The Iranian Film Festival and the Iranian Federated Women's Club (IFWC)/Payvand.org, cordially invite you, your family and friends to view some of the greatest works of modern Iranian Cinema in our 2017 Silicon Valley Iranian Film Festival, on Sunday, March 12, 2017, at the BlueLight Cinemas theatre at 21275 Stevens Creek Boulevard in Cupertino, from 12:00 pm to 10:00 pm. Admission price for each screening is $12, and a day pass for all screenings is available for $55.
Iranian Film Festival - San Francisco, the first independent Iranian film festival outside of Iran, which showcases independent feature and short films made by or about Iranians from around the world, will present 37 films at the 9th annual event. The fims range from fiction, documentaryanimation, short...to music.
Tickets for this public event are available at www.bluelightcinemas.com and at the theater box office
Iranian Film Festival - San Francisco, the first independent Iranian film festival outside of Iran, which showcases independent feature and short films made by or about Iranians from around the world, will present 37 films at the 9th annual event. The fims range from fiction, documentaryanimation, short...to music.
While most of the $60 tickets have sold out, all seats at De Anza's Visual and Performing Arts Center offer excellent views of the stage. We can't wait for opening night and we look forward to seeing you there!
Performances
March 26 and 27, 5:00 pm to 9:00 pm
April 2 and 3, 5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Click to purchase tickets - Tickets will NOT be available at the door.
*Play is in Persian *This is part 1 of the play. Part 2 will be performed in the summer. This performance is 3 1/2 hours long with a 30 minute intermission.
Written and directed by Bahram Beyzaie
A hadji sets out to sell his servant and buy in his place a young slave girl. On the way, they see a poet about to be beheaded; a young lover in search of a purloined beloved; and troubadours, their profession banned, desperate to bring joy and laughter to any face. In short, the world they see is all topsy-turvy.
Tarabnameh has its genealogy in the tradition of Takhte-Hozi plays—a tradition of popular plays, combing comedy and music, dance and poetry. Centuries of despotism have rendered this form bereft of content. In Tarabnameh, a play with a cast of thirty-seven actors, this ancient comic genre keeps its joyous ambiance but takes on new form and meaning, underscoring the possibilities of once forgotten traditions becoming rich, robust, and lively modern forms of theater.
Watch a clip as the actors rehearse and prepare for opening night
Persian Arts Festival - 10th Anniversary Celebration Featuring Music, Short Film, Poetry
National Sawdust - Aida Shahghasemi - Mitra Sumara - Poetry curated by Zohra Saed and Sara Goudarzi
Friday, March 18, 8:30 p.m. to 1:00 a.m.
80 N. 6th St., Brooklyn, NY
The Persian Arts Festival celebrates 10 years of showcasing the work of hundreds of Iranian American artists from around the world at National Sawdust. The 10th Annual Persian Arts Festival will feature multiple art forms including short films by Iranian Americans, performances by established poets, curated by Zohra Saed and Sara Goudarzi, the NYC premier of vocalist and daf player, Aida Shahghasemi, who fuses her exquisite Persian classical vocal training with indie-rock tendencies, and Mitra Sumara, a big-band of NYC-based musicians dedicated to Pop/funk music from Pre-Revolutionary Iran.
Tarabnameh -
Written and Directed by Bahram Beyzale
Part of the Stanford Festival of Iranian Arts - De Anza Community College - Visual and Performing Arts Center *Play is in Persian
Performances
March 26 and 27, 5:00 pm to 9:00 pm
April 2 and 3, 5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Click to purchase tickets
A hadji sets out to sell his servant and buy in his place a young slave girl. On the way, they see a poet about to be beheaded; a young lover in search of a purloined beloved; and troubadours, their profession banned, desperate to bring joy and laughter to any face. In short, the world they see is all topsy-turvy.
Tarabnameh has its genealogy in the tradition of Takhte-Hozi plays—a tradition of popular plays, combing comedy and music, dance and poetry. Centuries of despotism have rendered this form bereft of content. In Tarabnameh, a play with a cast of thirty-seven actors, this ancient comic genre keeps its joyous ambiance but takes on new form and meaning, underscoring the possibilities of once forgotten traditions becoming rich, robust, and lively modern forms of theater.
Between the Grave and the Moon -
Written and Directed by Nasser Rahmaninejad
Saturday, February 27, 2016 at 7:30 p.m.
Nasser Rahmaninejad is a prominent director and playwright from Iran. His new play, "Between the Grave and the Moon: Chronicle of a Poet's Death," recounts the last days of the Iranian poet Mohammad Moktari before he was murdered by the Islamic republic of Iran's agents. The theatrical monologue is an effort to resurrect the voice of the poet to describe his own last days.
Dr. Behdad Aminzadeh is a lead Research Scientist at Chevron Energy Technology Company. He holds a PhD in Petroleum Engineering from the University of Texas at Austin. He is currently working on new technologies to improve oil production from mature oil fields around the world.
Dr. Pooya Azadi is a Senior Research Associate at MIT, and co-founder of WeViro – a startup company for promoting action against climate change. He holds a PhD in Chemical Engineering from the University of Toronto. Prior to MIT, Pooya worked as a researcher at Oxford, Cambridge, and Tokyo Universities. His research interests include renewable energies and environment, subjects in which he has authored over 30 journal papers.
Dr. Aminzadeh and Dr. Azadi will be discussing a statistical comparative study of the Iranian diaspora scientific community and preliminary inquiry into possible role in Iran’s future development. Particular emphasize will be placed on fossil and renewable energy sources.
*Event is in Persian
Evolution of Goodness: Empathy in Animals and Humans - a lecture by Francis B.M. deWaal
Wednesday, March 9, 6 - 8:00 p.m.
Cemex Auditorium, Knight Management Building
Stanford Campus
Does morality come from God, as many religions believe, offering a foundation of theocracy, or could there be biological explanations that have more to do with evolution than Divine design? In this lecture, De Waal will discuss the sense of fairness in animals and will review expressions of empathy in animals.
Dr. Frans B. M. de Waal is a Dutch/American biologist and primatologist known for his work on the behavior and social intelligence of primates. He is currently C. H. Candler Professor in the Psychology Department of Emory University and Director of the Living Links Center at the Yerkes National Primate Center, in Atlanta, Georgia.
A joint project with the Laboratory of Behavioral and Cognitive Neurology at Stanford University Medical School and the Hamid and Christina Moghadam Program in Iranian Studies Program
Lecture is free and open to the public - Lecture is in English
Iranian Film Festival - San Francisco - September 26-27, 2015
I Want to Be King - September 26, 2015 at 3:15 p.m.
Venue:
San Francisco Art Institute, 800 Chestnut Street, San Francisco, CA 94133
Director: Mehdi Ganji, 2014, Iran, 70 minutes, Cast: Abbas Barzegar
Several years ago, two German tourists knocked at the door to the modest farmhouse of Abbas Barzegar somewhere near Shiraz, Iran. Barzegar offered them a place to stay and the meal that his wife had just prepared. The tourists ate with gusto, and the news soon spread that Barzegar served the best food in all of Iran. The simple farmer metamorphosed into a real businessman with successful, increasingly modern accommodations offering guests “the authentic Iran.” In his debut film, Mehdi Ganji shows how hard the family must work to satisfy the demand: Barzegar’s wife does overtime in the kitchen where she works her culinary magic using local prod
uce, his three children do many odd jobs, and Barzegar himself acts as host, tour guide and logistics coordinator. But the man still isn’t satisfied. He talks about his considerable ambition to start an archaic nomadic tribe, so he can take his guests to a bygone age as if in a time machine. He is still looking for a woman who can serve as queen of the tribe to his king. At first, Barzegar’s wife and children react laconically to the dreams of their paterfamilias, but once he has actually found a nubile nomad girl, stress and depression hit them hard.
Mohammadreza Darvishi was born in 1955, in Shiraz. In 1979, he graduated from the University of Tehran with honors in composition. Darvishi has taught at several universities in Iran and given many lectures all around the world. He has travelled to Iran's cities and villages for about 30 years in search for the lost roots of Iranian regional music. The fruit of this endeavor is “The encyclopedia of Iranian Musical Instruments” that received SEM’s (Society for Ethnomusicology) award for the best publication of the year on musical instruments, granted by Bruno Nettl (2002) and several other books and CDs.
Another aspect of Darvishi's work in his quest of the lost roots of Iranian music and his search for the surviving compositions of Abdolqader Maraqi, the Iranian composer of the 14th century. Establishing the music ensemble of “Abdolqader Maraqi” about 10 years ago, Darvishi performed and published the works of the great composer.
Apart from his vast research in the field of Iranian music and culture, Darvishi has composed a large number of pieces that have been performed by different orchestras and ensembles in Belgium, Iran, Ukraine, Russia and many other countries.
August 28: The Archaeology of a Sound: Searching for the music of Abdolqader Maraqi- A master musician of 14th century Iran
August 29:
Iranian regional music: A scholar's view
6:30 PM
Venue: Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA - Geology Corner, Building 320, Room 105 - map
Events in Persian - Free and Open to the Public
Iranian Film Festival - San Francisco - September 26-27, 2015
Save the Dates for the 8th Annual Festival Venue:
San Francisco Art Institute, 800 Chestnut Street, San Francisco, CA 94133
Iranian Film Festival - San Francisco, the first independent Iranian film festival outside of Iran, which showcases independent feature and short films made by or about Iranians from around the world, will present 33 films from ten countries at its 8th annual event. The films range from fiction, documentary, animation, short, to music...
The tribute this year is for Gohar Kheirandish, the legendary stage and screen actress who will be present on Saturday, September 26 at 7:45 pm.
Among the highlights are Mohsen Makhmalbaf's latest film, The President, the story of an imaginary place, which its President is on the run with his five-year-old grandson following a coup d’état. And also Bahman Ghobadi's latest film, Words with Gods, an exploration of the relationship between different cultures and religion.
The U.S. premiere of Taboo directed by Khosro Masoumi, is the story of a 67 years old Iranian landowner in spite of having 3 legal wives is pushing one of his workers — who has a beautiful 24 years old daughter [played by Elnaz Shakerdoost] — to force her into marrying him. Beautifully shot against the Iranian landscape in Northern Iran.
There are several documentaries: I Want to be a King, Out of Focus, The [Iron] Sheik, Transcription...animation: Beach Flags, One Thousand and One Teardrops, One of Thousands...shorts: The Salt Man, The Well, Talk Radio Tehran, Let Our Men Dance...music: Six Years Six Centuries, Yar,Emotions of Tomorrow...
There is still time to sponsor and advertise with the festival. For info, please contact: info@IranianFilmFestival.org
Persian Film Festival Program Launch - Sydney - September 3 to 6, 2015
The 4th Persian Film Festival is back and showcasing the best of Iranian Cinema and Persian world. Over four days the festival offers viewers a line up of exciting 22 films including features, documentaries, short films and animations.
The 2015 program includes Q&A sessions with filmmakers from Iran, USA and Australia. There is also a special session of short films entitled “Glimpses of Iran”.
The full 2015 program can be found on our website. Check out the Opening and Closing Night features below and look at our site for the full line up of the program. Tickets will go on sale 3rd of August.
Opening Night Gala - The President - The 4th Persian International Film Festival opens with Mohsen Makhmalbaf’s highly acclaimed and award winningThe President, the opening feature of Venice Film Festival in 2014. This satirical film about a dictator’s life will be a highly anticipated Australian premier.
Closing Night Gala - Crazy Castle - The closing night film, Abdolhassan Davoodi’s Crazy Castle, a multi award winning and highly acclaimed film in Iran, will take the viewers into urban life of Tehran as a young group of members of an online community meet and go on an unforgettable adventure that changes their lives.
