dc-based

Director

Editor

Educator

Dr. Shahriar Shafiani is an award-winning film director, scholar, and educator. He is an Assistant Professor of Film at Howard University in DC, where he also coordinates the Graduate Film Program. Alongside his academic work, Shafiani continues to direct, edit, and coach performers for film and television. Originally from Iran, he began his career as an independent filmmaker in the Middle East before moving to the United States to pursue graduate study. He holds a PhD in Interdisciplinary Arts and an MFA in Film from Ohio University.

A true international filmmaker, Shah has created and screened films across three continents. His work has been recognized with several accolades, including the Van Gogh World Cinema Directing Award from the Amsterdam Film Festival, Best Ohio Film at the Columbus International Film and Animation Festival, and the Best of Narrative Competition and Award of Excellence from the Broadcast Education Association. His most recent works can be found on Amazon Prime Video, HBO Max, and Netflix.

Black and white portrait of a young man with dark, curly hair, sitting with his arms crossed, wearing a black t-shirt, against a dark background.
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accolades

from Athens International Film and Video Festival / Ridgewood Guild International Film Festival / BEA Festival of Media Arts / Toronto Lift-off Film Festival / UFVA / Amsterdam Film Festival / Philadelphia Latino Arts and Film Festival / Kleinkaap Short Film Festival / Anatolia International Film Festival / Noor Iranian Film Festival / Zurich International Film Festival / Columbus International Film and Animation Festival / Moorpark Film Festival / Visions of Freedom A Black Film Festival /

filmography

Still (2010), Pending Mary (2011), Life Around Here (2012), Daughter (2013), Orb (2014), Steve and the Haphazard World (2015), The Waiting Place (2015), The Melting Pot and Us (2017), Departure (2019), Someone I Knew (2022), Sin Luces (2024)

Award plaque with laurel leaves for Van Gogh World Directing Award at the 2019 Amsterdam Film Festival.
Black background with white laurel wreath surrounding text that reads "Award of Excellence B.E.A. Festival of Media Arts 2019."
Award plaque with laurel branches for Best of Competition in Narrative Category at B.E.A. Festival of Media Arts 2025.
Award badge for Ridgewood Guild International Film Festival 2023, best short film nominee, surrounded by white laurel branches on a black background.
Award certificate for Best Ohio Film at the Columbus International Film & Animation Festival, 2019, framed with laurel leaves.
Black background with white laurel branches on each side and text in the center that reads 'First Place Ohio University Students Expo 2018'.
Movie poster for 'Departure' featuring four main characters with serious expressions, a boat on a serene lake, and the title at the bottom.
Black and white close-up of a person's face with lips slightly parted, showing mustache and facial hair, with film festival laurels and text indicating a film titled 'Someone I Knew' by Shahriar Shafiani, 2023.
Film poster titled 'Life Around Here' featuring mountains and a desert landscape with tents, listing names of cast and director.
A man smiling and leaning out of a window in a brick building.
Laurel wreaths surrounding text that awards the 'Winner Best Film' at the Moorepark Film Festival 2019.
Award badge with white laurel branches and text that reads 'Top Ten Shorts of the Year Noor Iranian Film Festival 2016' on a black background.

Contact

Rates, Inquiries, Collaborations

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People working on a film or photo shoot outdoors during daytime, with one person operating a camera on a crane, others standing and talking, some drinking from cups, and equipment visible, silhouette in front of a cloudy sky and trees.
  • A man at a bar order drinks from a bartender.
  • Black and white photo of three people having a conversation. The woman in the middle appears to be listening, while the man on the right is speaking and pointing his finger. The man on the left is looking on, and there is a large umbrella or balloon in the background.
  • A smiling man with dark hair, wearing a dark jacket over a black shirt, standing in front of a blurred background with signs and posters on a white wall.
  • Black and white photo of three men, one with a beard holding a microphone, talking to another with spiked hair, in a brick-walled room. A sign for Tito's Handmade Vodka is in the background.
  • A young man with glasses smiling while holding a certificate in front of a backdrop with the BEA logo. The man is wearing a black shirt and a lanyard with a badge.
  • Black and white image of a man with glasses and tousled hair, looking downward with a contemplative expression.
  • Group of people filming with a camera in a school hallway with lockers.
  • A black and white photo of a film crew filming outdoors with a camera on a tripod, set against a cloudy sky and trees, with several crew members standing and working.