National Jury
 
 
 Ali Akbar Sadeghi


Born: 1937, Tehran, Iran
Began his studies in painting at Tehran University in 1958 and started out his career at IIDCYA with illustrating the book, "Hero of the Heros". After six years, he had made 6 animated films before giving up filmmaking to devote himself to painting.
His animated films, "Seven Cities", "The Flower Storm", "boasting", "Rook", "Prince Khorshid", "Zal and Simorgh" among others went down in Iranian animation history and garnered numerous national and international awards. His films have been screened around the world and his illustrations have received many awards.
He has frequently exhibited and published his paintings. He sat on jury at several national and international festivals including Terhan 1999 International Animation Festival.
His films have picked up many awards at film festivals around the world including: Tehran 1975, Los Angeles 1973, Lebanon 1973, San Fransisco 1973, Berlin 1974, Cracow 1978, Chicago 1975, London 1975, Virgin Islands 1975, France 1975, and in Paris 1977.

 Ebrahim Forouzesh

Born: 1939, Tehran, Iran
He studied dramatic arts before becoming a management assistant at IIDCYA in charge of cinema affairs (1971-1978). He has produced more than 90 short films, and written so many screenplays.
Forouzesh's documentaries, features and fiction short films include: "Traders", "Bam Citadel", "Glance", "Palm", "Beyond the Borders", "Myself, I , Myself", "Wild Lilies", "Key", "The Jar", "Little Man", and "Children of Petroleum". He has also made more than 100 fiction and documentary videos.
He sat on the festival juries in Tehran 1994 and 1996, Isfahan, Locarno 1994, Cine Junior 1996, and Haydarabad 1997 as well as Tehran Animation 1999. His films have picked up 30 awards at film festivals around the world including Moscow, Cine Junior, Locarno, Chicago, Sao Paolo, Vienna and many more festivals.

 Akbar Alemi

Born: 1945, Ahvaz, Iran
Graduating from a Tehran high school, he joined the Iranian Adminstretion of Fine Arts before going on to study in Iran and UK.
He started out at Tehran University in English Language and Literature which he gave up to study theatre at the School of Dramatic Arts but he turned to be majored in directing at the same school (graduated in 1973).
By his talent for drawing as a child, and taking a fancy in photography, Alemi has been in good terms with animation circles. He has been working with Animation school affiliated with IIDCYA since the establishment of the school in 1974.
He was invited to teach at Farabi University (graduate school) in 1976 and has kept making lectures at art schools to date. Alemi sat on Fajr Film Festivals jury at the national and international competitions for several times. Also, he sat on the First Tehran International Animation Festival jury in 1999. he acted as scriptwriter, researcher and announcer in some TV series such as “The Other Side of the Coin” (1984) and “The Seventh Art” (1991).
He has been continuously lecturing in Tarbiat Modarres (Teacher Training) University and currently is the dean of animation department of the graduate School of the university.
Ministry of culture and Islamic Guidance has honoured him with a doctorate for his works.

 Abolfazl Razani

Born: 1947, Boroujerd, Iran
Starting out in the Iranian state TV where he animated puppets in series such as “Moon-Foreheaded” (1969), he has directed 20 films, 2 series and 5 short films for children since 1971.
An independent feature animated film and a 12 parts series named “Work and think, 150 short puppet animated films in a series “Simple Experiences”, 7 dynamated educational films has made 4 educational paper animation films, 5 cell-animation films, trick film and designing titles for T.V programs and three feature movies are the major part of his career.
His films have been screened and picked up awards at several film festivals including Inida 1987, Cinanima 1987, Prix Danube 1987, Bilbao 1987, Cracow 1987, Gijon 1987, Hiroshima 1987, and Shanghai 1988.
He sat on the film and animation festival juries for: IRIB TV (Islamic Republic of Iran’s Broadcasting), Cinema Bureau and Tehran. He also was a jury member at Tehran 1999 International Animation Festival.
He has made lectures at the Animation Institute affiliated with IIDCYA and at School of Dramatic Arts. He has also conducted studies on the Iranian folktale. And currently teaches animation at the Art School affiliated with IRIB and Tarbiat Modarres (Teacher Training) University, Tehran. Razani is also a member of ASIFA as well as ASIFA-Iran.

 Abdollah Alimorad

Born: 1947, Tehran, Iran
Took animation courses in Animation Studio of the Institute for Intellectual development of Children and Young Adults, before taking monoframe puppetry courses in the former Czechoslovakia.
He animated “The Old She-Demon” with Rasoul Azadian’s collaboration, which won awards at Young Cinema Festival in 1977. He has experiences as a designer, animator and cinematographer and has designed logos for Isfahan Festival for Children and Yong Adults as well as Fajr Film Festival. Alimorad has animated three short films winning awards at the Festival of Children and Young Adults as well as Fajr Film Festival: “Papersheet and Fold”, “Kelid Naghsh” (a traditional instrument for drawing), and “Kids in the Museum”.
His short film “Jewels Mountain” picked up awards in film festivals around the world such as Berlin, Canada and India as well as in his country, Iran. It was Followed by “To the Toyland” and “Tales of Bazaar” that received awards at Fajr and Roshd Festival and at Organization for Cultural Heritage. His next film, “One, Not Enough” won the Best Animated Film Award at Isfahan and Cairo Film Festivals.
His recent film “Bahador” was ranked second by Education Ministry at another Isfahan Festival of Children and Young Adults. Also, he won the best animation and the best theme at Roshd Festival in 2000.

 Saeed Tavakkolian


Born: 1952, Shirvan, Iran
After graduating from high school, he left for the UK where he was given different works (photography, multivision, graphics, animation) and began to major in drawing and audiovisual communications.
Not long after graduating from UK in 1981, he returned to Iran and began to teach animation in IRIB (T.V) College, Tehran University, Arts University, Islamic Azad University and the Islamic School of Cinema. He has attended numerous animated film festivals. In 1995, Iranian state TV submitted him a grant to continue his studies in Malaysia (1995). He was one of the founders of “Be’sat Animation Studio” and played a major role in founding Saba Production Company.
He supervised camera in “From Infinity” and made a 65 parts TV series about animation.
Tavakkolian has sat on several juries including Tehran 1999 International Animation Festival. He is a member of Animation Studies Society as well as ASIFA-Iran.

 Nahid Shamsdoost

Born: 1952, Tehran, Iran
She obtained a BA degree in graphics from Tehran University and went on to make her postgraduate studies in Farabi and Art Universities before beginning to lecture at art faculties in Tehran.
As for her animation activities, she animated “A Cartoon Character” (1996, an IIDCYA production, co-directed with the late Mehrdad Naeemiyan), animated and produced “balloons” (1375, accepted by the selection committee of Kerman Festival of Children and Young Adults), also animated “Vision” (1998, award-winning at Tehran Animation Festival). Her recent film “Joy Rain” is on the way (an IIDCYA production).