Khaliji & Middle Eastern Jazz Concert - Saturday, July 25, 2015 - 7:30 pm
Naser Musa's Love Songs from the Gulf & Souren Baronian's Magic Carpet Ride
This is a benefit concert to support the new Arts Center for the Greater Middle East, The Markaz
Come enjoy the best of the best in Los Angeles and contribute to a worthy cause -
The MarKaz
promoting understanding among diverse cultures and building a stronger Middle Eastern community center
A beautiful concert for dancers and music lovers...Leave your worldly cares at the door, join us for a magical journey that weaves traditional Middle Eastern melodies and song with contemporary fusion compositions from Souren Baronian. Then travel along the Silk Road to the Gulf and listen to the desert music of the Bedouins known as khaliji, passionate songs of the Gulf Arabs, performed by oud master and vocalist Naser Musa and his ensemble. Naser Musa, Souren Baronian and friends perform to help raise funds for the new arts center for the greater Middle East, The Markaz (the center). One night only!
Location: Pico Union Project, 1153 Valencia St., Los Angeles, CA 90015 - near downtown Los Angeles
Winner of the Golden Bear at the Berlinale, Tehran Taxi is the third film made secretly by Jafar Panahi since a ban on filmmaking was imposed on him in Iran. Where This Is Not A Film was an expression of great frustration following the ban, Panahi's next film Closed Curtain was filled with anger. Tehran Taxi is more hopeful, and frequently very funny. A taxi drives through the city streets and various passengers enter, each expressing their views on a range of matters relating to Iran today. The driver is Jafar Panahi himself, and he has a camera attached to the dashboard. Some of the passengers know who he is, but most don't. A seller of pirated DVDs certainly recognises the great director, and tries to boost his business by claiming that Panahi is his business partner. Panahi and the various characters he encounters reflect on art, politics, and the law. Perhaps the most fascinating encounter is with Panahi's young niece, who is making a film herself and trying to follow her teacher's instructions not to depict a "sordid realism." Playful, funny and optimistic, Tehran Taxi finds Panahi at his most creative and entertaining, giving one hope that the creator of such great films as The Circle, Offside and Crimson Gold (all screened SFF 2011), will soon make films, and travel the world, freely.
Monday, June 8 - 6:30 p.m.
Tuesday, June 9 - 12:00 p.m.
Thursday, June 11 - 6:30 p.m.
Iran's leading female filmmaker, writer/director Rakhshan Bani-Etemad, won best screenplay at the Venice Film Festival (with co-writer Farid Mostafavi) for this richly layered and emotional look at life in Tehran.
Tales was originally produced as a series of shorts to bypass government control. A number of scenes were shot surreptitiously, including those featuring actors Fatemeh Motabed Aria and Baran Kosari, who were banned from performing at the time. A recent relaxation of restrictions meant that Bani-Etemad could craft the footage into a feature, with splendid results.
The restless, twisting narrative is made up of several loosely connected episodes, snapshots of people from many backgrounds who find themselves at the margins of society. Many of the characters have been featured in Bani-Etemad's previous work, and their backstories add great depth (though it's not necessary at all to have seen the earlier films to enjoy this one). A taxi driver who tries to help a drug-addicted sex worker, a group of unemployed factory workers confronting government bureaucracy, a social worker running from the husband who savagely disfigured her, and a documentary filmmaker, are among those whose lives intersect. In each episode, Bani-Etemad's patient eye for human detail (she is also an accomplished documentarian) and the brilliant dialogue combine in fascinating, funny, heartbreaking stories of loss and love. The stellar ensemble cast includes Peiman Moaadi (star of the 2011 Sydney Film Prize winner, A Separation).
Thursday, June 11 - 6:45 p.m.
Friday, June 12 - 2:00 p.m.
Information and tickets for Red Rose
Seamlessly shifting between real footage and scripted scenes, this immersive drama from Sepideh Farsi follows the development of a relationship between a seemingly complacent middle-aged man and an inspired young activist during a time of political upheaval. Set during Iran's 2009 Green Revolution, a girl escaping the violent protests on the streets of Tehran finds refuge in the house of a middle-class man uninvolved in the demonstrations beneath him. From there, the film largely stays within the man's apartment block, broken up only by real, harrowing footage from the protests accompanied by tweets from the young people involved. As we learn about these two very distinct people, we become immersed in their struggles, which is a credit to a talented cast and crew making good use of a limited budget. A captivating drama, Red Rose has lots to say about violence, sexuality and the state of Iran, all of which is explored in a moving, microcosmic fashion.
Filmmaker guest: Sepideh Farsi
Wednesday,, June 8 -15p.m. Dendy Opera Quays Cinema
Saturday, June 13 - 12:15p.m. Dendy Opera Quays Cinema
William Daniel Cultural Committee of the AAASJ invites all fellow Assyrians and friends to a book talk titled:
The Assyrian Identity in the Modern World by
Mr. Brian Appleton (Anthropologist, Specialist on Ancient History and Ethnic studies) Author of Shamshone: Sun of Assyria
Date: Sunday, February 22, 2015
Time: 7-9 PM
Place: AAASJ Adobe Hall, 1352 Lincoln Ave., San Jose, CA 95124
Assyrian American Association of San Jose is a 501 (C) (3) not for profit charitable organization
From Persepolis to Isfahan: Safeguarding Cultural Heritage
to be held at Asia House, London, January 16-18, 2015
63 New Cavendish Street London W1G 7LP
Sponsored by Iran Heritage Foundation and the Soudavar Memorial Foundation, with support from the British Institute of Persian Studies.
This conference will focus on protecting the cultural heritage of Iran. As is well known cultural heritage worldwide is under threat, and from many countries there are stories of damage to monuments and archaeological sites allied to ongoing deterioration of cultural resources. At the moment the problem is particularly acute in Iraq and Syria, due to military activity and state-sponsored vandalism. Fortunately these problems do not exist in Iran, but nevertheless there is damage to monuments and archaeological sites caused for example by acid rain, sandstorms, earthquakes, floods, neglect, looting and development. The aim of this conference will be to review the extent of the damage, to raise awareness of the problem, to look at the framework within which protection is currently provided, to chart best practice worldwide, and suggest some practical measures to help and support Iranian colleagues.
To download the Conference Programme please click here.
Hamid and Christina Moghadam Program in Iranian Studies and The Bita Daryabari Endowment in Persian Letters
Winter 2015 Events
TUESDAY, JANUARY 13, 6:30 PM -
PIGOTT HALL, BUILDING 260, ROOM 113
NAGHMEH SAMINI -
Feminine Body, Feminine Mind: The Body of Woman in the Iranian
Women Directors' Films
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 6:30 PM -
CUBBERLEY AUDITORIUM, SCHOOL Of EDUCATION
MAl JOBRANI - "I'm Not a Terrorist, but I've Played One on TV"
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 6:30 PM -
PIGOTT HALL, BUILDING 260, ROOM 113
FARYAR JAVAHERIAN -
The Garden in the Carpet/The Carpet in the Garden
THURSDAY, MARCH 5, 6:30 PM -
PIGOTT HALL, BUILDING 260, ROOM 113
SALAR ABDOH -
Tehran at Twilight/Tehran Noir
TUESDAY, MARCH 10, 6:30 PM -
PIGOTT HALL , BUILDING 260, ROOM 113
SASHA POLAKOW-SURANSKY -
Isolation and Proliferation: Israel, America, and the South African Nuclear Weapons Program
THURSDAY, MARCH 12, 6:30 PM -
PIGOTT HALL, BUILDING 260, ROOM 113
PETER FREUND and NASSER RAHMANINEJAD IRAN USA
STANFORD FESTIVAL OF IRANIAN ARTS -
JANUARY 24 & 25, 4:30 PM -
CUBBERLEY AUDITORIUM, SCHOOL OF EDUCATION
To purchase tickets call the Stanford Ticket office (650-725-2787) or visit the website: https://www.ticketsstanford.edu/
Celebrate a spectacular New Year's Eve at Niroj Kurdish Cuisine
Live Kurdish music by singer and saz player: Raman Osman , accompanied by percussionist: Rowan Storm
Wednesday, December 31st from 8:00 p.m. to close
Reservations required - Call 818-889-7888 $55 per person includes dinner
Niroj Kurdish Cuisine, 33013 Canwood St., Agoura Hills, CA 91301 - www.nirojcuisine.com
The Year of the Manifestation of Your Dreams - May It Be Sweet!
Persian Arts Festival
Mehregan is in the air!
We are proud to present our first official Mehregan event this Saturday, Oct 25th! The Mehregan: An Iranian-American Literary Arts Festival will be held at NYC's gem Cafe Nadery. Be sure to buy your tickets in advance as space is limited! Come one, come all!
Your ticket gives all day access from 3 - 9pm - a $40 ticket includes a reserved seat and dinner! That means while you dine, you will enjoy your favorite authors (Tara Bahrampour, Roger Sedarat, Sara Goudarzi, Amit Parsa), food journalist/blogger (Leila Darabi), an inaugural Pomegranate Peel-Off (bibs included!) -- all topped off by a grand finale performance at 8:00 pm by Farsi-funk music group Mitra Sumara. Throughtout the festival, you also get to watch videos of shows from the golden age of Iranian TV.
Thanks to our main sponsors: Poets & Writers, Public Affairs Alliance of Iranian Studies, and The American Institute of Iranian Studies!
Come early, stay late! For more info and updates, be sure to RSVP on our facebook event page.
Be sure to purchase your tickets HERE in ADVANCE as SPACE IS LIMITED!
Persian International Film Festival
It's a wrap!
The festival program this year was as dramatic as a great Persian film. We had cries and laughs, stories which left us in a heavy state and those which gave us hope. We had audiences who were here for the first time and those who attended every session. Overall it was a great journey and a chance to once again immerse ourselves in the wealth of Persian culture and cinema.
We would also like to acknowledge our supporting partners: FilmInk, Persian Gulf Weekly, Bamdad News, Honyla Persian Patisserie, Just Pixles, Palace Cinemas and their wonderful team.
On the other hand, one of the most important parts of the festival for us is in how as a group of friends we have been able to come together and keep our dream of this independent festival alive in the past three years. We would like to especially thank the festival team for their efforts and generous contribution. Mahsa Salamati, Niima Alipour, Kosar Palangi, Mahbod Salahshor, Ali Vaziri, Ahmadreza Samii, Bamdad Erfanian and Setayesh Nooraninejad.
The Department of Near Eastern Studies at UC Berkeley is proud to announce
"A Tale of Two Cities: Kalhu and Nimrud"
- Tuesday, September 9, 7:00 p.m.
2014 Assyrian Heritage Foundation Lecture by Eleanor Robson, Professor of Ancient Near Eastern History at University College, London and President of the British Institute for the Study of Iraq
2060 Valley Life Science Building, UC Berkeley
For more information on Prof. Robson and her scholarly and outreach activities, please click here. For more information on the lecture, please contact Niek Veldhuis, Proessor of Assyriology, Department of Near Eastern Studie, UC Berkeley - veldhuis@berkeley.edu
Persian International Film Festival -
Sydney 11 - 14 Sep -
Chauvel Cinama
Persian International Film Festival is a four-day showcase of one of most exciting and innovative film cultures in the world. Our diverse program presents stories from the best known, alongside the most fresh of Iranian voices. The 2014 program runs from September 11 to 14, at Paddington’s Palace Chauvel Cinema, full program is available at www.persianfilmfestival.com.
