Fathollah Amiri

Fathollah Amiri (, born 1981) is an Iranian documentary filmmaker with a career focusing on the environment and wildlife of Iran. His film, Ranger and Leopard, received the Green Screen award in Germany in 2018. His film Vortex won the 33rd edition of the Sondrio Festival in Italy in 2019. He has also served as a judge at the Matsalu Nature Film Festival in Estonia in 2019 and the Sondrio Festival of Environmental Films in Italy in 2020. In Iran, Amiri has won notable awards, including two Fajr International Film Festival awards for In Search of the Persian Leopard and Life in Eclipse (2010), as well as the Grand Prize of the Cinema Verite Festival for Alamto, A reptile wonderland (2014).

Early life and education Fathollah Amiri was born in 1981 in Ilam, Iran. He developed a passion for environmental and wildlife issues early in life, which later influenced his career choice. Amiri pursued higher education in film studies and holds a master's degree in Documentary Production from IRIB University.

Career Amiri's career as a documentary filmmaker began in the early 2000s. He has directed and produced numerous documentaries that shed light on the environmental challenges and unique wildlife of Iran.

Awards and Recognitions

Year Festival / Organization Location Award / Selection Work 2009 National Student Film Festival Tehran, Iran Best Documentary Life in Eclipse 2011 Fajr International Film Festival Tehran, Iran Crystal Simorgh for Best Feature Documentary In Search for the Persian Leopard 2012 Jahorina International Film Festival Bosnia and Herzegovina Silver Genian Prize for Best Environmental Documentary In Search for the Persian Leopard 2012 Cinema Verite International Documentary Film Festival Tehran, Iran Best Environmental Documentary Feature In Search for the Persian Leopard 2013 Jam-e Jam TV Festival Tehran, Iran Sarv Award for Best Documentary Series Reptiles of Iran 2014 Cinema Verite Festival Tehran, Iran Grand Prize for Best Film Alamto: A Reptile Wonderland 2014 Iranian House of Cinema Tehran, Iran Best Researcher, Best Photography, Best Music Alamto: A Reptile Wonderland 2014 Roshd International Film Festival Tehran, Iran Best Documentary & Department of Environment Prize Alamto: A Reptile Wonderland 2015 ABU Film Awards Istanbul, Turkey Best Feature Documentary Alamto: A Reptile Wonderland 2015 Japan Prize (NHK) Tokyo, Japan Official Selection Alamto: A Reptile Wonderland 2015 Wildlife Conservation Film Festival New York, USA Finalist – Best Foreign Feature In Search for the Persian Leopard 2017 Jackson Wild (formerly Jackson Hole) Wyoming, USA Best Film Award – People & Nature Ranger and Leopard 2018 Jam-e Jam TV Festival Tehran, Iran Sarv Award for Best Documentary Director Ranger and Leopard 2018 Matsalu Nature Film Festival Estonia 1st Prize, Best Director Ranger and Leopard 2018 Green Screen International Nature Film Festival Germany Best Independent Film Ranger and Leopard 2018 Wildscreen Panda Awards United Kingdom Emerging Talent Nominee In the Realm of the Spider-tailed Viper 2019 Gran Paradiso Film Festival Italy WWF Italy Award In the Realm of the Spider-tailed Viper 2019 Sondrio Festival Italy Città di Sondrio Award Vortex 2019 CMS Vatavaran Film Festival India Special Jury Mention Vortex 2021 Festival de Ménigoute Ménigoute, France Nature Protection Award Vortex

Filmography

In Search of the Iranian Leopard (2011) Alamto A Reptile Wonderland (2014) Reptiles of Iran (2013) The Ranger and the Leopard (2018) Life in Eclipse (2009) In the Realm of the Spider-Tailed Viper (2018) In the Whirlpool of Extinction (2017) Houbara (2018)