Hossein Shahabi (Persian: حسین شهابی pronunciation;[a] 28 November 1967 – 22 January 2023)[1] was an Iranian film director, screenwriter and film producer.

Hossein Shahabi
حسین شهابی
Shahabi in 2014
Born(1967-11-28)28 November 1967
Died22 January 2023(2023-01-22) (aged 55)
Alma materUniversity of Tehran
Occupation(s)Film director, screenwriter and film producer
Years active1996–2023
Notable workThe SaleThe Bright Day
SpouseBahareh Ansari
Children1
Awards
Websitewww.hosseinshahabi.com

Biography

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Shahabi has got Cinema Directing master's 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.[2] 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.[3] 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 winning Silver Pheasant Award and a cash prize for The Best Debut Director of the 19th International Film Festival of Kerala, India.[4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12] 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.

Shahabi died from a lung infection on 22 January 2023, at the age of 55.[13]

Cinematic style

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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.[14]

Filmography

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Feature Film & Experimental Films
No Year English title Persian title Credited as Notes Time
Director Producer Writer
01 2022 Face to face رو در رو Yes Yes Yes Feature film 90 Min
02 2017 Conditional release آزاد به قید شرط Yes Yes Yes Feature film 120 Min
03 2016 The Cancer Period بی‌صدا Yes Yes Yes Feature film 110 Min
04 2014 The Sale حراج Yes Yes Yes Feature film 98 Min
05 2013 The Bright Day روز روشن Yes Yes Yes The first feature film 96 Min
06 2012 For the Sake of Mahdi به‌خاطر مهدی Yes Yes Yes Feature film 125 Min
07 2009 The Last Word حرف آخر Yes Yes Yes Short film 30 Min
08 2001 The Photo عکس Yes No Yes Experimental Film 110 Min
09 2001 Rain Tree درخت بارانی Yes No Yes Short film 30 Min
10 2001 Echo پژواک Yes No Yes Short film 25 Min
11 2000 Wars and Treasure جنگ و گنج Yes Yes Yes Experimental Film 100 Min
12 2000 Broth Soup آش نذری Yes No Yes Experimental Film 80 Min
13 1998 Ghost شبح Yes Yes Yes Experimental Film 90 Min
14 1997 Bright Shadow سایه‌روشن Yes Yes Yes Experimental Film 90 Min
15 1997 Tunnel 18 تونل ١٨ Yes Yes Yes Experimental Film 120 Min
16 1996 The traces of light ردپای نور Yes Yes Yes Experimental Film 94 Min
17 1995 Hundred to one hundred صدبرابر صد Yes Yes Yes Short film 10 Min
18 1995 Elevator آسانسور Yes Yes Yes Short film 30 Min

Awards and international presence

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  • Won best film award and Best Editor Award for the film Echoes the Iranian national media festival (1996)[15]
  • Diploma and a cash prize for the winner of Best Screenplay writing Script "havva" first festival Women and war (2000)
  • Won Diploma award the best screenplay of the 31st Fajr International Film Festival for the movie "the bright day" (2013)
  • Won Diploma award the best Actress of the 31st Fajr International Film Festival for the movie "the bright day" (2013)
  • Candidate a Crystal simorgh award at 31st Fajr International Film Festival for best first film for the movie bright day (2013)
 
