alicia.afshar@gmail.com
949.335.8851
@alicia_afshar
ABOUT THE DIRECTOR
Alicia Afshar is a half Japanese, half Iranian artist connecting culture and identity while using her voice to uplift women of color. Her stories provide profound insight into the lives of women and shed light on the impact of colonialism and systemic abuses of power. Her work serves as a bridge between cultures, offering a unique perspective while constructing elements of escapism within the genre of ‘creative nonfiction’. In 2023, her film ‘Blood of Iran’ won best Short Documentary at many festivals including Diversity in Cannes and DOC LA.
She hosted a film screening event in 2023 where she sold out 3 separate shows over a weekend in Los Angeles. Afshar selected 5 different films from multiple genres and art from 5 different art genres that included an up-cycled clothing designer, Iranian political graphic designer, Catalonian mixed media artist and an Iranian photographer. Her goal was to uplift artists of color and create a space for culture to be celebrated in person.
Afshar’s films, photographs and artistic practice combine the use of mixed media archival footage, as well as both analog and digital still and motion pictures to contrast historical context with hopes of constructing a future free from oppression. Her work shares moments of intimacy, anguish, love and loss in a way that is personal and reflects her own story.
About ‘Blood of Iran’
Afshar speaks to the heart of Iran's current fight for freedom in her latest work of creative nonfiction, “Blood of Iran”. Intimate reflections of Iranian women are represented through vivid imagery, a live music performance, and the stories of a governments’ genocide upon its own people. This experimental documentary assembles a captivating mosaic of historical and contemporary Iranian culture while also pushing the boundaries for what a ‘free Iran’ could look like.
Awards and Recognition
2023 ‘Blood of Iran’ wins Best Short Documentary at Diversity in Cannes Film Festival
2023 ‘Blood of Iran’ wins Best Experimental Documentary at DOC LA
2023 ‘Blood of Iran’ wins Best Short Documentary at Asian American International Film Festival (AAIFF)
2023 ‘Blood of Iran’ is selected at Bend Film Festival, McMinnville Festival, Tokyo Lift-Off Festival, and Winter Leopard International Festival
2016 Alexia Foundation Grant, Documentary Short: Próspero
2016 National Geographic Grant | Eddie Adams Workshop XXIX
2014 69th College Photographer of the Year | Interpretive Eye Category, Award of Excellence