Asghar Farhadi to lead screenwriting and directing masterclass in Dubai
The masterclass will be conducted in Persian with simultaneous English translation.
Iranian filmmaker and screenwriter Asghar Farhadi is set to lead a two-day masterclass in Dubai on May 30 and 31 (corresponding to the 9th and 10th of Khordad), marking his first such event in the city. Organised by Bamdad International House in collaboration with Tangie Event & Media Production, the masterclass promises a rare opportunity for cinema enthusiasts and professionals to engage directly with the filmmaker.
The first session will focus on the art of screenwriting, taking participants through the entire process from concept development to final script. The second day will shift to the craft of directing, offering insights into Farhadi's unique creative approach behind the camera.
Farhadi, a two-time Academy Award winner for A Separation and The Salesman, is known for his deeply human narratives and nuanced storytelling. His work has earned numerous international honours, including the Grand Prix at the Cannes Film Festival for A Hero and the Silver Bear for Best Director at the Berlin Film Festival for About Elly. The latter film notably marked a turning point in modern cinema, prompting praise from legendary actor Robert De Niro, who described it as 'a mesmerising story that breaks through borders and deepens our understanding of a shared world.'
Farhadi began his cinematic career with his first feature film, Dancing in the Dust in 2003. His international fame grew with his fourth film, About Elly, in 2009, which won the Silver Bear for Best Director at the 59th Berlin International Film Festival.
Asghar Farhadi has significantly enhanced the status of Iranian cinema on the international stage. His films are known for their narrative style that addresses social and ethical issues through multi-dimensional and realistic characters. Farhadi uses everyday tensions and intricate details to build dramatic plots that explore themes such as honour, justice and human relationships.
In recognition of his artistic achievements, Farhadi has been named among Foreign Policy magazine's top 100 global thinkers and was awarded the French Order of Arts and Letters, a testament to his impact on global arts and culture.
The upcoming masterclass will be conducted in Persian, with simultaneous English translation available, allowing a broader international audience to benefit from Farhadi's insights and experience.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Gulf Today
2 days ago
- Gulf Today
Pop singer Jessie J says she has been diagnosed with early breast cancer
The English pop singer Jessie J says she has been diagnosed with breast cancer and will undergo surgery after her performance at the London music festival Capital's Summertime Ball next weekend. Jessie J, 37, shared the news in an Instagram video on Wednesday. "I was diagnosed with early breast cancer,' she said in the clip. "Cancer sucks in any form, but I'm holding onto the word 'early'." "It's a very dramatic way to get a boob job. I am going to disappear for a bit after Summertime Ball to have my surgery, and I will come back with massive (expletive) and more music.' The annual Summertime Ball will be held at Wembley Stadium on Sunday, June 15. She told her social media audience that she felt compelled to share her diagnosis. "I just wanted to be open and share it,' she said. "One, because, selfishly, I do not talk about it enough. I'm not processing it because I'm working so hard. I also know how much sharing in the past has helped me with other people giving me their love and support and also their own stories. I'm an open book. It breaks my heart that so many people are going through so much similar and worse - that's the bit that kills me.' The Grammy-nominated Jessie J has long been celebrated for her robust soprano and R&B-informed pop hits, like the 2014 collaboration with Nicki Minaj and Ariana Grande, "Bang Bang,' and 2011's "Domino.' She has released five albums across her career, most recently, 2018's Christmas album, "This Christmas Day.' She has been releasing new music in 2025, including the singles "Living My Best Life' and "No Secrets.' A new album is expected later this year. She has a son, Sky Safir Cornish Colman, born in 2023. A representative for Jessie J did not immediately respond to The Associated Press' request for comment. Associated Press
Gulf Today
4 days ago
- Gulf Today
Grebnev reclaims solo leadership with two rounds to go in Dubai chess tourney
Grandmaster (GM) Aleksey Grebnev of Russia once again distanced himself from the field with a hard-fought win against International Master (IM) S. Rohith Krishna of India in Monday night's seventh round of the 25th Dubai Open Chess Tournament at the Dubai Chess and Culture Club. Grebnev captalised on a series of blunders by Krishna in what was otherwise an equal position to dispose of his erstwhile co-leader and take the tournament lead with six points. The 18-year-old Russian is trailed closely by two other teenage grandmasters three years his junior - his compatriot Ivan Zemlyanskii and Sina Movahed of Iran, who both have 5.5 points. Movahed, who turned 15 last week during the tournament's opening day, and Zemlyanskii, two months shy of his 15th birthday in August, scored the biggest scalps of the round after defeating defending champion GM Mahammad Muradli and top-seed GM Nihal Sarin, respectively. Movahed inflicted Muradli's second consecutive loss in the tournament. Muradli was on the backpedal right out of the opening as Movahed sacrificed a pawn