Hossein Shahabi & Nuri Bilge Ceylan film festival of Kerala 2014
  • Candidate a Crystal simorgh award for Best Actor at 31st Fajr International Film Festival for the movie "the bright day" (2013)
  • Candidate a Crystal simorgh award for Best Sound recorder at 31st Fajr Film Festival for the movie "the bright day" (2013)
  • Candidate a Crystal simorgh award for Best Graphic Design at 31st Fajr Film Festival for the movie "the bright day" (2013)
  • Won Special Mention of the Jury-at 28th Mar del Plata International Film Festival for the movie the bright day (2014)[16]
  • Won Best Film Award at 24th Chicago Iranian Film Festival in America for the movie the bright day (2014)[17]
  • Companies at 28th Film Festival in Boston America for the movie the bright day (2014)[18]
  • Companies at 21 Film Festival in Houston America for the movie the bright day (2014)[19]
  • Companies at 18 Film Festival in Washington DC America for the movie the bright day (2014)[20]
  • Companies at the Iranian films festival in America Rice University for the movie "the bright day" (2014)[21]
  • Companies at the Iranian films festival in America The Los Angeles Museum of Art for the movie "the bright day"(2014)
  • Companies at the Iranian films festival in America UCLA University for the movie "the bright day" (2014)[22]
  • Companies at the 3rd Persian International Film Festival Sydney, Australia for the movie "the bright day" (2014)[23]
  • Companies at the 21st international film festival of Asian cinema Vesoul, France, for the movie "the sale" (2015)[24]
  • Won Silver Pheasant Award and a cash prize for The Best Debut Director of the 19th International Film Festival of Kerala, India (2014)
  • Companies at the 11th international film festival of Zurich for the movie "the bright day" (2015)[25]
  • Companies at the 15th film festival of Stockholm, Sweden for the movie "The Sale" (2015)[26]
  • Companies at the Cambridge Film Festival of 2017 for the movie "conditional release" (2017).[27]
  • Companies at the 17th International Film Festival of Tiburon for the movie "conditional release" (2018).[28]

Notes

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  1. ^ Persian pronunciation: [hossein shahabi]

References

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  1. ^ "حسین شهابی، کارگردان سینما، درگذشت".
  2. ^ sourehcinema Archived 6 October 2014 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved 19 April 2013
  3. ^ "Mención Especial del Jurado- "The Bright Day", de Hossein Shahabi" [Special Jury Mention- "The Bright Day", by Hossein Shahabi]. 29th Festival Internacional de Cine de Mar del Plata (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 12 November 2014 – via mardelplatafilmfest.com.
  4. ^ 19th Film Festival of Kerala Retrieved 13 December 2014
  5. ^ "Iranian film "Bright Day" nominated for golden Astor award in Argentina". The Iran Project. 11 November 2013. Retrieved 2 April 2014.
  6. ^ Chicago film festival Archived 20 February 2014 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved 20 April 2013
  7. ^ boston film festival Archived 30 December 2013 at the Wayback Machine mfa.org Retrieved 11 July 2013
  8. ^ houston film festival Archived 2 January 2014 at the Wayback Machine mfah.org Retrieved 27 March 2013
  9. ^ Washington dc festival Archived 19 January 2014 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved 12 April 2013
  10. ^ rice University Archived 2 January 2014 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved 21 December 2013
  11. ^ The Los Angeles Museum of Art Retrieved 29 July 2013
  12. ^ Sydney, Australia Archived 11 September 2014 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved 8 April 2013
  13. ^ حسین شهابی درگذشت (in Persian)
  14. ^ "Grey Matter: The Bright Day (Hossein Shahabi)".
  15. ^ Iranian Movie DataBase Archived 6 October 2014 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved 1 January 2014
  16. ^ mardel plata film festival Archived 31 July 2017 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved 16 July 2013
  17. ^ Chicago film festival Archived 20 February 2014 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved 2 January 2015
  18. ^ Boston film festival Archived 30 December 2013 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved 1 January 2015
  19. ^ Houston film festival Archived 2 January 2014 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved 3 January 2015
  20. ^ Washington dc festival Archived 19 January 2014 at the Wayback Machine dcist.com 7 October 2014 Retrieved 11 November 2014
  21. ^ rice University Archived 2 January 2014 at the Wayback Machine mfah.org 12 October 2014 Retrieved 21 November 2014
  22. ^ UCLA University ucla.edu 12 November 2014 Retrieved 14 September 2014
  23. ^ Sydney, Australia Archived 11 September 2014 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved 16 September 2014
  24. ^ 21st festival of vesoul Retrieved 11 November 2014
  25. ^ 11th film festival of zurich Retrieved 11 October 2014
  26. ^ 15th film festival of Stockholm Archived 27 September 2015 at the Wayback MachineRetrieved 13 October 2014
  27. ^ "Cambridge Film Festival of 2017".
  28. ^ "Tiburon International Film Festival". tiburonfilmfestival.com.
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Hossein Shahabi Press conference, At The Mar Del Plata film festival 2013