DIRECTOR BIOGRAPHY - Mehraneh Salimian, Amin Pakparvar

Mehraneh Salimian- The Iranian filmmaker has an MFA in film from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC). Her work, which spans documentary, fiction and video installation, explores the intersection of public and private spaces and the sensory dimensions of personal and collective memory. Her films have been screened at international festivals and exhibited in major venues including Expo Chicago, the Dittmar Memorial Gallery at Northwestern University and the SITE Gallery at SAIC. Amin Pakparvar- Born in 1998, the filmmaker and essayist developed a focus on archival research while taking an MA in visual and critical studies at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC). His work examines how contemporary Iranian archives can be reconfigured into potential histories that critically reframe the present and future. His documentaries have screened at international festivals, including Durban, Tehran and Athens, and have been presented at major art fairs such as Expo Chicago.