Born in Iran in 1967, he spent his childhood in Tehran, fleeing to England in 1981 during the Iraq-Iran war. After studying film and photography at Harrow College in London, he began working as a director. He has been assistant director to Léos Carax, Jacques Doillon and Jean-Luc Godard. In 2007 he was bestowed the Emerging Masters Award at the Seattle International Film Festival. "Zemestan" ("It's Winter") screened in Competition at the Berlinale in 2006 as did "Shekarchi" ("The Hunter") in 2010.

Source: 66. Internationale Filmfestspiele Berlin (Catalogue)