About the Author

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Mahmoud Reza Sani (b. 1974 Abadan, Iran) is an award winning filmmaker, photographer. He has written, directed and produced several short and feature flms, documentaries and television serials. In 2000 he founded Arvandan Film Production which specializes in low budget, high caliber documentaries and films often shot under difficult conditions. Mahmoud is also considered the 'ambassador' of Cine Pobre, an universal movement created by the esteemed Cuban film maker Humberto Solas, an active network of international cooperation that promotes Cine Pobre (poor cinema) production by making high quality, low budget independent films. The idea which helped inspire his own company. His debut film, "Siyamo," a poetic song of peace which tells the search for his beloved in the devastation of a post-Taliban Afghanistan won the Cesare Zavattini Grand Prize at the First International Cine Pobre Festival in Gibara, Cuba (2002). In April 2006, his film "Wild Goose," which depicts the folly of war through two opposing characters, received the special Poverty Zero Award from the NGO OIKOS, the sponsor of the film festival. In 2010 Mahmoud served on the jury for the film festival. He has also served as a jury member at Social Film Festival 2005, IBAFF film festival 2011, Carthage Film Festival in Tunisia 2012 and the River International Film Festival Italy 2018. Mahmoud holds various workshops throughout the globe to impart his knowledge and experience to those with the desire to learn and a story to tell. He is author of cinematic lessons from abbas kiarostami and also key lessons of filmmaking for everyone books