The 3rd Persian International Film Festival opens with Manuscripts Don’t Burn, the latest release from multi-award winning Iranian writer director Mohammad Rasoulof, whose uncompromising approach has seen his work, banned from his native country, and earned him a year in prison.
A taut, finely woven drama based on the true story of the government’s attempted 1995 murders of several prominent writers and intellectuals, the film revolves around two overlapping tales: A professional killer seeking money for his ailing child; whilst a circle of writers are menaced by a powerful secret service agent with much to lose by the publication of certain manuscripts. A cat-and-mouse game ensues against a backdrop of generational amnesia and popular indifference, as brutality overwhelms conscience and despotism haunts the oblivious streets.
In stark contrast, the closing night film, Don’t Be Tired!, co-directed by Moshen Gharaei and Afshin Hashemi, is a heart warming tale of dialogue among nations during a road adventure in Iran’s rarely seen landscapes. Winner of the Audience Award at the 2013 London Iranian Film Festival, the film is titled after a Persian small talk with no meaning in other languages, and fraught with humorous situations and gleeful moments around the experiences of tourist couple, Roman and Maria.
Saturday, June 21, 2014 - 8:00 p.m. to midnight
5998 West Pico blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90035
Performers include Bodouin X (Arabic and North African music), Musicians Dann Torres and Kutsal, Yuval Ron ~oud, Jim Grippo ~kanun, Rowan Storm ~Middle Ease percussion & vocals, Comedians Omar Elba and Omit Singh
Seating is limited -
For reservations & information: 323-413-2001 or click here.- Minimum donation of $50 per person includes dinner, one drink, performances AND supports the Levantine Center's programs promoting cross-cultural understanding.
Founded in 2001, the Levantine Cultural Center is an independent not-for-profit organization that champions a greater understanding of the Middle East and North Africa. The center presents arts and education programs that strive to bridge political and religious divides, and produces or co-sponsors artistic programs encouraging cross-cultural aned multidisciplinary collaborations between under represented communities.
National Iranian American Council - California Action Summit
Sunday May 4, 2014 - Crowne Plaza Palo Alto, 8:30 a.m. - 4290 El Camino Real, Palo Alto, CA 94306 - 650-857-0787 The summit aims to help strengthen our community’s political clout in the epicenter of the Iranian-American community - California. By investing in ourselves as civic leaders, we can use our resources, talents, and drive to effect big changes in Washington. But that can't happen without you! Register today for NIAC’s first annual California Action Summit and join us in making history!
Meet World-Class Thought Leaders
Alan Eyre, U.S. State Department, Persian Spokesperson
Hooman Majd - Iranian Author and Journalist
Farideh Farhi, Iran Expert, Professor at University of Hawaii
Tom Dine, Former Executive Director of AIPAC
Ali Partovi, Seed Investor of Facebook and Dropbox
Keynote Speaker, Alan Eyre
Diaspora Panel: Tom Dine, James Zogby and Amos Brown
Foreign Policy Panel: Farideh Farhi, Hooman Majd, Thomas Pickering
Tech Panel: Kamran Elahian, Ali Partovi
Tara Gallery Ribbon Cutting Ceremony in Santa Monica - Tuesday, November 19, 2013
The Mayor of Santa Monica, the Honorable Pam O’Connor, and members of Santa Monica's Chamber of Commerce will be attending the ceremony and we hope to see you there, as well.
Tuesday, November 19th - promptly at 6 pm -
(reception to follow)
Tara Gallery 1202 Montana Avenue, Suite B Santa Monica, CA 90403 (entrance on 12th street) T:310.451.2417
If you had not had a chance to see the opening exhibit, Trees of My Homeland, this would be a great opportunity.
"Changing the National Conversation on the Middle East, One Play at a Time" - October 30, 2013
Torange Yeghiazarian is the Founding Artistic Director of Golden Thread Productions. She was the 2012 recipient of the Gerbode-
Hewlett Playwright Commission Award to write Ellington’s Isfahan,
and is commissioned by the Islamic Cultural Center of Northern California to write The Fifth String: Ziryab’s Passage to Cordoba. Her articles on contemporary theatre in Iran have been published in The Drama Review (2012), American Theatre Magazine (2010), and
Theatre Bay Area Magazine (2010).
Torange holds a Master's degree in
Theatre Arts from San Francisco
State University.
October 30, 2013
7:00pm
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Library
Room 255
150 E. San Fernando Street
San Jose State University
Sponsored by Persian Studies at SJSU. Made possible with a grant from the Roshan Cultural Heritage Institute (a managed fund of the Silicon
Valley Community Foundation), and the PARSA Community Foundation (in collaboration with IHF America). Co-sponsored by
Communication Studies, Theater Arts at SJSU, Middle East Studies, and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Library. You can download the flyer for this event.
Author Fair 2013 - Saturday, November 2 from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. at the King Library, San Jose State
Come meet and support more than 30 local Bay Area authors during King Library's first ever Author Fair! You will have the opportunity to mingle with participating authors as well as listen to them share their inspirations for their books. The event is free and open to the public.
Participating authors:
Linda Anusasananan, Brian Appleton, Sally Ashton, David Breithaupt, Hi-Dong Chai, Dave Clark, Dave Denny, Helen Farkas, Joel Franks, Kathleen Ann Gonzalez, Erica Goss, Harvey Gotliffe, Mary Ellen Hannibal, Craig S. Harwood, Maria Garcia Herrero, Parthenia M. Hicks, Richard Theodor Kusiolek, Marilyn Lacey, Jana McBurney-Lin, Cathleen Miller, Julie Rose, Moazzam Sheikh, Alan Soldofsky, Steve Sporleder, Tim Stanley, Michal Strutin, Erin Thomas, Janice Thompson, Emily Thompson, Linda Ulleseit, Mike Woodworth, Ken Worthy
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Library 150 E. San Fernando St.
San José, CA 95112 - For more information and to learn more about the authors, visit sjpl.org/authorfair. You can also download a copy of the flyer.
Layla Means Night in San Francisco: 10 shows in 5 nights
Around Halloween, I am part of Layla Means Night, an immersive performance art spectacle created by Rosanna Gamson. Its starting point is the frame story of Shahrzad in the 1001 Nights, but rest assured, it is not a play with genies and fairies. It examines violence, and the vilifying of cultures that one doesn't understand. It is also a really fun and participatory night out. Layla takes over the entire building at ODC, and audiences will experience different things. Think never-ending wedding banquet meets seance meets pop-up circus!
October 30 - November 3 - 7:00 and 9:00 p.m. - ODC Theater in San Francisco - GET TICKETS HERE
Scan this InDance Magazine piece for a window into the ideas and process behind Layla Means Night.
Middle East Facilitated Rhythm & Drum Circle with Rowan Storm - Saturdays: October 12, November 16 and December 14
Levantine Cultural Center - 5998 W. Pico Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90035 - 1:30 to 3:30 PM - 1:30 Part One - Basic Lesson - 2:30 - Part Two - Rhythm Circle
Suggested contribution: one part $10 both parts $15 - www.levantinecenter.org
We are thrilled to launch our monthly series of family-friendly Middle Eastern Drum Circles at the Levantine Cultural Center! Whether you are a beginning drummer, a professional, curious about Middle Eastern rhythms, or if you are READY to claim your rhythmic spirit, JOIN US and celebrate COMMUNITY with rhythm, percussion, melody and dance! Learn about Middle Eastern Culture and enjoy some tea and comaraderie in the Levantine's welcoming environment!
The first half of our event is a lesson, where you will learn to play Middle Eastern rhythms, how to hold your drum of choice and create the basic sounds. During the Second half you will deepen your experience of the rhythms as part of a Recreational Drumming Community! We will provide a variety of drums, including Middle Eastern frame drums, darbukas, and other percussion instruments, and you are welcome to bring your own drums.
Some drums will also be available for discounted purchase, including my frame drum designs by Cooperman companies.
Looking forward to sharing the Rhythm Wave!
All are welcome. Make new friends. Drums provided or bring your own! Donation based, no one turned away for lack of funds?
Love and Pomegranates: Artisits and Wayfarers on Iran - Thursday, October 10, 2013 - 7:00 PM
Join us for a reading of Love and Pomegranates with Meghan Sayres and contributing authors: Azin Arefi, Jasmin Darznik, Farnaz Fatemi & Brian Appleton
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Library - San Jose State University Room 255-257
Meghan Nuttall Sayres is author of Anahita's Woven Riddle, a novel set in Iran, an American Library Association Top Ten Best Books for Young Adults. Her new novel Night Letter has been nominated for the ALA Young Adult Best Fiction List, along with a new anthology edited by Ms. Sayres entitled Love and Pomegranates: Artists and Wayfarers on Iran. Meghan traveled to Iran in 2005 to speak at Iran's First international Children's Book Festival. Sponsored by Persian Studies at SJSU.
Made possible with a grant from the PARSA Community Foundation (in collaboration with IHG America), and the Roshan Cultural Heritage Institute (a managed fund of the Silicon Valley Community Foundation). Co-sponsored by the Department of English Comparative Literature, Middle East Studies, and the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Library.
The Cat and the Coup - Tuesday, October 8, 2013 - 7:00 PM
On the occasion of the 60th anniversary of the U.S. backed military coup in Iran that overthrew democratically-elected Prime Minister Mohammad Mossadegh
Decoded by Kurosh ValaNejad, Art Director, Game Innovation Lab, USC
Comments by George Vasquez, History Professor, SJSU Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Library -
San Jose State University, Room 255
Sponsored by Persian Studies at SJSU: Made possible with a grant from the Roshan Cultural Heritage Institute. Co-Sponsored by the Department of History, Middle East Studies, Global Studies and the Program in Animation Illustration at San Jose State University.
Persian International Film Festival - Sydney - August 22 to September 1, 2013
Dendy Cinemas
2013 Official Selection - A Retrospective: 50 years of Iranian Cinema Forums and Talks
Dear friends of the Festival,This year, aside from the Official Selection, the festival has a Retrospective Program. The Retrospective highlights the best of Iranian cinema over the last fifty years including some of the earliest films from Iran such as Dariush Mehrjui's The Cow, Amir Naderi's The Runner, and Bahram Bezayi's Bashu, the Little Stranger. The festival will continue into later decades with films such as Jaffar Panahi's Offiside, Majid Majidi's The Colour of Paradise, and more recently with Mohsen Makhmalbaf's Kandahar, and Asghar Farhadi's About Elly. For a glimpse of the full program visit our site for the full program.
Assyrian Martyr's Day Commemoration
Wednesday, August 7, 2013 - 7:00 PM
Starlight Hall at the Assyrian Church of the East - 680 Minnesota Ave., San Jose, CA 95125
Persian Studies at San Jose State University - Fall 2013
Don’t miss these exciting new events and more to come! For more information regarding the events listed here or regarding other events by Persian Studies at SJSU please visit our homepage at: http://www.sjsu.edu/persianstudies/ or email us at:iranianstudiesatsjsu@gmail.com. Call 408 924-4476 for further information
September 4 - "Cyrus the Great & Achaemenid Persia in World History”
A Lecture with Professor John Lee,
Department of History, UC Santa Barbara
MLK Library Room 255/257 at 7pm October 8 - “The Cat and the Coup” with puzzle video game creator Professor Kurosh Valanejad, USC
With historical background about the 1953 US-backed Coup by Professor George Vasquez, History, SJSU
MLK Library Room 255/257 at 7pm October 10 - "Iran as a Muse: Literature Inspired by Iran and Iranian Culture"
Editor Meghan Sayres and contributors read from Love and Pomegranates
MLK Library Room 255/257 at 7pm November 7 -
The Magic of Farid Attar’s Conference of the Birds with Poet and Translator, Sholeh Wolpé
MLK Library Room 255/257 at 7pm
In conjunction with “Let’s Talk about It-Muslim Journeys” an NEH-ALA Sponsored grant with the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Library -
Made possible with grants from the Roshan Cultural Heritage
Brian Appleton: Book talk on "Shamshone; Sun of Assyria"
Description: Meet the Author Discussion
This is the story of a family from a small Assyrian village of Golpachin outside Urumieh in Iranian Azerbaijan.It follows their struggle through some dramatic periods of history. How they gained an education, started an engineering firm in Tehran becoming quite substantial and then had to emigrate to California after the revolution and start over. It is a story of family solidarity and of the immigrant. I feel that Western civilization owes much to the Assyrians and few know they still exist.
