Hamed Zolfaghari

Hamed Zolfaghari was born in February 1982 in Firouzabad, Fars Province, Iran. He grew up in the city of Shiraz and completed his studies in Software Engineering at the Islamic Azad University of Shiraz. While still a university student, he began making documentary films and went on to direct four medium-length documentaries and one feature-length documentary. From 2010 to 2016, Zolfaghari worked voluntarily as a documentary filmmaker and social facilitator with the NGO Centre for Sustainable Development and Environment (CENESTA). During this period, he produced nearly 50 educational and research short films focusing on environmental issues, the rights of Indigenous and local communities in relation to natural resources, and the empowerment and rehabilitation of local communities across Iran. In 2006, driven by his interest in professional and cultural activities, Zolfaghari co-founded the Shiraz Short Film Association (and its accompanying film festival) together with a group of friends and colleagues. He served as the association’s Managing Director and Board Member for two terms over a period of four years. He also served as Vice President and Board Member of the Iranian Documentary Filmmakers Association from 2017 to 2019. Zolfaghari became a member of the Iranian Documentary Filmmakers Association in 2014.