Pegah Ahangarani

Her films have received critical acclaim and garnered prestigious awards at international festivals including IDFA and Busan. Ahangarani left her studies in music after attending an art conservatory and focused on acting. She has also gained experience in directing, producing, and documentary filmmaking. She first appeared on screen in 1990 at the age of six in the film The Singing Cat. She rose to fame at 15 with her performance in the film The Girl with Sneakers, directed by Rasoul Sadrameli.

• Name — Pegah Ahangarani • Native Name — پگاه آهنگرانی • Born — 24 July 1984 • Birthplace — Arak, Iran • Occupation — * Actress • film director • Father — Jamshid Ahangarani • Mother — Manijeh Hekmat • Birth Name — Pegah Ahangarani Farahani • Years Active — 1990–present

Ahangarani was arrested on 27 July 2009 in the wake of the turmoil after the 2009 presidential election, allegedly for her work in support of opposition candidate Mir-Hossein Mousavi. She was later released but arrested again on 10 July 2011 prior to her planned trip to Germany to report on the 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup for the Persian service of the German broadcaster Deutsche Welle. She was released from Evin Prison two weeks later on the equivalent of $84,000 bail after expressions of "outrage among foreign governments and human rights organizations".

After emigrating from Iran, Pegah Ahangarani settled in the UK, where she later married Ali Azimi, an Iranian singer and composer.

As Director • Rehearsals for a Revolution (2026) • As I Lay Dying (2025) • Taraneh (2025, BBC World Service, feature documentary) (an intimate portrait of acclaimed actress Taraneh Alidoosti, exploring her support for the "Woman, Life, Freedom" movement, her subsequent imprisonment and illness. • Child Soldiers (2024, BBC World Service, feature documentary) Commissioned documentary examining the lives of child soldiers in the Iran Iraq war. • My Father (2023, essay film 18 min) • Premiered at IDFA – International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam. • Special Mention Award. • I Am Trying to Remember (2021, essay film, 14 min) • Premiered at IDFA, Hot Docs, IDA Documentary Awards, and numerous other festivals. • Winner of several awards. • Published by The New Yorker (documentary platform).