedreference work
Partially resolvedinstitutional register
Bibliothèque nationale de France authority file 14498741qBibliothèque nationale de France
Partially resolvedinstitutional register
GND (German National Library) authority file 138650373GND (German National Library)
Partially resolvedinstitutional register
IdRef (French universities) authority file 077719689IdRef (French universities)
Partially resolvedinstitutional register
Partially resolvedinstitutional register
Library of Congress authority file no2004052262Library of Congress
Partially resolvedinstitutional register
Partially resolved
Every cited source · 12
- 01
<i>Made in Kurdistan</i>: Etnoficção, infância e resistência no cinema curdo de Bahman Ghobadi
scholarly publication · Scholarly
Consult the source - 02
“Bahman Ghobadi”, English Wikipedia, consulted as further reading
reference work · Reputable secondary · Wikipedia
Consult the source - 03
Bibliothèque nationale de France authority file 14498741q
institutional register · Unverified · Bibliothèque nationale de France
Consult the source - 04
GND (German National Library) authority file 138650373
institutional register · Unverified · GND (German National Library)
Consult the source - 05
IdRef (French universities) authority file 077719689
institutional register · Unverified · IdRef (French universities)
Consult the source - 06
- 07
Library of Congress authority file no2004052262
institutional register · Unverified · Library of Congress
Consult the source - 08
- 09
OpenAlex author record A5030198826 for Bahman Ghobadi.
scholarly index · Unverified
Consult the source - 10
Union List of Artist Names authority file 500331991
institutional register · Unverified · Union List of Artist Names
Consult the source - 11
Wikidata, structured authority record Q31923: Bahman Ghobadi
reference work · Reputable secondary · Wikimedia Foundation
Consult the source - 12
VIAF cluster 12017582 for Bahman Ghobadi, aggregating national library name authorities.
authority file · Unverified · OCLC
Consult the source
The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 14 August 2026.
Elsewhere in Film memorabilia
37,515 published records in this field, each with its sources named.
- Bahareh AfshariPerson
- Bahareh RahnamaPerson
- Baharul IslamPerson
- Bahman FarmanaraPerson
- Bahman MaghsoudlouPerson
- Bahodir YoʻldoshevPerson
- Bahram AfshariPerson
- Bahram BeyzaiPerson
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