Background and career
Mohsen Makhmalbaf (Persian: محسن مخملباف, [mohˈsen mæxmɒːlˈbɒːf]) (born May 29, 1957) is an Iranian film director, writer, film editor, and producer. He has made more than 20 feature films, won 50 awards, and served as a juror in more than 15 major film festivals. His award-winning films include A Moment of Innocence (1996) and Kandahar. His latest documentary is The Gardener and latest feature The President.
Makhmalbaf's films have been widely presented at international film festivals since the early 21st century. The director belongs to the new wave movement of Iranian cinema. Time selected Makhmalbaf's 2001 film Kandahar as one of the top 100 films of all time. In 2006, he was a member of the Jury at the Venice Film Festival.
Makhmalbaf left Iran in 2005 shortly after the election of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. He has lived in Paris since the events of the 2009 Iranian presidential election.
