Ramin Bahrani

Ramin Bahrani (Persian: رامین بحرانی‎‎; born March 20, 1975) is an American director and screenwriter. 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 La Rochelle Film Festival in France. Bahrani is a professor of film directing at Columbia University's Graduate Film Program in New York City

Bahrani was born in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, to Iranian parents. He received his BA from Columbia University in New York City. His first feature film, Man Push Cart (2005), premiered at the Venice Film Festival (2005) and screened at the Sundance Film Festival (2006). The film won over 10 international prizes, was released theatrically around the world, and was nominated for three Independent Spirit Awards.

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. Bahrani was awarded the prestigious 2007 Someone to Watch Award Independent Spirit Award. In 2008, he was nominated for Best Director Independent Spirit Award.

Goodbye Solo, Bahrani's third feature film, premiered as an official selection of the Venice Film Festival (2008) where it won the international film critic's FIPRESCI award for best film, and later had its North American premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival (2008). 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 Rós. 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. It later screened at Telluride and The New York Film Festival. 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. It was selected to compete for the Golden Lion at the 69th Venice International Film Festival.

Bahrani's fifth feature film 99 Homes (2015) opened to strong reviews at the Venice Film Festival.

• FIPRESCI Prize, London Film Festival (2005)
• Someone to Watch Independent Spirit Award (2008)
• FIPRESCI Prize, Venice Film Festival (2008)
• Guggenheim Fellowship (2009)
• United States Artists Fellow award (2010)