Ali Zare Ghanat Nowi

Ali Zare Ghanat Nowi (; born 26 January 1981) is an Iranian film director, screenwriter, translator, educator, and film producer. Considered the most internationally honored Iranian director in 2014, Zare has represented Iran at more than 130 festivals around the world. He has directed, produced, written, or edited more than 20 films, including animations, shorts, and documentaries. His two most popular films have been Dad's Fragile Doll and Empty View (2017), He studied animation directing

Career Zare wrote Iran, the Year Zero (1999), a radio play Meetings were usually held at Shiraz University or at Hafez Hall. He also founded the Shiraz Cinema School (Madreseh Kargahiye Cinema), where he developed, taught, and organized workshops Guest lecturers included Farzad Motamen, Jamal Mirsadeghi, and . The school would later be involved in the production of several of Zare's films, including Empty View, Umbilical Cord, and Red Mind. and Red Mind (2009), the latter of which gained him recognition outside of Shiraz. He established the Golbarg Film Company and assumed the role of chairman of the board in 2009. Sistan Itinerary was shown at Cinéma Vérité in Iran and won second prize for best film at the Naser Khosro Festival. The same year, he worked as television director of the Fajr International Film Festival. This was shown in the portrait category at Cinéma Vérité, its first-ever public screening. The screenplay was adapted from a story of the same name by Houshang Golshiri. and for Best Animation at the Erie International Film Festival and Athens Animfest. Other festivals that hosted the film included Piélagos en Corto, LA Shorts Fest, Anima Mundi, Seoul International Cartoon and Animation Festival, House of Cinema, Buenos Aires International Festival of Independent Cinema, and Kaohsiung Film Festival. In 2014, Zare was included in the Top 10 Filmmakers of Asia listing at the ifva Festival in Hong Kong. The following year, he worked with two former students on their film Jump In Love, which he produced and edited. He also produced and edited the short film Timology, then wrote and directed the experimental short film Umbilical Cord, which examines a mother's inner turmoil after losing her baby. The film was shown at the Ozark Foothills FilmFest and the Wiper Film Festival in the United States and at Experimental Superstars in Serbia. He wrote and directed the documentary Next Week (2015), which followed the day-to-day lives of disabled children. Zare's film school closed around 2016 due to finance-related declining attendance. and Pour with the Rain, a documentary about Amin Faghiri. Empty View, a short film about a mother waiting for her son to return from war, was animated using rotoscoping techniques. It won awards for Best Animation at the UK Monthly Film Festival, and the screenplay was translated and published in France in 2021.

Zare has written two books, Digital Photography Darkroom and Keywords in Cinema, and has published cinema and film reviews in newspapers such as Shargh, Etemad, and Bahar. In 2005, he translated the screenplay of the film 21 Grams and published it with Ayaneh Junob. In 2008, he translated the screenplay of the 1940 film The Grapes of Wrath, written by Nunnally Johnson, and published it with Afkar Publishing. He also designed the book covers for Jamal Mirsadeghi's Two Bright Blue Lights (2013) and World of Colors (2014). the inaugural Shiraz Film and Photo Festival, Shiraz Short Film Festival, Kolgrash Film Festival, Cinema Perpetuum Mobile Festival in Belarus, and Bangladesh International Independent Film Festival.

Filmography Year Title/Persian title Title in English Type Roles Synopsis Ref(s) 1999 Iran, Sale Sefr Iran, the Year Zero Radio play Writer An author returns to Iran and must reckon with how it has changed. 2010 Faryadha o Najvaha Cries and Whispers Documentary Director and writer The life of blind and Deaf children in special schools. 2015 Bande Naaf Umbilical Cord Short Film Writer, director The subconscious nightmares of a woman who has lost her baby. Timology Timology Short Film Editor, producer The life of a man who has been lost in time and existence. Hafteye Ayandeh Next Week Documentary Writer, director, producer Day-to-day lives of disabled children as they try to live normal lives. Red Mind 2009 Special Jury Award Shiraz Short Film Festival Iran Sistan Itinerary 2011 Second prize: Best Film Naser Khosro Festival Iran First Place - Animation Shiraz Short Film Festival Iran Best Animation International Animation Film Festival Bulgaria Top 10 Filmmakers of Asia ifva Festival China 2015 Committee Prize Cinema Perpetuum Mobile International Short Film Festival Belarus Special Mention Award International Open Film Festival Bangladesh Best Animation The Kids Festival Spain 2017 Best Animation London-X4 Seasonal Short Film Festival England 2018 Best Animation Mosaic Film Festival USA Empty View 2017 Jury Award Chania Cartoon & Animation Festival Greece Best Animation (20 mins or less) UK Monthly Film Festival England Best Animation Los Angeles Film Awards USA Best Animation Asians On Film Festival USA 2018 Best Director Southampton International Film Festival UK Best Animation Edmonton International Film Festival Canada Best Animation Short Best Short Fest Canada Great Message International Film Festival India Second place: Best Animated Short Film Indie Best Films Festival USA Golden Palm Award - Animation Mexico International Film Festival Mexico Best Short Film Award Seoul Guro International Kids Film Festival South Korea Audience Award Athens Animfest Greece Best Animation Amsterdam Film Festival Van Gogh Awards Netherlands