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is proud to partner with the prestigious American Film Institute

for the 12th year in a row in presenting all the Iranian films at the 2026

LOS ANGELES PREMIERE

The Friend’s House Is Here

A Film by Hossein Keshavarz and Maryam Ataei

OCTOBER 22, 9:10PM

(Chinese 5 Theater)

In Person: Directors Hossein Keshavarz and Maryam Ataei

Exclusive Farhang Discount Code: FarhangxAFI2026

 

Pari and Hanna are artist friends in Tehran who divide their time between their day jobs, making art, socializing with fellow artists and sharing a home as roommates. Their daily lives unfold within a bubble of freedom and creativity where they can exist authentically, even as the oppressive conditions beyond that fragile space increasingly loom over their activities and decisions, from Pari staging her avant-garde plays exclusively on the underground theater circuit to Hanna’s choice to emigrate. When the bubble finally bursts, both friends must find ways to remain true to themselves as they confront a traumatic encounter with the regime and the risk of losing what they cherish most.

Winner of the Special Jury Award for Ensemble Cast at Sundance, THE FRIEND’S HOUSE IS HERE was shot in secret by filmmaking duo Hossein Keshavarz and Maryam Ataei and smuggled out of Iran on a hard drive. Paying homage to the Iranian New Wave and classic Italian neorealism, the film offers an intimate portrait of contemporary Tehran from the perspectives of its young, defiant female protagonists while celebrating their boundless creativity and communal solidarity in the face of threatening forces. –Natalia Ames

Country: USA, Iran

Year: 2026

Directors: Hossein Keshavarz, Maryam Ataei

Screenwriters: Maryam Ataei, Hossein Keshavarz

Producers: Hossein Keshavarz, Maryam Ataei

Director of Photography: Ali Ehsani

Editor: Hossein Keshavarz

Production Designer: Siamak Karinejad

Costume Designer: Hadis Hasanvand

Music: Arian Saleh

Cast/Featuring: Mahshad Bahram, Hana Mana, Mahshad Bahraminejad, Haniyeh Khosravani, Zohreh Piran

Running Time: 96 minutes

Language: Persian