When: Wednesday, July 24, 2013, 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM
Where: Books, Inc. 2251 Chestnut Street, San Francisco, CA 94123
Un Golfo uno Stretto un Mare (IRAN 1975-1995)
Bandar-e ‘Abbâs,Qeshm, Hormoz e Châh-Bahâr
fotografie di Riccardo Zipoli
con poesie di Hâfez e musiche dello Hormozgân
Ca’ Cappello San Polo 2035 Venezia 14 giugno - 15 ottobre 2013
lunedì - venerdì 9 - 19,
sabato 9 - 12,
chiuso 12 - 17 agosto
ingresso libero info: tel. 0412348811 segreteria.dsaam@unive.it
a Gulf a strait a sea (IRAN 1975-1995)
Bandar-e ‘Abbâs, Qeshm, Hormuz and Châh-Bahâr
photographs by Riccardo Zipoli
with poems by Hâfez and music from Hormozgân
Ca’ Cappello San Polo 2035 Venice
14 June - 15 October 2013,
Monday - Friday 9 am - 7 pm,
Saturday 9 am - 12 pm,
Closed 12 - 17 August
Free admission info: tel. 0412348811 segreteria.dsaam@unive.it
Keep Wrestling in the Olympics - Free Tickets for the USA vs Iran Wrestling Match in New York on May 15, 2013
The Iranian American community is helping Beat-the-Streets Wrestling in its efforts to keep wrestling in the Olympics. Beat-the-Streets Wrestling, a US-based 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, is sponsoring a wrestling event on Wednesday, May 15, 2013 at 3:00 p.m. between the United States and Iran at the historic Vanderbilt Hall at Grand Central Terminal in New York. This will be the first time Iranian wrestlers have come to the U.S. in 10 years.
Thanks to the generosity of members of the Iranian American community, PAAIA has received donations of a number of complementary tickets to the USA versus Iran wrestling match. These highly coveted tickets (which will NOT be sold individually) will be distributed on a first-come first-serve basis. Please email newyorkchapter@paaia.org with your request for tickets and include the following information:
Subject: “USA versus Iran Wrestling” Name: Number of Tickets: 1 or 2 City, State:
There will be a limit of two (2) tickets per inquiry, and no re-sales are permitted. These tickets are also only for the USA versus Iran match and not the USA versus Russia match taking place later in the day. Please note that tickets are required to attend this event and there will not be any standing room or walk-up admission.
Sponsored by: Public Affairs Alliance of Iranian Americans,
1614 20th Street NW,
Washington DC 20009, www.paaia.org
Launch Party & Reading for "Tremors: New Fiction by Iranian American Writers"
Thursday, April 4, 2013, 7:00 PM -
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Library - San Jose State University
150 San Fernando St., San Jose, Room 225/229
Refreshments provided free and open to the public
With co-Authors Anita Amirrezvani & Persis Karim and contributing authors Erika Abrahamian, Ari Siletz, & Shideh Etaat
"This marvelous anthology celebrates something far beyond arrival for Iranian=American writing, introducing a chorus of voices with an exceptionally broad range of experience and stylistic mastery. Tremors shakes up any easy assumptions that the reader may hold about Iran, and claims a new territory in the global landscape of literature."....Zara Houshmand, Author of A Mirror Garden
Sponsored by Persian Studies at SJSU - Made possible with a grant from the Roshan Cultural Heritage Institute (a managed fund of the Silicon Valley Community Foundation) and the Parsa Community Foundation (in collaboration with IHF America). Cosponsored by the Department of English & Comparative Literature, Poets & Writers Coalition, Middle East Studies, Global Studies, Women's Studies, and the Center for Literary Arts, and The Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Library
Persian Arts Festival presents 10th Annual New York Persian Parade
Sunday, April 15, at 12:00 PM, followed by Shurka Bazaar in Madison Square Park from 12:00 PM to 5:00 PM
Parade goes from 38th Street to 26th Street on Madison Avenue
Persian Parade is an annual parade held in New York City celebrating Persian New Year, Nowruz. The 9th Annual Persian Parade, will be held along the 12 blocks of Madison Avenue in New York City on April 15th, 2012 to promote and represent the Iranian heritage and culture. In order to keep the traditions of our homeland alive, Persian Parade Foundation Inc. encourages everyone to be part of this year parade that focuses on the culture, arts, and history of our homeland, Iran. Everyone from every race and culture can participate in, while enjoying the music bands, dance ensembles, flags, floats, performers, marchers, and dignitaries.
Shurka Bazaar, The fantastical experience of being transported to a destination or point in time through cultural immersion. Vivid as a memory, and true to the imagination, yet far from anything one has ever experienced.
On April 14, 2013, in honor of Persian Parade's 10th year anniversary, Shurka Bazaar will transform Madison Avenue, alongside Madison Square Park, into an urban oasis. A Persian Bazaar of ancient times. A fantastical experience of being transported to a destination through a cultural immersion, vivid as a memory and true to the imagination, yet far from anything one has ever experienced.
Persian Arts Festival presents the 7th Annual Persian New Year Celebration
Persian Music Intersects with 70s Funk * Jazz & Blues * Country
Saturday, March 30, 2013 - 6:00 PM to 10:00 PM
Le Poisson Rouge, 158 Bleeker St., New York City - $17.00 advanced, $20.00 at the door
Featuring Rana Farhan's unique blend of classic Persian poetry with contemporary jazz and blues, Vatan's Persian-meets-country-rock sounds and a blast into the past with Mitra Sumara's super group of New York City musicians that pay homage to the vibrant pop and fund music 60s/70s Iran.
30 Voices - Friday, March 8, 2013, 5:30 until 10:30 PM in San Francisco for International Women's Day
Telling the story of "Tahmineh" from Shahnameh. Presenting Iranian women artists from across the world, featuring an art exhibition, silent auction and live performances.
International Women's Day Celebration
Palace of Fine Arts in San Francisco, 3301 Lyon Street, San Francisco
BAM 6.6 - Humanity has no borders - a film by Jahangir Golestan-Parast
Film Screening & Discussion - Thursday, March 7, 3013 - 6:30 to 9:30 PM, G-101
San Diego Mesa College - Q&A with Director/Producer Mr. Jahangir Golestan following
Students and community members welcome - Free admission and refreshments - Parking fee waived in the A overflow lot
Sponsored by the Mesa College English Honors Program, Prof. Pegah Motaleb
San Diego Mesa College
Request for disability related accommodations should be made no later than five working days prior to the event.
Call 619-388-2797
The Pilgrimage Within - A Poetry Writing & Healing Workshop led by Bahareh Amidi
Start the New Year with a new journey -- or a continuing journey within This will be held once a month, January through May. Come with an open heart, paper and pen and we will talk, discuss and also read and write poetry together. This monthly workshop is for self-growth rather than critique. Whether you are just beginning or have been writing for a while, you are welcome! A time of sharing and growth. A time of healing and flourishing.
First Meeting: Saturday January 12, monthly through May Time: 4:30 to 6:00 PM Place: Cafe Arabia Price: 150 DHS each session
I am grateful for the continuous support and guidance of my Mentor and Teacher, John Fox, founder of the Institute of Poetic Medicine as I lead writing and healing workshops.
Bahareh Amidi is a poet with a background in Masters in Counceling Psychology and PhD in Education Psychology. She is currently in training at Institute for Poetic Medicine to become certified as a facilitator for writing and healing. She is founder of Speak Abu Dhabi. Bahareh has led poetry therapy sessions and workshops for the passed year at schools, universities. Her belief is that each voice is important, and needs to be heard and it is ALL the voices in the community that make the beautiful tapestry of life come alive.
National Iranian American Council and Arms Control Association present: Iran 2013: Making Diplomacy Work
Featuring former U.S. National Security Advisor Zbigniew Brzezinski
Monday, November 26 - 9:30 AM to 12:00 PM - (Doors open at 9:00 AM - Light breakfast provided.) 101 Constitution Avenue, N.W.
Rotunda/Terrace, 9th Floor, Washington D.C. - RSVP Required
We have been working towards an exciting event for next year and are excited to announce that the call for films for the 2013 festival is now open. If you are an Iranian, Afghan or Tajik filmmaker, from anywhere in the world, don’t miss the chance to enter your film. Next year, the program will include feature films, short films, documentaries and animations. All films entered into these categories will be in competition in different categories. Download the form for more information on how to submit your film.
Just in case you missed the event earlier this year, and if you are wondering what to expect next year, check out this clip that gives you a feel for the festival.
In the meantime we look forward to your comments, ideas, and feedback. Visit our website.
The Persian International Film Festival Team
Canadian Iranian Foundation presents NEW RELEASES in the CULTURE OF IRAN SERIES
Sunday, November 4, 2012 - 2:00 to 4:00 PM
West Vancouver Memorial LIbrary, Welsh Hall East - 1950 Marine Drive, West Vancouver, BC
Join author Massoume Price and collaborator Zohren Waibel as they present the magnificent photographs featured in the books of artifacts from the world's major museums. Refreshments will be served.
The books will be available for purchase at a special price for this event. Buy all 4 books, a $120 value, for only $100, tax included For more information, contact: Massoume: 604-601-1149
Roger Sedarat is the author of the poetry collections, Dear Regime: Letters to the Islamic Republic, which won Ohio UP's 2007 Hollis Summers' Prize, and Ghazal Games (Ohio UP, 2011). His translations of classical and modern Persian poetry have appeared in World Literature Today, Drunken Boat and Ezra. He teaches poetry and literary translation in the MFA program at Queens College, City University of New York.
Solmaz Sharif holds degrees from UC Berkeley and New York University. Her work has appeared in Jubilat, Gulf Coast, Boston Review, DIAGRAM, and elsewhere. She is a winner of the Discovery/Boston Review Poetry Prize, a fellowship from the Provincetown Fine Arts Work Center, and a Wallace Stegner Fellowship from Stanford University.
Persian International Film Festival Australia
A night of Persian Sort Films - Saturday, September 29, 6:30 PM
Urban Screen on the Concourse. 409 Victoria Avenue, Chatswood
Inaugurated in 2012, the Persian International Film Festival is a cultural film event that brings together screen stories of diverse Persian communities. It is a one of a kind festival, with an awards program, in Australia that bring together films from Iran, Afghanistan, and Tajikistan, and from the global Persian community across the world to celebrate their similarities, diversities and complexities through film for both Persian and Australian audiences. The festival aims to be a platform for new and alternative voices of Persian communities globally, as well as being a leader in shifting views and misperceptions in Australia by creating space and being a forum for dialogue between and amongst our diverse communities.
