Ramin Bahrani | |
|---|---|
 Bahrani at the2014 Venice International Film Festival | |
| Born | (1975-03-20)March 20, 1975 (age 50) |
| Alma mater | Columbia University (BA) |
| Occupation(s) | Director, writer, producer |
| Years active | 2005–present |
Ramin Bahrani (Persian:رامین بحرانی; born March 20, 1975) is an Americandirector andscreenwriter. Film criticRoger Ebert ranked Bahrani'sChop Shop (2007) as the sixth-best film of the 2000s, calling him "the new director of the decade".[1] Bahrani was the recipient of the 2009Guggenheim Fellowship. Bahrani is a professor of film directing at his alma mater, theColumbia University School of the Arts.[2]
In 2021, Bahrani was nominated for anAcademy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay forThe White Tiger.[3] He is aBAFTA andEmmy Award nominee.
Bahrani was born inWinston-Salem, North Carolina, the son ofIranian immigrants. His father, originally fromShiraz, initially exposed him to the poetic works ofHafez and encouraged him to pursue his passion for the arts.[4] He received his Bachelor of Arts degree fromColumbia University in 1996.[5] Bahrani also studied filmmaking inIran and briefly lived inParis after graduating from college.[6]
Bahrani's first feature film,Man Push Cart (2005), premiered at theVenice Film Festival and screened at theSundance Film Festival in 2006. The film won over ten international prizes, was released worldwide, and was nominated for threeIndependent Spirit Awards.
Bahrani's second film,Chop Shop (2007), premiered at the 2007Director's Fortnight of theCannes International Film Festival, and then screened at theToronto International Film Festival (2007) and theBerlin International Film Festival (2008) before being released theatrically to wide and positive reviews. Bahrani won the 2007 Independent SpiritSomeone to Watch Award, and was nominated for the 2008 Independent Spirit Best Director Award.[7]
Goodbye Solo, Bahrani's third feature film, premiered as an official selection of theVenice Film Festival (2008) where it won the international film critics'FIPRESCI Award for Best Film,[8] and later had its North American premiere at theToronto International Film Festival (2008).[9] The film was called a "masterpiece" by numerous critics includingRoger Ebert, andA. O. Scott ofThe New York Times.[10]
In 2009, he made a short film,Plastic Bag, with the voice of German filmmakerWerner Herzog and an original score fromKjartan Sveinsson of the bandSigur 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 was 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 Rós albumValtari.
Bahrani's fourth feature film,At Any Price (2013) starsDennis Quaid,Zac Efron,Heather Graham,Kim Dickens,Clancy Brown andChelcie Ross. It was selected to compete for theGolden Lion at the69th Venice International Film Festival.[11] The film, despite its relative star power and a notable performance by Dennis Quaid, received mixed reviews from most critics and earned less than $500,000 at the box office.[12]
Bahrani's fifth feature film,99 Homes (2015), opened to strong reviews[citation needed] at the Venice Film Festival, and was nominated for aGolden Globe Award.
Bahrani's film forHBO,Fahrenheit 451, an adaptation ofRay Bradbury's 1953dystopiannovel of the same name, was released on May 12, 2018, receiving mostly negative reviews.[13][14][15]
In 2021, he adaptedAravind Adiga's 2008 novelThe White Tiger as afeature film of the same title onNetflix, to positive critical reception.[16] At the93rd Academy Awards, the film was nominated forBest Adapted Screenplay, but lost toThe Father.
Short film
| Year | Title | Director | Writer | Producer | Editor |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 | Backgammon | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| 2005 | Dogs | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| 2009 | Plastic Bag | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| 2014 | Lift You Up | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| Lemonade War | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | |
| 2018 | Blood Kin | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
Feature film
| Year | Title | Director | Writer | Producer | Editor | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | Strangers | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | |
| 2005 | Man Push Cart | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
| 2007 | Chop Shop | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | |
| 2008 | Goodbye Solo | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
| 2013 | At Any Price | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | |
| 2015 | 99 Homes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
| 2021 | The White Tiger | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Nominated-Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay Nominated-BAFTA Award for Best Adapted Screenplay Nominated-Writers Guild of America Award for Best Adapted Screenplay |
| 2022 | 2nd Chance | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Documentary |
Television
| Year | Title | Director | Producer | Writer | Editor | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | Independent Lens | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
| 2018 | Fahrenheit 451 | Yes | Executive | Yes | No | TV movie |
| 2019 | Treadstone | Yes | Executive | No | No | Episode "The Cicada Protocol" |
| 2022 | The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey | Yes | Executive | No | No | Episode "Reggie" |
