Anousheh Ansari in Space Tourists--Iranian Film Festival San Francisco

Set to take place September 18-19, 2010 at the San Francisco Art institute, the 3rd Annual Iranian Film Festival San Francisco has a great roster of films on hand. Continue Reading

Lost Art original piece in Washington, DC--Photo: RJS

Recently we had the pleasure of meeting prominent (and tireless) Iranian-American artist, Farzad Kohan…And uncontrollably, he’s managed to turn us into a collector, curator, fan, and friend.

“Art is the purest vehicle of the human expression: When all else fails we communicate our emotions, our ideals, our hopes and dreams through our art.” Quips Kohan, whose ability to connect on an-almost spiritual level with his audience, still fascinates us. Continue Reading

New York–ILLUMINATIONS (After Arthur Rimbaud) an exhibition of sculpture, video and installation by 16 well-known and emerging artists who work with light, will be on view at Leila Taghinia-Milani Heller (LTMH) Gallery from September 15 through October 15, 2010.

Inspired by a collection of poetry entitled Illuminations by Arthur Rimbaud (1854-1891), the exhibition is curated by Ashok Adicéam, an independent curator and art advisor. (A fully illustrated catalogue with an essay by Adicéam will accompany the exhibition.)

Creating a revealing dialogue between artists living and working in the East and West, ILLUMINATIONS (After Arthur Rimbaud) highlights the strength of light to bind different cultures together.

As Rimbaud wrote, “…the soul for the soul, summing up everything, perfumes and sounds and colors.”

While a number of the artists are inspired by neon lighting, Iranian artist Leila Pazooki, uses blue neon tubes to sculpt a Persian word in Orientalism, 2010.

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It’s no secret that Iranian women are a force to be reckoned with…

So get ready to meet your latest rising star, the super-talented female entrepreneur and jewelry designer: Lisa Nik.

Previously, Executive Vice President of RC for luxury jewelry line Roberto Coin, where she worked for over a decade, the multilingual Lisa–she is fluent in Spanish, Italian, Persian, and English–is a graduate of NYU and GIA certified.

As she expands her business and brand (simply named: Lisa Nik), we got a chance to sit down with the part-time snowboarder for a quick chat. Continue Reading

Original Photos: Via Bratz

Last summer, we covered a case in which a juror was removed for making slurs about Isaac Larian’s ethnicity, the Jewish, Iranian-born CEO of MGA, maker of Bratz, calling Iranians: “rude” and “thieves” who have “stolen other person’s [sic] ideas,” during a legal battle between Mattel and Barbie.

District Judge Stephen Larson chose to oversimplify the hate-filled remarks made during trial deliberations in 2008, and at the time, concluded (without any mention of himself): “Although the remarks offended and upset several of the jurors, the remarks did not, in any way, affect or influence the decision made by the jury.”

Despite the efforts of the Anti-Defamation League, the Public Affairs Alliance of Iranian Americans (PAAIA), the Iranian American Jewish Federation (IAJF), and the Iranian American Bar Association (IABA)–who all joined MGA and Larian in appealing the case with Mattel–Larson granted Mattel ownership of Bratz dolls.

“IABA joined in the amicus filing to the Ninth Circuit on the issue of juror bias against Mr. Larian, which went to the very issue being litigated—namely that all Iranians are ‘thieves’.  Based on its potential impact on Iranian-Americans and their equal treatment under the law, this issue was of great importance to us as a Bar Association, and of course to our members.” IABA representative, Salman Elmi tells Persianesque Magazine.

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Original Image via: ukiff.org.uk

Film festivals that honor Iranian films are held annually across the globe and now the time has finally arrived for an Iranian Film Festival to have a permanent home in the United Kingdom. UKIFF (a London-based charity and limited company) is delighted to announce the inaugural London Iranian Film Festival, commencing on November 19, 2010.

With a diverse program celebrating the best of contemporary Iranian films, the festival will showcase some of the finest talents of this rich cinematic culture.

Whilst acclaimed Iranian Directors may well be familiar to UK audiences, a new generation of emerging voices remain largely unknown.

The intention of the London Iranian Film Festival is to introduce this undiscovered new talent to London’s film enthusiast’s, as well as celebrating the work of legendary Iranian filmmakers.

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Persian Dolls, 2009 by Negar Ahkami--Original Image via LTMH

Southampton, NY–An exhibition showcasing the work of important and emerging artists from the Middle East, Turkey, Europe, and the U.S. will be on view at Tripoli Gallery of Contemporary Art at 30A Jobs Lane in Southampton from September 1 through 29, 2010.

East Meets West on the East End will feature painting, sculpture and video by 12 contemporary artists.  The exhibition is co-presented by Leila Taghinia-Milani Heller (LTMH) Gallery, New York, and Tripoli Gallery, Southampton, and organized by Leila Heller.  An opening for the exhibition will be held on Wednesday, September 1, from 6 to 8 p.m.  A portion of the proceeds from the exhibition will benefit the Southampton Fresh Air Home, a camp for physically challenged children.

East Meets West on the East End will mark summer’s end with a look at beauty and tranquility while exploring the artists’ synergies and differences.  The artists in the exhibition include Roya Akhavan, Shoja Azari and Shahram Karimi, Reza Derakshani, William Hillman, Nir Hod, Rachel Hovnanian, Peter Hristoff, Alexis Laurent, Arnaud Rivieren, Martin Saar, Elizabeth Thompson and Negar Ahkami.

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Check out Persiansque Magazine’s exclusive interview with Jimmy Vestvood: He dishes on his life as a Private Investigator, son, and now…Sexiest Persian Alive.

PERSIANESQUE MAGAZINE: With great thanks for joining us for this interview, how does it feel to be voted “The Sexiest Persian Alive”?

JIMMY VESTVOOD: Oh my gosh, supertacular! I esteel can’t believe it. Vow! Who came in 2nd?

PEM: No one. You got 100% of the votes.

JV: Axellent!

PEM: On behalf of all the ladies out there, I need to ask you: Are you single?

JV: Uh…Yes.

PEM: You hesitated.

JV: Vell, okay, I admit, I have been saving myself for Charleez Teron but she is playing a little hard to get, so I tink it is time for me to move on and date odder vomen.

PEM: Charlize Theron, wow, you have great taste in women. Do you have a type?

JV: I am an equal opportoonity sexist. Persian, Amerikan, Escandanavian. Blonde, Broonet, Redhair. Estraight, lesbian, bisexual. I don’t diskriminate.  I love vomen. Espeshelly if they have a hot body and know how to cook like my mother.

PEM: Your mother must be a good cook. What’s your favorite dish?

JV: Potatoe tahdeeg and koo-koo sandvich.

PEM: Ummmm! …Are you close to your mother? Do you see her everyday?

JV: I live vith her!

PEM: You mean you don’t have your own bachelor pad?

JV: No, I live vith Maman in an apartment in Vestvood.

PEM: Of course you do, Mr. Jimmy Vestvood! By the way, what’s your real name?

JV: Jamshid Vahedi, but I changed it to Jimmy Vestvood vhen I became a private investeegator.

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