Begoo Begoo - Special Performance by Mohsen Namjoo in Los Angeles
Sunday, September 16, 2012 from 6:00 PM to 8:30 PM (PDT) Los Angeles, CA
The Colburn School -
Thayer Hall
200 South Grand Avenue -
Los Angeles, CA 90012
A Special Performance by Mohsen Namjoo in Los Angeles Presented by Payam Entertainment
Featuring Greg Ellis on Percussion and Kasra Saboktakin on Bass
On Sunday September 16, 2012 Iran's most celebrated musician Mohsen Namjoo joins acclaimed American percussionist Greg Ellis and one of Iran's pioneering rock bassists Kasra Saboktakin at an intimate concert in Los Angeles to record Namjoo's new album before a live audience.
Iranian Taboo to Broadcast on Voice of America Persian Service
نمایش ویژه فیلم "تابوی ایرانی" از تلویزیو
June 23, 2012 at 2:30 PM EST/11:00 PM Tehran - 7:30 PM London - Shabahang
Followed by a Live Q&A with director, Reza Allamehzadeh, Los Angeles, CA
After the successful global public screenings in over 40 cities throughout North America and Europe, Iranian Taboo, a documentary by Reza Allamehzadeh will broadcast live on Saturday, June 23, 2012 at 2:30 p.m. EST / 11 p.m. TEHRAN / 7:30 p.m. LONDON to global audiences on Voice of America (VOA) Persian Service’s Shabahang program, with multiple repeat broadcasts throughout the following days.
“We are thrilled to have the opportunity to share this important film with global audiences, especially the viewers inside Iran” said the Iranian Taboo director and the producing team. “Our main and only goal in making this film has been to raise awareness and expose the injustice that has taken place for over 150 years against the followers of the Baha’i Faith in Iran; a historical fact that has not been talked about in this format. We thank VOA for accepting our request to broadcast this film”
The June 23rd broadcast of Iranian Taboo on VOA will include a live in-studio interview with the director of the film, Reza Allamehzadeh.
Iranian Taboo tells the story of an Iranian Baha'i woman, Nadereh and her 14-year-old daughter who decide to sell all of their belongings and leave their homeland, to take refuge in the West.Iranian Taboo takes us across continents from Turkey to Israel, and from the U.S. to Iran and gives us a unique insights into the persecution of Baha'is in Iran -from the underground Baha'i University (BIHE) to the oppressed Baha'i peasants of the Eival village in the northern province of Mazandaran. The film includes never seen before interviews with some of the most respected Iranian scholars, authors and politicians, speaking about the persecution of Baha’is in Iran.All scenes within Iran were shot undercover by local contacts of the filmmaker.
By Bahram Beyzaie
In Persian with English Supertitles
June 27th - 30th at Cubberly Community Center Theatre in Palo Alto, CA at 4000 Middlefield Rd. (650) 329-2418. All shows at 8:00 PM
In a panorama as majestic as life itself, Iran's preeminent playwright and director, Bahram Beyzaie, brings to the stage a magical combination of poetry and puppets, music and myth.In his never-before performed Jana and Baladoor, he recounts the drama of a world dominated by dark demons, and the heroic battles of four mythic siblings. They represent the four elements of air, water, earth and fire and their battles redeem and re-enchant the world. Two of Iran's most accomplished artists, the acclaimed actress, Mojdeh Shamsaie and the musical wonder, Mohsen Namjoo, recite the story, accompanied by music. Shadow figures bring the narrative to life.
TICKET INFORMATION:
Puchase tickets in person: Stanford Ticket Office Tresidder Center Union
459 Lagunita Drive
Stanford, CA 94305
Puchase tickets by phone:t 650-725-2787 - hours Monday through Friday - 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM
Purchase tickets on line at http://ica.stanford.edu/events
Introducing new Iranian anti-war group Havaar + Iran War Weekly
The anti-war movement now has an important new resource, Frank Brodhead's Iran War Weekly, posted on David Swanson's War Is a Crime website. The Campaign for Peace and Democracy posts the link every week on our own website. Be sure to check out IWW regularly for sharp analysis of the latest Iran war news!
We also want to take this opportunity to introduce you to an exciting and inspiring new group,Havaar: Iranian Initiative Against War, Sanctions and State Repression. Havaar, which in English means "cry of emergency," is a coalition of Iranians, Iranian-Americans, and allies formed in response to the U.S. government's escalating attacks on Iran and to the Iranian government's ongoing repression of grassroots movements.
Havaar: Iranian Initiative Against War, Sanctions and State Repression Teach-In
Rumi, Gibran, Khayyam & Us - May 2, 2012 - Doors open 7:00 PM - Recitals start 7:30 PM
AbuDhabi Theatre, Abu Dhabi Breakwater
Free to the public - RSVP: connect@bahareh.com
Poets: Ayeda Husain, Bahareh, Paul D, Hamdah Khalfan Al Mansouri, Hamed Abdi, Jamal Iqbal
Tribute to Farhade Screening of Dancing in the Dust and Panel Discussion
Wednesday, May 9, 2012 - 6:00 to 7:30 PM screening - 7:30 to 9:00 PM panel
Venue: Room 011, New Law Building, University of Sydney
$15.00 adults, $13 concession. Tickets sold at the door
SYNOPSIS OF THE FILM
Nazar, torn by his love for a woman deemed inappropriate by social standards, tries to fulfill his obligation to the law and the community by paying off the bride-price, only to find himself in desperate straits. His entanglement with a solitary snake catcher in the desert brings physical and emotional distress to both, but hope and love are not lost in this stunning, lyrical tale
City Lore Bowery Arts & Science in collaboration with Persian Arts Festival present Norooz Celebration
Thursday, March 22, 7:00 - 10:00 PM - VII Gallery, 28 Jay Street, Dumbo Brooklyn - Free Admission
7:00pm: Iranian Greek American conceptual artist, Aphrodite Desiree Navab, will perform "The Metamorph." Materials: artist's body, chador, mat, Scarlatti sonata in F minor K 466, haftsin. 7:30pm: Film viewing of Niloufar Talebi's "Persian Rite of Spring: the story of Nowruz" celebrating the Persian New Year. See clips here.
8:00pm: Multi-media performances by poets on the subjects of life, death, homeland and love. Poets include Roger Sedarat,Sara Goudarzi, Amir Parsa and Kaveh Bassiri. Poems will be projected in Persian morphing into English translations from the roof of the POEMobile, a hand-painted truck and traveling cinexma of words, onto DUMBO's buildings and streets surrounding VII Gallery!
8:45pm: Music performance by Middle East-meets-country band, Vatan, sponsored by PAAIA.
9:15pm: Additional poetry performances, followed by wine + cheese
Circle of Remembrance Concert with Miranda Rondeau, Rowan Storm, Judy Piazza, Marla Leigh Goldstein, Catherine Braslavsky, Dana maman
Sunday, March 25, 2012 - Time: 5:00 PM to 9:00 PM
Join our celebration of
Women's History Month
Nowruz & the Spring Equinox the ancient legacy of Women and Frame Drumming
Museum of Music and Instruments, 711 Hampton Drive, Venice, California 90291
Registration:
Special $10 tickets through paypal until Thursday, March 22 (normally $15 online, $20 at the door) $25 offers extra support.
Iran: Analyzing the West's Politico-Economic Warfare - AIFC Workshop on Iran - UNAC Conference
Sunday, March 25, 2012 - Time: 1:30 to 3:00 PM
THEME: Using Economic Sanctions and Political Demonization as tools of de-stabilization of the Iranian Economy and Society.
Ardeshir Ommani, President of AIFC will present information on the theft of Iranian sovereign fund, freezing and seizing of Iran's financial assets - preventing normal trade and commercial relations – and allegations of 'terrorism' by FBI/Police intelligence services.
Rolf Maurer, independent researcher, will focus on the ways that the U.S. and specifically Israel have cooperated in threats of war and all sorts of demonization campaigns whose aim is to isolate Iran.
Margaret Sarfejooy, a member of Women Against Military Madness - WAMM in Minneapolis/St Paul, Minnesota, is on the WAMM Middle East Committee, and has written extensively on the topic of U.S. and Israeli threats against Iran . Margaret will speak on Islamophobia, and the sources and intentions behind it. IRAN - The Threat is Very Real By Margaret Sarfehjooy - February 4, 2012
Eleanor Ommani, Co-founder of AIFC, will speak on the recent case of denial of visas to the Iranian NGO delegation of four Islamic Women, preventing their voices to be expressed at the United Nations 2012 Session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) February 27 - March 9. Allan Janczewski, Facilitator, is a long-time activist in the Left movement, a strong supporter of the rights of oppressed nations to defend themselves against the encroachments of imperialism, and supporter of socio-economic and civil rights of the working class. Sanctions on Iran Hike Gas Prices – Ardeshir Ommani http://www.iranaifc.com/public1.php?id_news=1260 Contact: AIFC 914-589-0744
Payam Entertainment Presents "Thirteen/Eight" Mohsen Namjoo and Ensemble Live in Berkeley - Saturday April 28, 2012 at 7:30 pm
University of California, Berkeley - Wheeler Hall
- Tickets available at tickets.berkeley.edu - In association with ISAA (Iranian Student Association of America)
'Among Iranian musicians, irregular rhythms are referred to as "limping rhythms." Mainly characterized by structural imbalance, the 13/8 time signature is among the most difficult of the limping rhythms in the music of the region. In the limping form, there is always a beat missing, or a beat extra. The limping style does not possess the symmetric structure of the dance music which elicits so much pleasure in dancers at wedding parties or in certain kinds of nightclubs. For me, this lack of balance or limping always symbolizes the constant instability of modern day life; a lack of confidence in there being solid ground beneath our feet when we step out in our daily lives. The limping structure symbolizes falling out of step with the rhythm of everyday living, and the ever present fear of being thrown out of the disco of life—just for dancing with a limp!'
BAHARANEH: An Evening of Music and Poetry to Celebrate Spring-APRIL 12, 2012 - Le Petit Trianon
72 North Fifth St., San Jose, CA
Join us for a spring celebration of music with Persian-tuned pianist, Ramin Zoufonoun featuring his "Spring Suite" based on original compositions, arrangements of classical Persian songs about spring, as well cross-cultural pieces inspired by American Jazz and Iranian folk music, based on poetry by Rumi and Fereydun Moshiri. With musical guests Lynea Diaz-Hagan (vocals), Hossein Massoudi (vocals), Jamsheed Agahi (daf, tombak). Guest poet Sholeh Wolpe will read from her new collection, Forbidden: Poems from Iran and its Exiles (books available for purchase)
Note: TEA and Sweets reception begins at 6 pm.
A benefit for Iranian Studies at San Jose State University
For more information: iranianstudiesatsjsu@gmail.com 408-924-4476
Made possible with a grant from the PARSA Community Foundation (in collaboration with Iran Heritage Foundation and IHG America
Women in Ancient Iran - Lecture with Professor Touraj Daryaee
Sunday, March 11, 2012 - Martin Luther King Library, 150 East San Fernando St., San Jose - 2:30 to 4:30 PM The study of the history of women in the premodern Iranian world is in its infancy. Because of the nature of our sources, one is forced to deal with mainly royal women and religious texts which provide an ideal image of the function and behavior of women in ancient and early medieval Iran. Dr. Touraj Daryaee is the Howard C. Baskerville Professor in the History of Iran and the Persianate World and the Associate Director of the Dr. Samuel M. Jordan Center for Persian Studies and Culture at the University of California, Irvine.
Co-sponsored by Veesta Arts & Lectures, Middle East Studies at SJSU, The Martin Luther King Jr Library, the Silicon Valley Middle East Studies Consortium, Women's Studies at SJSU
Contact 408-924-4476 or iranianstudiesatsjsu@gmail.com for more info.
