Mahsa Ghorbankarimi's Early Life and Family
Mahsa Ghorbankarimi was born and raised in Tehran, Iran. Her parents, Mahvash Tehrani and Hosseinali Ghorbankarimi, were both animation filmmakers, and she grew up surrounded by the art of cinema in their production studio. Her parents instilled in her a deep appreciation for storytelling, art, and the wisdom of the ages, which she believes can be found in those who have lived through many experiences and have traveled the world.
Childhood and Travels
As a young person, Mahsa traveled extensively throughout Asia, Europe, and North America. She lived through the Iranian Revolution and the subsequent eight years of war, which had a profound impact on her and her family. These experiences shaped her perspective on the world and its complexities.
Education and Early Career
Mahsa's parents taught her the language of cinema through the work of renowned filmmakers such as Akira Kurosawa, Francis Ford Coppola, Alfred Hitchcock, Bahram Beizai, Sam Peckinpah, Abbas Kiarostami, and Dariush Mehrjui. She was a talented student and received a full scholarship to Tehran University, where she graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree.
In Canada, Mahsa pursued a career in film and visual effects, earning Diplomas in Computer Animation and Technical Direction from Sheridan College.
Career Highlights
Mahsa expanded her credits by writing, directing, and acting in the indie thriller feature Luciferous in 2015. This led to her being cast in the lead role for the Australian feature Journey and a principal role in the Canadian feature Tehranto.
Over the years, Mahsa has worked on many feature films and award-winning television projects, including Stranger Things, The Umbrella Academy, Suicide Squad, and The Glorias, in Lead/Supervisory capacities, including Direction and CG Supervision.
Personal Life
Mahsa is married to Alexander Gorelick, a Jewish-Canadian director of animation. They have a daughter, Mina. Her brother, Mohammad Ghorbankarimi, is a writer/director of the award-winning feature The Desert Fish (2013),and her sister, Maryam Ghorbankarimi, is a director of the short Ties (2005). Her mother, Mahvash Tehrani, is recognized as Iran's first female cinematographer.
