Maryam Moghaddam (; born 1969 or 1970), also spelt Moghadam and Moqadam, is an Iranian actress,

screenwriter A screenwriter (also called scriptwriter, scribe, or scenarist) is a person who practices the craft of writing for visual mass media, known as screenwriting. These can include short films, feature-length films, television programs, television ...

, and director, known for her collaborations with her husband

Behtash Sanaeeha Behtash Sanaeeha () is an Iranian film director, producer, and screenwriter. He is known for the 2020 feature film '' Ballad of a White Cow'', which he co-wrote and co-directed. Early life and education Behtash Sanaeeha was born in Shiraz, a c ...

. She is best known for her acting in ''

Closed Curtain ''Closed Curtain'' (, ''Pardeh'') is a 2013 Iranian docufiction film by Jafar Panahi and Kambuzia Partovi. It premiered at the 63rd Berlin International Film Festival on February 12, 2013 where Panahi won the Silver Bear for Best Script. It was ...

'' (2013) and ''Risk of Acid Rain'' (2015) (which she also co-wrote), and co-writing and directing '' Ballad of a White Cow'' (2020). The couple's most recent collaboration is '' My Favourite Cake'', which had its world premiere on 16 February 2024 at the

74th Berlin International Film Festival The 74th annual Berlin International Film Festival, usually called the Berlinale, took place between 15 and 25 February 2024 in Berlin, Germany. Kenyan-Mexican actress Lupita Nyong'o was named the Jury President for the main competition. This ye ...

Early years and education

Maryam Moghaddam (also transliterated as Moghadam and Moqadam) was born in 1969 or 1970 in

Tehran Tehran (; , ''Tehrân'') is the capital and largest city of Iran. It is the capital of Tehran province, and the administrative center for Tehran County and its Central District (Tehran County), Central District. With a population of around 9. ...

, Iran. She graduated from the Performing Arts School in

Gothenburg Gothenburg ( ; ) is the List of urban areas in Sweden by population, second-largest city in Sweden, after the capital Stockholm, and the fifth-largest in the Nordic countries. Situated by the Kattegat on the west coast of Sweden, it is the gub ...

, Sweden.

Career

Moghaddam performed on the stage many times in Sweden, including at the National Theatre in Gothenburg. In 1993, she had her first role in a feature film in ''Zero Height'' (''Bolandiha-ye Sefr''), directed by Hossein-Ali Layalestani. She also starred in ''The Legend of Love'' (2000) directed by Farhad Mehranfar, and ''

'' (''Pardé''; 2013). Moghaddam co-wrote ''Risk of Acid Rain'' (2015) with her husband

, and she acted in the film. She starred in the 2017 film ''Termite''(''s'') (''Mouriyaneh''), directed by Masoud Hatami, which also starred Behtash Sanaeeha. It won two awards at the 2019 Figura Film Festival in Portugal. Her debut directing effort with her husband was ''The Invincible Diplomacy of Mr. Naderi'', released in 2018. She then co-wrote and co-directed '' Ballad of a White Cow'' (released 2020) with Sanaeeha. Also with Shaeeha, she co-wrote and co-directed '' My Favourite Cake'', which had its world premiere on 16 February 2024 at the

Accolades

Moghaddam has received many accolades, including a

Crystal Simorgh The Crystal Simorgh () is an award given by Fajr International Film Festival, Iran's major annual film festival. It is awarded in several categories of International Competition as well as Iranian Cinema Competition. The award's name comes from ...

, and a nomination for an Iran's Film Critics and Writers Association Award. Other awards and nominations include: * 2015: Co-winner (with Behtash Sanaeeha), Best Screenplay, at the 33rd

Fajr Film Festival Iran's annual Fajr International Film Festival (), or Fajr Film Festival (little: FIFF; ), has been held every February in Tehran since 1983. The festival is supervised by the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance (Iran), Ministry of Culture ...

, for ''Risk Of Acid Rain'' * 2017: Co-winner (with Behtash Sanaeeha), Best Documentary Film,

Cinéma Vérité Cinéma vérité (, , ) is a style of documentary filmmaking developed by Edgar Morin and Jean Rouch, inspired by Dziga Vertov's theory about '' Kino-Pravda''. It combines improvisation with use of the camera to unveil truth or highlight subje ...

documentary film festival in Tehran, for ''The Invincible Diplomacy of Mr. Naderi'' * 2017: Co-winner (with Behtash Sanaeeha), Best Documentary Film,

Hafez Awards Hafez Awards (Persian: جایزه حافظ) is an annual awards ceremony which honors achievements in Iranian cinema. The awards, first presented in 1997, are presented by Picture World Magazine (Aka. Donyaye Tassvir in Persian) which is why the ...

, for ''The Invincible Diplomacy of Mr. Naderi'' * 2018: Co-winner (with Behtash Sanaeeha), Best Documentary Film at the Festival of Iranian Films in Prague, for ''The Invincible Diplomacy of Mr. Naderi'' * 2019: Nominated, Best Actress in a Leading Role, in 38th edition of the Fajr Film Festival, for her role in ''Ballad of a White Cow'' * 2019: Nominated, Best Script, in the 38th edition of the Fajr Film Festival, for ''Ballad of a White Cow'' * 2024:

FIPRESCI Award The International Federation of Film Critics (FIPRESCI, short for ''Fédération Internationale de la Presse Cinématographique'') is an association of national organizations of professional film critics and film journalists from around the worl ...

at the

Berlin International Film Festival The Berlin International Film Festival (), usually called the Berlinale (), is an annual film festival held in Berlin, Germany. Founded in 1951 and originally run in June, the festival has been held every February since 1978 and is one of Europ ...

, for '' My Favourite Cake'' * 2024: Ecumenical Jury Award at the Berlinale, for ''My Favourite Cake''

Filmography

Film

Television

* '' Fallet'', 2009 (STV series; directed by Caroline Cowan) * ''Chalsio'', 2011 (TV movie, directed by Behtash Sanaeeha)

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Moghaddam, Maryam Living people Year of birth missing (living people) Actresses from Tehran Iranian film actresses Iranian women film directors Iranian expatriates in Sweden Iranian women screenwriters