Nowroz Party - Saturday, March 17, 2012
Mariani's Hotel, 2500 El Camino Real, Santa Clara - 408-243-1431
Rushid in Concert - DJ Alireza - Music at its best
Full Perisan Buffet
For info and reservations, call 408-499-2699
Tickets: $60.00, kids over 7 years, $30.00, kids under 7 years, $10
Free daycare available at the event
War Drum Beats Against Iran Continue
In today's (Saturday, February 25th, 2012) issue of the Financial Times Weekend Edition, the front page headline: "Oil Price Surges on Iran Nuclear Fears," once again, blatantly lied about Iran's nuclear enrichment program, falsifying that 20% enrichment is a "level close to that needed for a nuclear weapon."
Here’re the real facts: According to the Federation of American Scientists: “the U-235 content in natural uranium is over two orders of magnitude lower than that found in weapons grade uranium (more than 90 percent U-235)…. Similarly, the term “highly enriched” uranium (HEU) could be used to describe uranium with an assay greater than 20 percent, but it is commonly used to refer to uranium enriched to 90 percent U-235 or higher (i.e., weapons-grade uranium). And also: "In practice, uranium containing at least 90 percent U-235 has been used to make nuclear weapons. Material with this level of enrichment is called highly enriched uranium or HEU. The bomb that destroyed Hiroshima on August 6, 1945, was made with approximately 60 kilograms of HEU." from the Institute for Energy and Environmental Research.
Please come out to support our picket line protest on March 1st!!
Dear Americans for Peace and Dialogue with Iran – Emergency Call – Date: Thurs., March 1, 2012 - Time: Gather at 5:00 PM
Place: Council on Foreign Relations – 58 East 68th Street, NY , NY 10065 – (Building just off Park Ave. )
Iranian communities across the U.S. and in Iran are outraged by learning that Jonathan Tepperman, Managing Editor of Foreign Affairs magazine, the bi-monthly publication of the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR), has allowed Matthew Kroenig's toxically anti-Iran article: "Time to Attack Iran" to appear in the Jan/Feb. 2012 issue of the magazine. As if this egregious act was not enough to bring discredit to the magazine and the Council on Foreign Relations, CFR is sponsoring a public "live debate" on March 1st, to convince Americans that war on Iran, just as the ones in Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Libya and Syria, in its early stages, is the rational, humane and civilized method of dealing with the differences between the two countries of U.S. and Iran.
It is a well-known fact that is verified numerous times by even some top U.S. officials in the U.S. Administration and intelligence services, including by the Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta and President Barack Obama among many others in the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) that Iran has no nuclear weapons or even programs.
American Iranian Friendship Committee (AIFC), consistent with our 8 year Mission Statement, call on all Iranians and Americans who do not wish to witness another war – this time on Iran – to join us in a protest picket line in front of the Council on Foreign Relations to voice your opposition to this meeting that intends to promote war, death and destruction of yet another country in the Middle East.
Negotiate with Iran ! Remove your Warships! Lift the Sanctions! Sign a Non-Aggression Treaty!Iran has no NUKES! U.S. and Israel have thousands!
Called by American Iranian Friendship Committee (AIFC) www.iranaifc.com 914-589-0744
Endorsed by (List in Formation) Answer Coalition, Baltimore-Washington Area Peace Council, International Action Center , Pakistan USA Freedom Forum, WarISACrime.org – David Swanson, WESPAC, World Can't Wait and others…….
U.S. Sanctions as a Tool of War - The Case of Iran and Syria
Dear Friends and enduring Supporters of the American Iranian Friendship Committee (AIFC), you are cordially invited to attend the conference on March 10, which exposes the Obama administration’s plot to destabilize Iran and bring poverty, misery and pain to 80 million people of Iran. Show your support by attending and helping AIFC promote peace and dialogue between the two nations. New York Forum: Sat. March 10, 2012 - Time: 6 – 9 PM - Place: Grace & St. Paul's Church, 123 W. 71 St., NYC 10023 Violating international laws, the United States has seized tens of billions of dollars of Iranian assets, and drawn up sanctions against any form of economic transaction by Iranians, those naturalized U.S. citizens, as well as American businessmen. The U.S. Administration cannot claim it is a 'friend' of the Iranian people, because the people of Iran are the direct targets of the U.S. policy of economic strangulation. The United Nations and Ban Ki moon, Secretary General have become tools of manipulation by the U.S. and European powers. They garb their plans of invasion, assassination and regime change in an innocent phraseology of supporting human rights. Iran has always been ready to sign a Non-Aggression Treaty with the U.S. and begin normal diplomatic relations.
Speakers:
Ramsey Clark, Former US Attorney General
Harold H. Burbank II, Esq. Human Rights Attorney, Former Green Party Candidate, Internat'l Law & Relations
Brian Becker, National Coordinator of A NS WER Coalition
Ashraf Girgis, Ph. D. Native born Iranian specializing Naturopathic Medicine, in Stress Management Consultant & Therapist
Sponsored by American Iranian Friendship Committee - (AIFC) www.iranaifc.com Tel: 914-273-8852
Dog Sweat - February 23, 2012 - 7:00 PM
Camera 3 Cinema - 288 S. Second St., San Jose
Join us for this exciting Bay Area debut and a discussion with the film's director, Hossein Keshavarz
More Information: 408-924-4476 ( Iranian Studies @ SJSU)
$10.00 general admission - $7.00 for students - http://www.cameracinemas.com/camera3
Made possible with a grant from PARSA Community Foundation and CO-SPONSORED by Silicon Valley Middle East Studies Consortium, Middle East Studies at San Jose State University, and Student Association for Middle East Studies, Department of Humanities, VEESTA Arts & Lectures and MOSAIC Cross Cultural Center- SJSU.
Author Event "Tales From The Zirzameen"
When: Thursday, February 23, 2012 - 7:00 PM-9:00 PM
Where: Kepler's, 1010 El Camino Real, Menlo Park, CA 94025-4306
Brian Appleton first went to Iran summer of 1966 at age 16. He lived in Iran from 1974 to 1979 witnessing before, during and 5 months after revolution during which he was briefly taken hostage.
His love for Iran runs deep. In addition to his first book, his second book is in production and he has written numerous articles, interviews of Iranian expats and poetry in Iranian.com, Payvand News, Irandokht, Persian Mirror, CASMII, Persian Heritage Magazine, Payam Javan, Pekhvak of Persia and Zan Magazine.
Subject: National Day of Action: Feb 4th Protest to Oppose War on Iran :
No War! No Sanctions! No Intervention! No Assassinations!
Ardeshir Ommani, President - American Iranian Friendship Committee (AIFC)
The Translation Project is proud to co-sponsor master Persian musician, and member of Yo-Yo Ma’s Silk Road Ensemble, Kayhan Kalhorfor a Night of Rumi in San Francisco, presented by the California Institute of Integral Studies. Get your tickets now
داستان مراسم ایرانی نو شدن بهار و فرا رسیدن عید نوروز (از یلدا تا سیزده بدر) به صورت یک دی. وی. دی. جهت استفاده در گردهم آئی خانوادگی یا مراسم گروهی به صورت تک فروشی یا عمده فروشی موجود می باشد
International Film Festival - Sydney, Australia, February 2012
We are proud to announce that the first Persian International Film Festival is coming to Sydney in February 2012. We wish to invite you to visit our site (http://www.persianfilmfestival.com/) for more information, and to sign up for the newsletter to keep updated about all the exciting news around the festival.
If you are a filmmaker of Iranian, Afghan or Tajik background anywhere in the world, we invite you to submit your films of any genre and length. Check out the submission page on our site for information on how to submit your films.
We are also looking to create discussion around the topics of cinema in the Persian region, on our site. You can visit our discussion page for more information on how to submit your material for a monthly competition with exciting prizes.
For all this information and more visit our site and sign up to stay informed. You can also find us on our facebook at (facebook.com/PersianFilmFestival) and twitter at @PersianFilmFest for daily updates and news.
Please feel free to forward this to your lists and other contacts who might be interested. We look forward to hearing from you and seeing you or your movies in Sydney.
Perfusion Events Presents Global Fusion Concert - NIYAZ featuring Azam Ali
Sunday, September 25, 2011 - 8:00 PM (doors open 7:00 PM) - El Rey Theatre - 5515 Wilshire Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90036 - Special Guest Appearance by Khosro Ansari
You can purchase tickets - www.radiojavan.com/niyaz - Music Box 310-473-3466 - Sherkat Ketab
310-477-7477 - $35.00 General Admission
$65.00 VIP (unreserved seating and post concert reception with artists)
Mehregan 2011 - Dedicated to Freedom - The 15th Annual Festival - October 1 & 2
Become an Ambassador of Mehr. Please volunteer, sponsor, and come & enjoy this non-profit Persian Festival of Autumn. The 15th Annual Persian Festival of Autumn (Mehregan 2011) will be held Saturday and Sunday, October 1 - 2, 2011, 11:00 AM to 11:00 PM, at the Lakeside Lagoon Park, 8800 Irvine Center Dr. (Next to Wild River) Irvine, California 92619. Tickets are $25 Advanced,
$30 At the Gate -
Admission to Mehregan 2011 will be free for all active and retired Orange County firefighters, police officers, and military personnel. Proper ID is required.
Since 1994, volunteers from several organizations in Southern California have gathered annually to create an extraordinary outdoor family event that includes an array of activities such as arts & crafts, music, poetry, live performances, dance, children’s activities and ethnic food. The number of participants has grown steadily over the years to more than 20,000 attendees. Mehregan Festival brings Orange County the sights, sounds and tastes of ancient Persia and modern Iran.
This is a community event and everyone helps. Please help us by becoming a Business Sponsor, or purchasing a display booth, or simply applying for many volunteer opportunities available. You can also call us at (949) 851-3993. You can also make a tax-deductible donation to Mehregan.
2nd Iranian-American Women's Leadership Conference (IAW) 2011 Pathways to Success - October 23, 2011
Hilton Orange County, 3050 Bristol St., Costa Mesa, CA 92626 - sponsored by Coastline Community College Foundation
Early Bird Fee (includes panel sessions, lunch, book signing and marketplace): $75 per person - payments received by October 7, 2011
Regular Fee (includes panel sessions, lunch, book signing, ad marketplace): $100 per person - payments received after October 7, 2011
Online registration available at http://www.IAWleadership.org - For more information, call 714 241-6154 or email Paula Coker at pcoker @coastline.edu.
Sepideh Raissadat and Iman Vaziri Ensemble are having a concert in Berkeley on Sunday July 3rd at 8:00PM
Gifted vocalist and setarist Sepideh Raissadat brings to life a repertoire of poetry-filled Persian classical music during her Freight debut. Tehran-born Sepideh has always been free to pursue her love of music, but as a woman living in Iran, was prohibited from sharing it with others. In 1999, Raissadat became the first female singer in Iran after the revolution to sing in a duet when she performed with the late Persian Santoor master and composer, Parviz Meshtakian.
Sepideh began studying Radif (the repertoire of the Persian classical music) at the age of 9 with Parissa, one of Iran's most esteemed female classical musicians, and continued with Parviz Meshkatian and Mohammad Reza Lotfi. Sepideh was only eighteen when she released her first album with Parviz Meshtakian. Most recently, Sepideh joined the Ensemble Moshtaq's European concert tour in support of their 2010 album 14 Cheerful Pieces. An academic as well as a perfomer, Sepidah graduated with a degree in Ethnomusicology from the University of Bologna, Italy and continues her research in Canada, most recently focusing on Sassanid music from Persian music's golden age. While in Italy, she performed for the Vatican, on Italian TV and with well known Italian musicians Franco Battiato and Andrea Parodi.