to weaken the Azerbaijani's kingside defence. Movahed, however, could not find the precise continuation to convert his advantage until a greedy pawn grab by Muradli on the 39th move allowed the Iranian to launch an overwhelming attack with all his pieces contributing to the onslaught. Muradli resigned three moves later. After being held by two consecutive draws, Nihal, playing the black pieces, once again took big risks to play for a win. The ploy initially worked as he started to create weaknesses around white's kingside, but the Indian failed to find the most accurate way to sustain the offensive, allowing Zemlyanskii to force an exchange of queens that neutralised the attack and left him a pawn up in the endgame. Grebnev will have the black pieces as he tries to protect his lead when he faces Movahed in the next round. In Category B, Fide Master (FM) Mahdi Nikookar of Iran ended his perfect run after a draw with Sri Lanka's Pesandu Rashmitha Liyanage in the seventh round. Nikookar, however, remains the solo leader with 6.5 points, followed by Liyanage and Indian Candidate Master (CM) Alankar Sawai Vandan with six points each. Vandan defeated Armenia's Davit Baghdasaryan. The tournament follows a 9-round Swiss system with a 90-minute time control plus a 30-second increment per move. Games are played every day from 5pm, except the final round on June 4, which starts at 10am. The awarding ceremony is on June 5. The tournament offers a prize pool of $52,000 to be handed out to the winners of both categories. Category A, contested by players with a rating over 2300, has a total prize fund of $39,500 with $12,000 going to the champion, while Category B, open to players rated below 2300, offers $12,500 in total prizes and $2,000 awarded to the champion. Special prizes will also be distributed to top performers among rating categories, unrated, youth, women, and UAE players. Chess fans from around the world can watch the Category A games live on the club's website as well as chess platforms such as and Earlier, International Master (IM) S Rohith Krishna of India defeated defending champion GM Mahammad Muradli to rise to the top of the standings in a tie with Grandmaster (GM) Aleksey Grebnev after Sunday night's sixth round. Grebnev drew with top-seed GM Nihal Sarin on the first board, allowing Krishna to join him for the lead with five points each. Nihal remains in joint second place with 4.5 points, alongside his compatriot GM Bharath Subramaniyam, GM Zemlyanskii, GM Shant Sargsyan, and GM Movahed. Muradli sacrificed a pawn on move six in a delayed Benko Gambit and a few moves later the game reached a position that was previously seen in a game between world number two Hikaru Nakamura and former FIDE world champion Ruslan Ponomariov. Muradli, however, deviated on move 13, a questionable decision that allowed Krishna to gain time to reinforce his central pawns and plant an uncontested knight on the c4-square, the white knight's ideal outpost in the Benko Gambit.
Campaign ME
5 days ago
- Campaign ME
beIN, Sony Pictures Entertainment extend content deal across MENA
beIN Media Group has extended its longstanding content agreement with Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE), securing exclusive multi-year rights to a broad portfolio of acclaimed television series and films which will come to beIN's audiences across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), and Turkey. As part of the renewed deal, beIN will continue to hold first and second window rights to several film titles from SPE's diverse library. In the Middle East, content will be available in both Arabic and English across beIN's entertainment channels, beIN ON DEMAND, and on its OTT platforms, TOD and beIN CONNECT. In Turkey, content will be available in English and Turkish via Digiturk's entertainment channels, as well as TOD and beIN CONNECT. 'We are proud to extend our valued relationship with Sony Pictures Entertainment — a creative powerhouse that continues to captivate global audiences,' said Esra Özaral Altop, Chief Entertainment Content Officer, beIN Media Group. 'This renewed agreement not only reflects our dedication to curating premium entertainment for viewers across MENA and Türkiye, but also marks a new chapter in strengthening our entertainment portfolio.' SPE's upcoming slate includes highly anticipated titles such as I Know What You Did Last Summer, 28 Years Later, Until Dawn, and Karate Kid: Legends. The agreement could also allow audiences to watch recent hits like Venom: The Last Dance, Kraven the Hunter, Saturday Night, the Oscar-winning I'm Still Here, and Paddington in Peru coming to beIN's audiences. For television series, the agreement covers fan-favourites including Outlander (Seasons 1-8), The Good Doctor (Seasons 1-7), Twisted Metal (Season 1-2), and anime hits from Crunchyroll: Jujutsu Kaisen and My Hero Academia (Seasons 1-2). 'Our passion at Sony Pictures is to bring great stories to great audiences, and our friends and partners at beIN remain the perfect home to bring this plethora of amazing content to audiences across MENA and Turkey,' said Mark Young, EVP, Distribution & Networks, EMEA, Sony Pictures Television. 'We are thrilled that their wide audiences will continue to enjoy the wealth of content from SPE's future slate as well as our vast library of beloved classics, and we join them in being incredibly pleased to make this announcement today' First signed in 2021, the renewed agreement aims to build on the longstanding collaboration between beIN and SPE, while underscoring beIN's position as a global entertainment network.
