2026 UCLA Celebration of Iranian Cinema explores cultural identity, resilience and hope

The UCLA Film & Television Archive and the Farhang Foundation present the annual UCLA Celebration of Iranian Cinema, continuing a more than 30-year tradition of bringing new and classic films from Iran and the Iranian diaspora to Los Angeles.

The 2026 program includes 21 feature-length and short films from June 5 -21 at the Billy Wilder Theater at the Hammer Museum. Highlighting contemporary filmmakers alongside classic works, including a one-night tribute to Iranian director Parviz Sayyad and a survey of newly recovered films connected with the "Cinema-ye Azad," or "Free Cinema" movement that began in 1969, the series explores the intricacies of the Iranian experience, weaving together themes of cultural identity, tradition, resilience and hope.

The series opens on Friday, June 5 with "Mortician" (Canada, 2025), a thriller-drama written and directed by Abdolreza Kahani, who will join for a virtual Q&A. The screening will be preceded by "Abraham" (Iran, 2024), a Farhang Short Film Festival award winner.

On June 6, Amir Azizi's meditative portrait of everyday life in Iran, "Inside Amir" (Iran, 2025), will be followed by Ali Asgari's "Divine Comedy" (Iran, 2025), which uses romantic comedy tropes to illuminate the absurdities and dangers faced by filmmakers in Iran.

The June 7 program features "Between Dreams and Hope" (Iran, 2025), written and directed by Farnoosh Samadi, which follows a trans man longing to start a life with his partner while confronting his estranged father. It will be paired with Aliyar Rasti's debut feature, "The Great Yawn of History" (Iran, 2024), a critically acclaimed film that examines systems of faith and capital within a rural Iranian setting. Both films will be preceded by "Son" (Iran, 2024), an audience choice award-winning short from the Farhang Short Film Festival.

The series continues on Friday, June 12 with "Black Rabbit, White Rabbit" (Tajikistan/United Arab Emirates, 2025). Directed by Shahram Mokri and submitted by Tajikistan for Academy Award consideration for Best International Feature Film, the film blurs reality and fiction through camerawork and editing to explore the complexities of Iranian history. The screening will be preceded by the Farhang Short Film Festival prize-winning "Where the Winds Die" (Iran, 2021), an animated short by Pejman Alipour that reflects on the 1987 chemical attack in Sardasht.

On June 13 and 14, the series spotlights "Cinema-ye Azad," the Iranian underground movement that fostered independent filmmaking prior to the revolution. Curated by Arta Barzanji and Shaghayegh Raoufi with research and archival support from Hadi Alipanah, the screenings highlight filmmakers Nasib Nasibi ("From Isfahan to Abarkooh," Iran, 1970; "How Frightening Is the Darkness of the Soul!," Iran, 1972) and Behnam Jafari (a selection of short films and his only existing feature, "MirNasir and the Ill-Fated Genie," Iran, 1974) as two key figures of the movement, with post-screening discussions led by Barzanji and Hadi Alipanah.

Also on June 14, a program highlighting writer-director Parviz Sayyad features a 35mm screening of "Checkpoint" (U.S., 1987), about Iranian students stranded at the U.S. border with Canada during the 1979 hostage crisis, paired with "Dead End" (Iran, 1977), a suspenseful drama exploring surveillance and social change, with in-person appearances by Sayyad and actor Mary Apick.

On June 20, "Oh, What Happy Days" (Iran/U.S./France/Canada, 2025), directed by Homayoun Ghanizadeh, transforms a family video call into a tense drama as long-held secrets surface.

The series concludes on June 21 with "Woman and Child" (Iran, 2025), directed by Saeed Roustaee, which follows a woman seeking justice after betrayal by her family and the systems around her. The film will be preceded by a Farhang Short Film Festival first prize-winning documentary "The Granny and Fishes" (Iran, 2025), which follows an elderly woman who remains near the dried Lake Hāmūn, gathering dead fish after drought and environmental collapse forced surrounding communities to leave.

All screenings, presented at the Billy Wilder Theater at the Hammer Museum, are free thanks to a gift from an anonymous donor. While advance registration for the UCLA Celebration of Iranian Cinema has reached capacity, there will be standby lines at each screening for any seats that are available 15 minutes before showtime. Visit the Archive website for the full schedule and admission details.