The Columbia-educated Persian rocker’s recent appearance on Saturday Night Live (click here to watch the full episode) with host Zach Galifianakis–along with his Vampire Weekend band-mates–is concretely the launching of innumerable and increased industry recognition as well as appearances, ahead of him.
Featured in the January 2010 issue of Vogue Magazine, Rolling Stone Magazine’s Will Dana wrote of Vampire Weekend’s 2008 debut: “The music had a bracing smartness, as overdetermined and detailed as a Wes Anderson movie, almost perfect for what it was, but you wondered how they’d handle the real world.”
Their new album Contra, is: “brainy, confident, and generally awesome.” Dana opines. “The drums are bigger, the guitars are faster, and the songs are outfitted with synth beats and hip-hop, reggae and electro accents.”
Watch The Malloys-directed music video for ”Giving Up The Gun,”–a track off the Contra album–which includes cameos from Joe Jonas of the Jonas Brothers, Lil’ Jon, RZA of Wu-Tang Clan, and Mr. Prince of Persia himself: Jake Gyllenhaal, below.
Jake Gyllenhaal--Prince of Persia: Sands of Time. Photo Courtesy of Disney.
It’s almost time for its May 2010 release!
Check out the second trailer for the Prince of Persia: Sands of Time movie.
From the looks of this latest sneak peak, Jake Gyllenhaal who is set to be at this year’s Oscars, really seems to be embracing the Persian charm that his character’s background calls for.
By now we think you’ve probably heard about the leak in the shark-holding aquarium of popular UAE attraction, Dubai Mall–which coincidentally happened one day after the very unfortunate incident at Orlando’s Sea World, where an orca trainer was drowned while performing a routine exercise with the large animal.
Check out Persian comedian, K-von’s latest adventure in Dubai–and at the Dubai Mall no-less–captured on video.
“I promise, I did not cause the leak!” K-von tells us of his stroll by the now-infamous tank in Dubai.
We are pleased to announce that the festival committee has extended the deadline of the 2nd Annual Farhang Foundation Short Film Festival to Monday, February 22, 2010.
This year, filmmakers from all walks of life, Iranian and non-Iranian, are invited to create a music video (less than 9 minutes).
A music video is a short movie or animation that is accompanied with music of any style or genre (contemporary, pop, classical, folk, Iranian, non-Iranian, etc.). The music may be with or without lyrics and in any language. The music and the lyrics may be original or pre-existing.
L to R, Photo: Michelle Blioux, Model; Zadasha White - Amy Sarabi - Artwork by Amy Sarabi--All images courtesy of Lifetime
Seems like it was just last season (season six to be exact) that we got our fix of “Iranians on TV”–via the tiny Persian designer, Shirin Askari–on Lifetime’s Project Runway.
Wait…it was.
But now, there’s a new Persian girl–who’s also (originally) from Texas like her predecessor–to watch on the show of shows in Fashion, Iranian-American fashion designer: Amy Sarabi.
“My parents came to the United States in 1979.” Sarabi tells us. ”They landed in Texas where they attended Graduate School. I spent the majority of my childhood growing up in Plano, Texas: I have an older brother, Shahin and an older sister Shiva.”
The 26 year-old designer’s fascination with fashion emerged early in life: “I was always buying garments and turning them into something else, I have a vivid memory of myself standing in front of my mother’s mirror at about 6 years old putting a nightgown on the wrong way intentionally and wearing it as a little jacket.”
Already placing in the “Best 3″ category on her Project Runway scorecard for her unconventional approach to simplicity while remaining authentic to the texture, look, and earthy color pallete of the delicious burlap creation she sent down the runway on Episode 2: The Fashion Farm, Amy’s had a stellar start on Project Runway this season.
And although she may not have enough time to “make things for [herself]” to wear, we’re confident that the “silk organza”-loving, and progressively artful honarmand (artist), Amy Sarabi will in no time be a respected voice in the fashion world, and rule her scene. (As most Persian women seem to naturally do.)
A true Persian girl at heart, Amy admits to us that her own personal style consists of wearing “a lot of black.” Her design aesthetic, however, is far from being monochromatic. It’s rich and kaleidoscopic.
Enjoy Persianesque Magazine’s exclusive interview with the fashion-theory-au-fait and forward-focused, global design-house-in-the-making source: Amy Sarabi. Read the full story
L to R, K-von, Snookie, and The Situation -- Photo Credit: K-von
At a recent industry party in Hollywood, CA, Italian-Americans and Iranian-Americans had a little more than just their homeland flag colors in common. Iranian-American comedian, K-von, was hanging with MTV’s Jersey Shore cast members and current media-obsessions, Mike “The situation” Sorrentino and Nicole “Snookie” Polizzi.
Having been on “a handful of TV shows,” K-von is in talks with producers about being on yet another show. ”This was a great networking party for me and it became even better when the stars of one of today’s most talked about reality shows walked in the door and joined our table.” Says the “Bad Boy of Persian Comedy” of the partial Jersey Shore crew that “showed up 15 minutes after” he did.
“We talked about the show, their success, the fact that they get paid to go to parties now, and the rest was very casual stuff.” Adds K-von of his time with The Situation and Snookie. “I also congratulated Snookie on getting on Leno–since that’s been a dream of mine for years. Most of all, I listened to them talk, so I can eventually use that harsh ‘New Joisy’ accent in my comedy act. I can’t wait.”