Payam Entertainment Presents NAMJOO: unplugged Saturday, May 28, 2011 7:30 PM
A memorable solo performance on a special evening with Mohsen Namjoo, with Ali Bazyar on Percussion - Hailed as “the Bob Dylan of Iran” by the New York Times, Mohsen Namjoo is a visionary artist who speaks for and touches the souls of today’s youth. Seamlessly blending the Classical with the Modern, the ancient with the current, Mohsen Namjoo is a musical maverick. A non-conformist who not only takes on the centuries old traditions of Persian music, but also his own approach to composition, style and sound.
This special performance will feature old favorites and his latest material.
Iranian Folk Music Sima Bima & Lian Ensemble live in concert at Town Hall - Saturday,
June 4, 2011 - 8:00 PM
Sima Bina, one of Iran's most distinguished folk and classical singers, makes a rare appearance in New York with the highly acclaimed Lian Ensembe. Together they will present a stunning blend of music influenced by Persian traditional and folk music. Evocative and exhilarating, the music presented is an authentic expression of a way of life and a rejection of rigid boundaries, preferring simplicity, authenticity , joy and hope. For one night at The Town Hal, hear Sima Bina and Lian Ensemble bring to life the wonder of Persian folk and classical music. Lian Ensemble: Amir Koushkani, Tar, Setar: Sharvin Mohajer, Kamancheh Ali Nourbakhsh, Daf, Dayereh, Dohol: Pirayeh Pourafar, Tar, Robab, Houman Pourmehdi, Tonbak, Daf, Ney
123 West 43rd St., New York City, NY - 800-745-3000
Saturday March 19, Noon - 5 PM - 5814 Wilshire Blvd. Los Angeles, CA Come Celebrate the Persian New Year through the arts!
You’re invited to join us on Saturday, March 19, for a lively family festival and bazaar celebrating Nowruz, the Persian New Year, and welcome the spring in style! The CAFAM courtyard will be transformed into a marketplace featuring local vendors, Persian sweets and teas, music, a hands-on art project for children, and a book-signing by Iranian children’s book author Mina Javaherbin. This event is FREE, and vendor proceeds will directly benefit both the museum and the non-profit organization Womenfound.
Website: www.sociarts.com/artist_events/905/nowruz-bazaar-cafam
Payam Entertainment Presents NAMJOO: unplugged
Friday, April 15, 2011 at 7:30 PM - Irvine Barclay Theatre, 4242 Campus Drive, Irvine, CA
Tickets at the Bos Office (949) 854-4646, www.thebarclay.org
Hailed as “the Bob Dylan of Iran” by the New York Times, Mohsen Namjoo is a visionary artist who speaks for and touches the souls of today’s youth. Seamlessly blending the Classical with the Modern, the ancient with the current, Mohsen Namjoo is a musical maverick. A non-conformist who not only takes on the centuries old traditions of Persian music, but also his own approach to composition, style and sound.
Presented by Payam Entertainment Inc.
This special solo performance will feature old favorites and his latest material.
In March 2008, we celebrated Persian New Year with a concert featuring music and artists from this part of the world, along with brilliant works from the Western classical tradition. The concert was so well-received we’ve decided to return to Persia this season, once again in time to celebrate Persian New Year (“Nowruz”). Pianist Tara Kamangar returns to OEBS, this year joined by Persian soloists Cyrus Beroukhim (violin) and Arash Amini (cello) in a performance of Beethoven’s ingenious Triple Concerto, a popular work with a unique combination of instruments taking solo turns with the orchestra.
We'’ll also perform works by Persian composers Behzad Ranjbaran, whose music has recently been performed by such artists as Joshua Bell, Yo-Yo Ma and Renee Fleming, and Ahmad Pejman, who is known for his film scores and popular music, as well as his orchestral works. The selection by Ranjbaran is Seemorgh from his Persian Trilogy, a lush three-movement work based on one of the most colorful and fascinating stories in the Shahnameh (Book of Kings).
Persian Arts Festival - Celebrating Persian Art & Culture
5th Annual Norooz Celebration - Come join us on Saturday, March 26 at the 92YTribeca for an incredible evening of film, theater, poetry, art and music! Get your tickets now - space will be limited. Doors open at 6:00 PM, show at 7:00 PM, 200 Hudson Street, New York, NY. Buy Tickets
World Premier of "Our Sweet Life by the Pacific Ocean" stage reading featuring Shohreh Aghdashloo and Houshang Touzie, a hilarious story about an Iranian man struggling to provide for his family, revive the passion in his marriage and communicate with a rebellious son raised far from what once was "home".
Readings from a new translation of Ferdowsi's Shahnahmeh by Richard Jeffrey Newman; Music by Persian sufi and folk singer, Amir Vahab; Film Screening of "Like a Phoenix From the Ashes" featuring music from critically acclaimed Persian folk and funk compilation, "Pomegranates;" Musical ambiance by DJ Payam; Art Installation: a PAF original Haftseen.
Additional festival sponsors and partners include AIIrS - American Institute of Iranian Studies, PAAIA Public Affairs Alliance of Iranian Americans, New York University Persian Club, Columbia Iranian Students Association, IAAB Iranian Alliances Across Borders.
All Atheists Are Muslim
You may be more Muslim than you think!
written and performed by Zahra Noorbakhsh,
directed by W. Kamau Bell & Martha Rynberg
Thursdays at 8pm,
February 3, 10, 17, 24
Stage Werx, San Francisco
It’s time for Zahra and Duncan to move in together. Duncan doesn’t know this, but Zahra does. She’s sure of it… mostly. And even if she’s not 100% sure, she knows it’s going to take a little while to convince Duncan. Oops, Duncan actually said yes! And wants to move in now! That’s OK, that’s OK. In fact, that’s good. Right? Now, Zahra just needs to mention to her parents that it makes perfect sense for Duncan to move in with her. Tickets $20.00. Muslims 2 for 1.
Stagewerx Theater
533 Sutter St, San Francisco
Between Powell St and Mason
10 min walk from Powell BART - Click to buy tickets
Farhang Foundation Short Film Festival 2011
Now in its third consecutive year, the Farhang Foundation Short Film Festival 2011 has officially opened to the community at large. We are looking forward to receiving your submissions of short films visualizing an aspect of Iranian arts, history, culture, crafts, geography, cuisine, or lifestyle that will inspire and spark the audience's interest in learning more about Iranian art, history, and culture.
Competing for $10,000 (first prize), $5,000 (second prize), and $3,000 (third prize), all entries will be judged for creativity, quality, and originality by a jury that will include film industry notables, such as Academy Award Nominee, Shohreh Aghdashloo, and acclaimed director, Babak Payami.
This year, Farhang Foundation Short Film Festival 2011 has been expanded to include a special screening of the winning submissions, followed by an awards ceremony at the Bing Theater at LACMA to be held on Sunday, March 13, 2011 as part of our annual Nowruz event.
2010 Katharine and George Alexander -
Law Prize Presentation and Lecture
November 11, 2010 7:00 p.m. Recital Hall, Music & Dance Facility (Bldg. 114) -
Santa Clara University
see map at www.scu.edu/map/
Shadi Sadr, a well-known Iranian human rights lawyer,
will address the circumstances faced by women
and others under the current government.
Pre-register online: AlexanderPrize@scu.edu
(pre-registration is appreciated; admission is complimentary)
Journey to Yarsan - October 9, 2010 - Santa Clara University Concert Hall
500 El Camino Real, Santa Clara, CA - Cross Street Lafayette St. and Franklin Street,
for more information 408-409-6547 or email: namvar.goo@gmail.com
Tickets $35.00 or $20.00 for students (ID Required)
Shanbehzadeh Ensemble – October 24 · 7:30pm &ndash 10:30pm
Troubadour – World Famous 9081 Santa Monica Blvd., West Hollywood, CA
The Shanbehzadeh Ensemble offers a rare aspect of the traditional music and dance of the Persian Gulf, more specifically of the province of Boushehr, a little known region in the south of Iran. The main instruments they play include the Neyanbânn (Iranian bagpipes), the Neydjofti (a double flute), the Dammâm (two-sided drum), the Zarbetempo (percussion), the traditional flute, the Senj (a sort of cymbal) and the Boogh (a goat's horn).
Elham Entertainment Presents
ELCID & SAMYAR,
Coming to Atlanta on
Saturday, October 2,
Fanoos Persian Cuisine
Ticket: $30 (VIP Tickets Avaliable Before 10pm) - For more InFo call: 770-605-2559
The Persian Student Association at Stanford University cordially invites you to:
A talk by Professor Nasrollah Pourjavady,
Emeritus Professor of Philosophy,
School of Humanities and Literature, University of Tehran - August 6th, 2010: 7:00pm - 9:00pm
Stanford University - Clark Center Auditorium 318 CAMPUS DR, Stanford, CA
Please note that:
1. This program will be in Farsi
2. The Clark Center auditorium is below ground
Professor Pourjavady was born and raised in Tehran, Iran. He received his BA in Western Philosophy from San Francisco State University, and his MA and PhD in Philosophy from the University of Tehran. He has taught at multiple universities in Iran, the United States, and Italy, especially at the University of Tehran, where he is an Emeritus Professor of Philosophy. Professor Pourjavady has authored some 37 books, as well as hundreds of essays and articles in the fields of Islamic mysticism, philosophy, and Persian literature. As the founding-director of Iran University Press, the largest academic publishing house in Iran after the Revolution, he supervised the publication of some 1,200 academic books and 11 periodicals in Persian, English, French, and German.
"An Iranian in Heaven" A Comedy by Houshang Touzie
Sunday, July 18, 2020 - 7:00 PM
- Palace of Fine Arts - 3301 Lyon St., San Francisco
Written and directed by: Houshang Touzie /With: Houshang Touzie and Shohreh Aghdashloo/An Iranian in Heaven (or yek Irani Dar Behesht in Persian) is a socio-political stage comedy about Iranians in Diaspora and their self-inflicted problems. The play is produced by Workshop '79, the Los Angeles-based Drama production company, founded by Houshang Touzie, Iranian Actor and playwright, and his actress wife Shohreh Aghdashloo (Emmy Awards 2009), in memory of the Theatrical and Acting Workshop in Tehran which was shut down after the 1979 Iranian Revolution.
Guest: Fatemeh Habibizad - GordAfarid - Friday, April 16 - 6:00 PM Location: Clark Center Auditorium, Stanford University -Co-sponsored with the Persian Student Association (PSA)
GordAfarid is the first woman who, in the history of Naqhali in Iran, has performed theatrical narrations of epics, national stories, and folklore, with the support of educational, cultural, and people's organizations. She has performed in cities and villages across Iran, and in many European and Asian countries.
Naghali in Iran is an ancient kind of solo performance of epics and old stories, which has been done by men exclusively for centuries, in cafes or open spaces.
The subjects and themes of naghali are the human stories of people, families, kings, warriors, myths, and epic makers of the vast lands of Iran. The naqhals, using their mastery of the arts of speech and storybooks, performed the stage-filling acts and exaggerated movements of this traditional stage art in cafes and open spaces for the public.
Today, naqhali is on the verge of extinction in Iran. GordAfarid has tried to keep alive this traditional-national from of theater and stage art. Her approach has included research, collection and recording of methods used by the elders of this artform in cafes, sports houses, and soufi houses of Iran, authoring of articles, as well as extensive performances in Iran and outside of Iran. For years, she has held classes on naghali, and the encyclopedia of nagals is one of her publications in the works.
Nowruz
All Nowruz Events are listed on http://www.kodoom.com With Nowruz approaching fast, make sure to check out the Nowruz special Link on the front page at http://www.kodoom.com. If our robot or editors missed any events, make sure to post them for our 300,000 visitors using our post form.
