Curriculum Vitae

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Current Appointment

  • Assistant Professor of Film Directing and Film Editing– Howard University, Washington, DC — 2021-Present

Employment History

  • Independent International Filmmaker – Freelance Director, Writer, Editor, Producer —2010-Present: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm6948617/fullcredits‍ ‍

  • Instructor of Record, Film Practice and Theory – Ohio University, Athens, Ohio —2015-2020

  • Graduate Film Program Coordinator Howard University MFA Film Program, Washington, DC — 2024-2026

Education

  • PhD, Interdisciplinary Arts: Artist/Scholar in Film, Ohio University, Athens, Ohio — 2021

    • Dissertation: Visibility, Allegiance, Dissent: Mandatory Hijab Laws and Contemporary Iranian Cinema

  • MFA, Film, Ohio University, Athens, Ohio — 2017

    • Thesis Film: Departure

  • BSc, Mechanical Engineering, Solid Design, Azad University Science and Research Branch, Tehran, Iran — 2010.

Comprehensive Filmography

  • The Long, Long Distance (2026) – Director, Producer, Editor

  • Sin Luces (2025) – Director, Producer

  • Someone I Knew (2022) – Director, Writer, Producer, Editor

  • Departure (2019) – Director, Writer, Executive Producer, Co-Editor

  • The Waiting Place (2016) – Director, Writer, Editor, Producer

  • Life Around Here (2012) – Director, Writer, Editor, Producer, Composer

  • Still (2010) – Director, Writer, Editor, Producer, Composer

  • Spring Awakening: Those You’ve Known (2022)– Lead Assistant Editor

  • Crime Scene: The Times Square Killer (2021)– Assistant Editor

  • Heideh: A Return (2023) – Sound Editor, Sound Designer

Professional Distinctions (Awards, Grants, Honors)

  • Best of Competition in Faculty Narrative Category for Sin Luces — Broadcast Education Association Festival of Media Arts, 2025

  • Official Selection for Sin Luces — University Film and Video Association, Washington DC International Film Festival, Athens International Film and Video Festival (Oscar Qualifying), Ohio Shorts, Anatolia Film Festival, Philadelphia Latino Arts Festival

  • Nominated for Best Short Film Award for Someone I Knew — Ridgewood Guild International Film Festival, 2023

  • Jury Award for Best Feature Film for Departure — Moorpark Film Festival, 2019

  • The Van Gogh World Cinema Directing Award for Departure — Amsterdam International Film Festival, 2019

  • Best Ohio Feature Film Award for Departure — Columbus International Film and Animation Festival, 2019

  • Award of Excellence in Film and Video Production for Departure — Broadcast Education Association Festival of Media Arts, 2019

  • Best Graduate Project Award for Departure — Ohio University Student Expo, 2018

  • Student Enhancement Award ($6000 Grant) — Ohio University, 2017

  • Billman/Parry Fine Arts Award ($5000 Grant) — Ohio University, 2017

  • Original Work Award ($750 Grant) — Ohio University Graduate Student Senate, 2017

  • Top Ten Iranian Short Films of 2015 Award for Life Around Here — Noor Iranian Film Festival, 2016

Professional Memberships

  • Television Academy Foundation (Academy of Television Arts and Sciences Foundation) – Member

  • Broadcast Education Association - Member, Chair of Educational Video Competition

  • University Film and Video Association – Member

Professional Service

  • Reviewer/Referee on Academic Publications on Film Directing and Editing, Taylor & Francis Routledge Books, Washington, DC. (2023-Present).

  • Judge, Panelist, Ohio Arts Council Individual Excellence Awards (2024)

  • Chair, Broadcast Education Association Festival of Media Arts Educational Video Competition (2023 - 2026)

  • Judge, DC Shorts International Film Festival, Washington, DC. (2022).

  • Judge, IMMIGRATION INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL, Washington, DC. (2023).

  • Judge, BLACK BOTTOM FILM FESTIVAL, Washington, DC. (2023).

  • Judge, Broadcast Education Association Festival of Media Arts, (2022).

Exhibits and Screenings

Internationally broadcast works

  • Shafiani, S. et al, Director, Editor, Executive Producer, Departure, Benchmen Pictures, Amazon Prime — 2021

  • Shafiani, S., Lead Assistant Editor, Spring Awakening: Those You've Known, HBO, HBO Max— 2022

  • Shafiani, S., Assistant Editor, Crime Scene: Time Square, Netflix, Netflix Streaming Service — 2021

Select Juried Film Screenings and Recognition as Director

  • Athens International Film and Video Festival (Oscar-Qualifying) / Amsterdam International Film Festival / Philadelphia Latino Arts & Film Festival / Zurich International Film Festival / Moorpark Film Festival in Moorpark, CA / Columbus International Film and Animation Festival / Broadcast Education Association Conference in Las Vegas / Noor Iranian Film Festival in Orlando / Ozark Shorts/ Ridgewood Guild Film Festival / Toronto Lift-off Film Festival / Kleinkaap South African Film Festival

On-going Creative/Research Projects

  • WHUR: Sound Like Washington, Editor, Documentary Feature Film

  • Film School’d, Editor, Documentary Feature Film

  • SOC Theater, Editor, Documentary Feature Film

  • Comrade, Editor, Documentary Feature Film

  • Screen Scale, Academic book project

  • The Short Film: Form, Practice, and Global Circulation, Academic book project, invited proposal to Routledge

Languages

  • Farsi (Native)

  • English (Fluent)

  • Arabic (Working Knowledge)

  • Pashto (Working Knowledge)

  • Urdu (Limited Knowledge)