The concept of ethnicity-driven shows–whether in the reality genre or not–is not only interesting but a foreseeable staple category contender in your future TV-show line-up.
So? Is it time for a Persian-filled-cast series on MTV?
“Of course,” K-von tells Persianesque Magazine. “I have been giving them ideas for possible shows for 5 years now. I think I’m like an annoying kid that keeps asking his parents for things. I bet I can wear them out! I think they should have a show where they send a beautiful Persian girl and a half-Persian comedian around the world to party at the most exotic hot spots and do on-site filming of the trip. Each week it could be somewhere different like: Dubai, Hawaii, Thailand, or Paris. It’d be a mix of the Travel Channel and the Real World; I would call it ‘Persians in Paradise.’”
Click here to connect with K-von on Facebook or, click here to follow K-von on Twitter.
Iranian-American Actor/Comedian: Maz Jobrani, Original Photo: MazJobrani.com
Iranian-American actor and mega-comedian, Maz Jobrani, is set to star in ABC’s first Iranian-American comedy pilot based on Firoozeh Dumas’s book about growing up in the 1970s in Newport Beach, California: Funny in Farsi.
For those that know, Persian humor is truly some of the most clever and unique form of comedy. And with Maz Jobrani’s timing and skills, we’re positive that he’ll be providing some authentic Persian flavor to the mainstream tube; which will surely prove to be funny in English as well.
How does Maz feel about being a part of this project?
“Like Tony the Tiger,” he tells us. “Grrrrrrreeeat!”
L to R: Big Bad Boo Studios Founders; Aly Jetha and Shabnam Rezaei
Washington, DC–The 1979 revolution resulted in a clear and massive brain drain for Iran and created an estimated annual financial loss comparative to the yearly cost of the Iran-Iraq War: Causing Iran to miss out on the power of its people’s collective intelligence. However, the flip side is: Iranians live all over the world now and some have had a chance to spread their reach over the last 30-plus years–unceasingly growing; with healthy force, and in hypersonic form.
Persianesque Magazine’s Iranian-American Woman of the Year for 2009, Tehran-born super-entrepreneur Shabnam Rezaei is a classic example. It takes a lot to be featured as our Iranian-American woman of the year, but Shabnam Rezaei has more than enough accomplishments to put even the most eager shaagerd avval (top student) to shame.
L to R: "A Man Who Ate His Cherries" by Payman Haghani, "Heiran" by Shalizeh Arefpour - Original Photos: Smithsonian Institute
Presented in conjunction with Falnama: The Book of Omens, the 2010 Iranian Film Festival begins on January 8th at Washington, DC’s Freer and Sackler Galleries.
Amongst the five new films are: “A Man Who Ate His Cherries” by Payman Haghani, “Shirin” by Abbas Kiarostami, “Two-Legged Horse” by Samira Makhmalbaf, and “Heiran” by Shalizeh Arefpour; in addition to a special presentation of Kiarostami’s ”Ta’ziyeh/The Spectators.”
Abbas Kiarostami, is said to “convincingly and triumphantly brings the powerful experience of communal, ritual theater into the digital age with his groundbreaking film/video installation ‘Ta’ziyeh/The Spectators.’”
Ana Lily Amirpour is working on her next project, a short film called KETAB, about a lonely young guy in Tehran who goes to buy a book. On the surface it appears to be a very basic story, but as it unfolds, a more intricate world is revealed, one that touches on the current dichotomies faced by Tehrani youth and their fight for basic freedoms. The film will star Sam Golzari who debuted as the star of American Dreamz and 21. Co-stars include exciting up-and-coming Persian talent like comedian Max Amini and actress Sheila Vand, as well as veteran Iranian actor Marshall Manesh who has appeared in dozens of films and television shows including Year One, True Lies, How I Met Your Mother, Will and Grace and Entourage, among many others.
“KETAB is actually a scene from my feature script THE STONES. I plan to use this short film to show the industry that a foreign film about Iranian youth is not just important and topical, it’s also a fun ride as well… with what’s going on in Iran today, it’s never felt more necessary to tell these types of stories.” Amirpour says.
Jake Gyllenhaal as Dastan, in Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time--Original Photo: Disney
Watch the just-released featurette of Dastan, played by the newly-six-pack-sporting Jake Gyllenhaal, in Disney’s Jerry-Bruckheimer-directed (and much-anticipated) action/adventure movie: Prince of Persia; The Sands of Time, based on the video game series“Prince of Persia” created by; Jordan Mechner.
Iranian-American Actress and Author: Shiva Rose, Original Photo; En Luce
Daughter of perpetual-Iranian-TV-personality, Gharib Afshar, the Persian beauty who says she’s “not going to be the cougar in mini-skirts” and is yearning for “suits for the first time in [her] adult life”, Shiva Rose doesn’t just write human rights essays for the Huffington Post.
“A certain dress only serves to remind me of eating petites fraises with my ex, Dylan, in Provence, and more acutely, of how moments like that are gone.” She whimsically reminisces.
East-Coast-bred Iranian comedian, Max Amini, is set to tape a comedy show for the Showtime network: “Bridging the Gap: The Middle East Comedy Talks“.
“I will be doing a live taping for Showtime Saturday, Dec. 12th,” the comedian tells us. ”The show will be hosted by Ahmed-Ahmed and the line-up is great.”
In addition to his Showtime gig, Max was also recently chosen to be a part of the “NBC Diversity Showcase” this year. Read the full story
