We recently connected with Farbod Ardebili and have shared our conversation below.

Farbod, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today What’s been the most meaningful project you’ve worked on?

I worked on a short film named “Forbidden to See Us Scream in Tehran,” which portrays the struggles of a female singer in an Iranian metal band. Drawing from my personal experiences as a founding member of a female-fronted metal band in Iran, I witnessed the challenges our singer faced. Motivated by these experiences, I created this film after moving to the US. Fortunately, it has gained success in international festivals, and we are now in the process of turning it into a feature film.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

Despite my passion for filmmaking from the very beginning, I faced restrictions in my home country of Iran that prevented me from sharing the stories I wanted to tell. However, in 2014, I made the life-changing decision to move to the United States. Since then, I have dedicated myself to creating short films. Through my work, I have had the privilege of participating in prestigious film festivals like Fantastic Fest and Fantasia Film Festival and receiving accolades and fellowships from esteemed programs such as Sundance’s Short Film Intensive. Currently, I am focused on bringing my vision to life with my first feature film.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

The freedom to express myself.

How can we best help foster a strong, supportive environment for artists and creatives?

To give artists the freedom to express themselves even if it makes some uncomfortable. Artists serve as the authentic voice of the world they inhabit, reflecting its intricacies and shedding light on societal issues. By silencing that voice, we risk losing the valuable perspective necessary to identify and address the flaws within our collective existence.   

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.FarbodArdebili.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/anarchy.stains/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/farbodardebili

Image Credits
Shahabedin Mokhber Mojtaba Panahi