Nowruz 2010 Celebration (Persian Spring Festival) - March 18, 2010 - 12:00 PM to 1:30 PM
A New Day: Readings by Afghan and Iranian American Writers - Friday, March 12, 2010 - 7:00 PM
Please join us at the Asian American Writers’ Workshop to hear established and emerging voices from the cutting edge of our literary communities. Asian American Writers’ Workshop
16 W 32nd St, Suite 10A New York, NY 10001 - Celebrate Now Ruz, our common New Year, with an evening of fiction and memoir by ground-breaking writers from the Afghan and Iranian American diasporas. Acknowledging the deeply entwined histories of our peoples and the overlapping richness of our literary traditions, this reading is inspired by our desire to forge new artistic collaborations in the US, where the breadth and insight of our many stories are most urgently needed. $5 cover charge. A collection will also be taken to support the Committee to Protect Journalists. cpj.org. You can read more details here.
Saturday, March 20 - March on Washington protesting the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq
On Saturday, March 20, 2010, there will be a massive National March & Rally in Washington D.C. A day of action and outreach in Washington, D.C., will take place on Friday, March 19, preceding the Saturday march.
There will be coinciding mass marches on March 20 in San Francisco and Los Angeles.
Instead of war, we will demand funds so that every person can have a job, free and universal health care, decent schools, and affordable housing.
Global Symbolic Hunger Strike - Date: Saturday, February 20, 2010
Time: 9:45am - 5:00pm
Location: Polk Street, btwn. Hayes & Golden Gate, San Francisco
Description: This will be a one-day hunger strike at Civic Center in San Francisco, on the green just across Polk Street from City Hall.
Many cities are participating in a symbolic hunger strike to continue raising awareness in the media of our struggle for human rights in Iran. Facebook Page on Hunger Strike The group meeting to fast this Saturday in San Francisco will be representing the Bay Area in this action. All are welcome, Iranians and non-Iranians alike : )
Bring a hat and sunscreen, and we will provide the tea and water.
If you’re driving, arrive before 10 a.m. to find parking!
Lecture by Mr. Abdolali Bazargan - Friday, February 12, 2010 - Bonyad-e-Towhid - 1 W. Campbell Ave.,
Campbell, CA 95008-1028
Masters of Persian Music - February 13, 2010 - 8:00 to 10:00 PM
University of California - Berkeley: Zellerbach Hall,
Berkeley, CA
Featuring Hossein Alizadeh (tar), Kayhan Kalhor (kamancheh) and Hamid Reza Nourbakhsh (vocals). Zellerbach Hall Pre-performance talk by Francesco Spagnolo, Director of Research, Judah L. Magnes Museum.
Tickets: $26/$38/$48/$60 Available through the Cal Performances Ticket Office at Zellerbach Hall; at (510) 642-9988 to charge by phone; online at www.calperformances.org; and at the door.
Farhang Foundation and LACMA present Gusheh be Gusheh - January 28, 2010 - 7:00 PM
An evening of traditional Persian Music by Khosrow Soltani at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art - Leo S. Bing Theater, 5905 Wilshire Blvd. Los Angeles - TICKET INFO: FREE tickets will be available ONE HOUR prior to the start of the show at the LACMA box office, starting at 6 p.m. Show starts at 7. First come, first served. (600 seats)
Your RSVP on Farhang.org doesn't guarantee tickets. For more information, visit www.farhang.org
SoCiArts Presents Passage to Dawn Los Angeles -
A night of Live Persian and Azari Music
January 24, 2010 - 7:30 PM
Herbert Zipper Concert Hall - 200 S. Grand Ave. - Los Angeles, CA 90012
For tickets, www.sociarts.com
MARK YOUR CALENDARS!! Norooz, the Persian New Year, is just around the corner and we'll have an extraordinary event on March 20, 2010, with Persian musical sensation, Haale and special literary guests!!
Persian Film Festival Program Launch - Sydney - September 3 to 6, 2015
Khaliji & Middle Eastern Jazz Concert - Saturday, July 25, 2015 - 7:30 pm
William Daniel Cultural Committee of the AAASJ invites all fellow Assyrians and friends to a book talk titled:
From Persepolis to Isfahan: Safeguarding Cultural Heritage
Hamid and Christina Moghadam Program in Iranian Studies and The Bita Daryabari Endowment in Persian Letters
The Department of Near Eastern Studies at UC Berkeley is proud to announce
Persian International Film Festival -
Sydney 11 - 14 Sep -
Chauvel Cinama
13th Anniversary - Levantine Cultural Center
Sacramento Assyrian Club Presents - New Year's Eve Party - 2014
Tara Gallery Ribbon Cutting Ceremony in Santa Monica - Tuesday, November 19, 2013
Torange Yeghiazarian is the Founding Artistic Director of Golden Thread Productions. She was the 2012 recipient of the Gerbode-
Hewlett Playwright Commission Award to write Ellington’s Isfahan,
and is commissioned by the Islamic Cultural Center of Northern California to write The Fifth String: Ziryab’s Passage to Cordoba. Her articles on contemporary theatre in Iran have been published in The Drama Review (2012), American Theatre Magazine (2010), and
Theatre Bay Area Magazine (2010).
Torange holds a Master's degree in
Theatre Arts from San Francisco
State University.
Come meet and support more than 30 local Bay Area authors during King Library's first ever Author Fair! You will have the opportunity to mingle with participating authors as well as listen to them share their inspirations for their books. The event is free and open to the public.
Around Halloween, I am part of Layla Means Night, an immersive performance art spectacle created by Rosanna Gamson. Its starting point is the frame story of Shahrzad in the 1001 Nights, but rest assured, it is not a play with genies and fairies. It examines violence, and the vilifying of cultures that one doesn't understand. It is also a really fun and participatory night out. Layla takes over the entire building at ODC, and audiences will experience different things. Think never-ending wedding banquet meets seance meets pop-up circus!
Middle East Facilitated Rhythm & Drum Circle with Rowan Storm - Saturdays: October 12, November 16 and December 14
Love and Pomegranates: Artisits and Wayfarers on Iran - Thursday, October 10, 2013 - 7:00 PM
The Cat and the Coup - Tuesday, October 8, 2013 - 7:00 PM
Persian International Film Festival - Sydney - August 22 to September 1, 2013
Assyrian Martyr's Day Commemoration 
Persian Studies at San Jose State University - Fall 2013
Uno Stretto Un Mare (Iran 1975-1995
Keep Wrestling in the Olympics - Free Tickets for the USA vs Iran Wrestling Match in New York on May 15, 2013
Thursday, April 4, 2013, 7:00 PM -
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Library - San Jose State University
Sunday, April 15, at 12:00 PM, followed by Shurka Bazaar in Madison Square Park from 12:00 PM to 5:00 PM
Persian Music Intersects with 70s Funk * Jazz & Blues * Country
Telling the story of "Tahmineh" from Shahnameh. Presenting Iranian women artists from across the world, featuring an art exhibition, silent auction and live performances.
Film Screening & Discussion - Thursday, March 7, 3013 - 6:30 to 9:30 PM, G-101
Start the New Year with a new journey -- or a continuing journey within This will be held once a month, January through May. Come with an open heart, paper and pen and we will talk, discuss and also read and write poetry together. This monthly workshop is for self-growth rather than critique. Whether you are just beginning or have been writing for a while, you are welcome! A time of sharing and growth. A time of healing and flourishing.
Featuring former U.S. National Security Advisor Zbigniew Brzezinski
Dear Friends of the Festival,
Sunday, November 4, 2012 - 2:00 to 4:00 PM
Sunday, September 16, 2012 from 6:00 PM to 8:30 PM (PDT) Los Angeles, CA
Venue: Room 011, New Law Building, University of Sydney
body, chador, mat, Scarlatti sonata in F minor K 466, haftsin.
THEME: Using Economic Sanctions and Political Demonization as tools of de-stabilization of the Iranian Economy and Society. 
Join us for a spring celebration of music with Persian-tuned pianist, Ramin Zoufonoun featuring his "Spring Suite" based on original compositions, arrangements of classical Persian songs about spring, as well cross-cultural pieces inspired by American Jazz and Iranian folk music, based on poetry by Rumi and Fereydun Moshiri. With musical guests Lynea Diaz-Hagan (vocals), Hossein Massoudi (vocals), Jamsheed Agahi (daf, tombak). Guest poet Sholeh Wolpe will read from her new collection, Forbidden: Poems from Iran and its Exiles (books available for purchase) 
Women in Ancient Iran - Lecture with Professor Touraj Daryaee
Subject: National Day of Action: Feb 4th Protest to Oppose War on Iran : 
site (
Become an Ambassador of Mehr. Please volunteer, sponsor, and come & enjoy this non-profit Persian Festival of Autumn. The 15th Annual Persian Festival of Autumn (Mehregan 2011) will be held Saturday and Sunday, October 1 - 2, 2011, 11:00 AM to 11:00 PM, at the Lakeside Lagoon Park, 8800 Irvine Center Dr. (Next to Wild River) Irvine, California 92619. Tickets are $25 Advanced,
$30 At the Gate -
Admission to Mehregan 2011 will be free for all active and retired Orange County firefighters, police officers, and military personnel. Proper ID is required.
2nd Iranian-American Women's Leadership Conference (IAW) 2011 Pathways to Success - October 23, 2011
n” by the New York Times, Mohsen Namjoo is a visionary artist who speaks for and touches the souls of today’s youth. Seamlessly blending the Classical with the Modern, the ancient with the current, Mohsen Namjoo is a musical maverick. A non-conformist who not only takes on the centuries old traditions of Persian music, but also his own approach to composition, style and sound.
March 19, 2011 - Noon to 5:00 PM - 2800 Airport Avenue, Santa Monica, CA
, Paramount Theatre, Oakland
You may be more Muslim than you think!
at large. We are looking forward to receiving your submissions of short films visualizing an aspect of Iranian arts, history, culture, crafts, geography, cuisine, or lifestyle that will inspire and spark the audience's interest in learning more about Iranian art, history, and culture.
Shanbehzadeh Ensemble – October 24 · 7:30pm &ndash 10:30pm
Elham Entertainment Presents
ELCID & SAMYAR,
Coming to Atlanta on
Saturday, October 2,
Fanoos Persian Cuisine
A talk by Professor Nasrollah Pourjavady,
Emeritus Professor of Philosophy,
School of Humanities and Literature, University of Tehran - August 6th, 2010: 7:00pm - 9:00pm
Stanford University - Clark Center Auditorium 318 CAMPUS DR, Stanford, CA
Location: Clark Center Auditorium, Stanford University -Co-sponsored with the Persian Student Association (PSA)
Nowruz
Iranian folk dance with Niiosha - slide show on Iran - Live music, dance and light refreshments
ting edge of our literary communities. Asian American Writers’ Workshop
16 W 32nd St, Suite 10A New York, NY 10001 - Celebrate Now Ruz, our common New Year, with an evening of fiction and memoir by ground-breaking writers from the Afghan and Iranian American diasporas. Acknowledging the deeply entwined histories of our peoples and the overlapping richness of our literary traditions, this reading is inspired by our desire to forge new artistic collaborations in the US, where the breadth and insight of our many stories are most urgently needed. $5 cover charge. A collection will also be taken to support the Committee to Protect Journalists. 
Saturday, March 20 - March on Washington protesting the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq
on: Polk Street, btwn. Hayes & Golden Gate, San Francisco
o Spagnolo, Director of Research, Judah L. Magnes Museum. 
Thursday, February 18 - Private home
