Ramin Bahrani

Ramin Bahrani, born March 20, 1975, is a celebrated Iranian-American director and screenwriter. He began his ascendancy to prominence in the world of film with his first feature film, Man Push Cart in 2005, which not only premiered at high-profile festivals like Venice and Sundance, but also won over ten international prizes and got three Independent Spirit Award nominations. His fame was further cemented with his second film, Chop Shop in 2007, resulting in a nomination for the Independent Spirit Best Director Award the following year. To complement his creative work, Bahrani is also a passionate educator, serving as a professor of film directing at his alma mater, Columbia University School of the Arts.

In the ensuing years, Bahrani consistently maintained a high level of artistry and relevance in the industry. He continued his winning streak with Goodbye Solo, which premiered at the Venice Film Festival in 2008 and won the FIPRESCI Award for Best Film amidst praise from notable critics like Roger Ebert. His subsequent works such as At Any Price (2013) and 99 Homes (2015) drew in stellar casts like Dennis Quaid, Zac Efron, and Heather Graham, the comparatively underwhelming performance of At Any Price at the box office notwithstanding. Bahrani made his foray into the TV industry with an HBO adaptation of Ray Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451 in 2018, and in 2021, earned a nomination for Best Adapted Screenplay at the 93rd Academy Awards for his adaptation of Aravind Adiga's The White Tiger.