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2023 JURY PANEL

Announcing the Top-6 Films of 2023

Learn more at the official Film Festival Website

 Co-Presented by: 

Special Guest Presenter: Lily Amir-Arjomand

Lily Amir-Arjomand, is the visionary founder and champion behind one of the most progressive institutions for the culture, education and creativity of children and young adults, known as Kanoon in Iran.

The Institute for the Intellectual Development of Children and Young Adults, commonly referred to as Kanoon, was involved in various cultural and artistic activities. Ms. Amir Arjomand was also at some point the Director of the National University Library of Iran, the National Iranian Oil Company Library, and an associate professor at Tehran University; she formed Kanoon by building a network of permanent and mobile libraries across Iran to promote culture and education to children and young adults.

Created in 1965, Kanoon had become a prolific cultural producer by 1969, involving itself in everything from book publishing and book illustration to film making, animation, theater, film festivals, and conferences. The organization was at the center of the vanguard of cultural production in Iran through the 1970s, serving as the platform through which many of Iran’s most highly regarded creative minds launched their careers. Kanoon quickly became a creative incubator that offered unprecedented freedom and support to an incredible group of artists, many of whom worked across different media, including filmmaker Abbas Kiarostami, graphic designer Morteza Momayez, animator Noureddin Zarrinkelk, and painter Ali Akbar Sadeghi. Kanoon remains the single most important cultural and educational network for children in Iran.

Also Presenting

Host: Melissa Shoshahi

Melissa Shoshahi is an Iranian American award-winning stand-up comedian, actress, and digital content creator. She has toured all over the country and world, delighting audiences near and far with her witty personality, cultural impressions, and unique perspectives on life as a second-generation Iranian woman - all while still being a disappointment to her family. As a digital creator, Melissa’s broad range of characters in her sketches have created a large fan base, accumulating millions of views online. She has been featured on Laughs on Fox, All Def Digital, Nickelodeon, and HULU and has acted in myriad independent films.

"I want to bring peace through laughter. I'd love to share my jokes with the world and also inspire other women who may have always wanted to perform but who have been culturally deprived or too scared to step up and get out there too!"
-Melissa Shoshahi

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