Samira Makhmalbaf is a renowned filmmaker, born on February 15, 1980, in Tehran. At the tender age of eight, she made her acting debut in her father's, Mohsen Makhmalbaf, acclaimed Iranian film, "The Cyclist".
As a teenager, Samira took her first steps as a director, creating her feature film, "The Apple", at the age of 17. This remarkable achievement earned her a spot in the official section of the 1998 Cannes Film Festival, making her the youngest director to participate. Her film received widespread acclaim, with the legendary Jean-Luc Godard praising her work. "The Apple" went on to be screened at over 100 international film festivals, reaching more than 30 countries.
In 1999, Samira released her second feature film, "Blackboards", shot in Kurdistan, Iran. This film was selected for the official section of the 2000 Cannes Film Festival, where she received the Special Jury Award. "Blackboards" garnered numerous international accolades, including the "Federico Fellini Honor Award" from UNESCO and the "Francois Truffaut Award" from Italy. The film enjoyed a wide release globally, with over 200,000 viewers in France alone.
Samira collaborated with prominent directors like Ken Loach, Shohei Imamura, Youssef Chahine, and Sean Penn on the film "September 11", which premiered at the Venice International Film Festival in 2002.
Her third feature, "At Five in the Afternoon", marked a significant milestone, as it was the first film shot in Afghanistan post-Taliban. The film was selected for the competition section of the 2003 Cannes Film Festival, where it received the Jury's Special Award for the second time. In 2004, The Guardian newspaper recognized Samira as one of the world's 40 best directors.
Samira's fourth feature, "Two-Legged Horse", shot in Afghanistan in 2007, received the Grand Jury Award at the San Sebastian Film Festival in Spain.
In addition to her remarkable filmmaking career, Samira has also served as a jury member at prestigious film festivals, including Cannes, Venice, Berlin, Locarno, Moscow, and Montreal.
