Bahman Farmanara is a renowned Iranian filmmaker, writer, and producer, who has made a significant impact in the industry. Born into a family of four brothers and one sister, Farmanara was the second son, and his family's textile business was a prominent part of his childhood.
However, Farmanara's path diverged from his family's business, as he pursued his passion for acting and directing. He left Iran to study at the University of Southern California, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Cinema in 1966.
Following his education, Farmanara returned to Iran, completed his military service, and joined the National Iranian Radio and Television. He went on to produce several notable films, including Abbas Kiarostami's debut feature, The Report (1977),as well as other successful films such as Bahram Bayzai's The Crow (1977),Khosrow Haritash's Divine One (1976),Mohammad-Reza Aslani's Wind and Chess (1976),and Valerio Zurlini's The Desert of the Tartars (1977),a co-production with Italy and France.
In 1980, Farmanara relocated to France and later to Canada, where he established a distribution company and founded a film festival for children and young adults in Vancouver. He eventually returned to Iran in the mid-1980s.
Farmanara's most recent notable work is the 2000 film Fragrance of Jasmine, which received several awards at the International Fajr Film Festival, including Best Film and Best Director. He is currently working on his final film, Del Divaneh, which is being shot in the northern regions of Iran.
