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.

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L to R - Actress Emily Deschanel (Bones), Tribeca Film Institute CEO Brian Newman, Ana Lily Amirpour, and founder of the Adrienne Shelly Foundation, Andy Ostroy

As part of the Adrienne Shelly Foundation’s mission to aid in the advancement of talented women filmmakers, the foundation has teamed with the Tribeca Film Institute to form the TFI Adrienne Shelly Foundation Screenwriting Fellowship. 

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