Background
Bahrani was born in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, to Iranian parents.
Bahrani was born in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, to Iranian parents.
Columbia University.
Film critic Roger Ebert listed Bahrani"s film Chop Shop as the 6th best film of the 2000s and hailed Bahrani as "the director of the decade." Bahrani was the recipient of the prestigious 2009 Guggenheim Fellowship, and was the subject of several international retrospectives including the MoMA in New York City, Harvard University, and the Louisiana Rochelle Film Festival in France. Bahrani is a professor of film directing at Columbia University"s Graduate Film Program in New York City He received his Bachelor from Columbia University in New York City. His first feature film, Manitoba Push Cart (2005), premiered at the Venice Film Festival (2005) and screened at the Sundance Film Festival (2006).
Bahrani"s second film Chop Shop (2007) premiered at the 2007 Director"s Fortnight of the Cannes International Film Festival, and then screened at the Toronto International Film Festival (2007) and the Berlin International Film Festival (2008) before being released theatrically to wide and universal critical acclaim.
The film was called a "masterpiece" by numerous critics including Roger Ebert and A.O. Scott of The New York Times. In 2009, he made a short film Plastic Bag which features the voice of legendary filmmaker Werner Herzog and an original score from Kjartan Sveinsson of the band Sigur Róson
Plastic Bag premiered as the opening night film of Corto Cortissimo in the Venice Film Festival where Bahrani was also on the jury for Best First Films. In 2012 he made a music video of the song "Eg anda" for the Sigur Ros album Valtari.
Bahrani"s fourth feature film, At Any Price (2013) stars Dennis Quaid, Zac Efron, Heather Graham, Kim Dickens, Clancy Brown and Chelcie Ross.
Bahrani"s fifth feature film 99 Homes (2015) opened to strong reviews at the Venice Film Festival. FIPRESCI Prize, London Film Festival (2005).