Saeed Roustaee (Persian: سعید روستایی, born August 14, 1989), also spelled Saeed Roustayi, is an Iranian director, screenwriter and producer. He has won the Crystal Simorgh for Best Director, Best Screenplay and Best First Director at the 34th Fajr Film Festival for his feature directorial debut drama film Life and a Day (2016). In 2022, his second film, Just 6.5 (2019), was nominated for the César Award for Best Foreign Film. In April 2022, his third film, Leila's Brothers (2022), was selected to compete for the Palme d'Or at the 2022 Cannes Film Festival.[1][2]

Saeed Roustayi
سعید روستایی
Roustayi at the 2022 Filmfest München
Born (1989-08-14) August 14, 1989 (age 35)
Tehran, Iran
NationalityIranian
EducationSoore University (BFTV)
Occupations
  • Director
  • screenwriter
  • producer
Years active2011–present
Notable workLife and a Day
Just 6.5
Leila's Brothers

Early life

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He graduated from Soore University with a Bachelor of Film and Television in Directing.[3]

Career

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Life and a Day is his first major cinematic work. At the Fajr International Film Festival, Roustayi won 2 Crystal Simorghs for best directing and best screenplay. He received the 2016 Reflet d'Or for Best Feature at the Geneva International Film Festival Tous Ecrans.[4][5]

His works primarily focus on issues of social injustice, as well as his portrayals of women in Iranian society.

His third feature film Leila's Brothers competed in the 2022 Cannes Film Festival where it won the FIPRESCI Prize for films screened in the main competition section.

Conviction

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In August 2023, the Islamic Revolutionary Court sentenced Roustayi to six months in prison for entering Leila's Brother's in the 2022 Cannes Film Festival, claiming that the film participated in "the opposition’s propaganda against the Islamic system".[6] Roustayi alleged that Iran's Ministry of Culture had requested a series of scene changes to Leila's Brothers which he had refused to implement. Roustayi is due to serve nine days of his sentence and a suspended period of five years, as well as participating in other punitive measures such as completing a course on "creating movies aligned with national interests and national morality".[7]

Filmography

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Film

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Year Title Director Writer Producer Notes
2011 Saturday Yes Yes Yes Short film
2012 The Very Secluded Street Yes Yes Yes
Ceremony Yes Yes Yes
2016 Life and a Day Yes Yes No
2017 Blockage No Yes No
2019 Just 6.5 Yes Yes No
2022 Leila's Brothers Yes Yes Yes
TBA The Woman and the Child Yes Yes TBA Pre-production

Awards and nominations

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Award Year Category Nominated Work Result Ref.
Cannes Film Festival 2022 Palm d'Or Leila's Brothers Nominated [8]
FIPRESCI Prize Won [9]
Citizenship Prize Won [10]
Chicago International Film Festival 2019 Best New Director Just 6.5 Nominated [11]
César Awards 2022 Best Foreign Film Just 6.5 Nominated [12]
Entrevues Film Festival 2020 Grand Prix Just 6.5 Nominated
Fajr Film Festival 2016 Best Director Life and a Day Won
Best Screenplay Won
Best First Director Won
2019 Best Director Just 6.5 Nominated
Best Screenplay Nominated
FEST International Film Festival 2020 Best Film Just 6.5 Nominated
Hafez Awards 2016 Best Director Life and a Day Nominated
Best Screenplay Won
2019 Best Director Just 6.5 Won
Best Screenplay Nominated
Iran Cinema Celebration 2016 Best Director Life and a Day Won
Best Screenplay Won
2019 Best Director Just 6.5 Won
Best Screenplay Nominated
Iran's Film Critics and Writers Association 2016 Best Director Life and a Day Won
Best Screenplay Won
2020 Best Director Just 6.5 Third Place
Best Screenplay Nominated
Munich International Film Festival 2022 Best International Film Leila's Brothers Nominated
Nahal Short Film Festival 2013 Best Fiction Short Feature Ceremony Won
Tokyo International Film Festival 2019 Best Director Just 6.5 Won
Grand Prix Nominated
Venice International Film Festival 2019 Best Feature Film – Horizons Just 6.5 Nominated
Zurich Film Festival 2019 Best International Feature Film Just 6.5 Nominated
Special Mention – International Feature Film Won

References

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  1. ^ ""برادران لیلا"ی سعید روستایی در مسابقه اصلی کن". ایسنا (in Persian). 14 April 2022. Retrieved 14 April 2022.
  2. ^ عباسی‌زاده, مریم (14 April 2022). "دو فیلم ایرانی "برادران لیلا" و "عنکبوت مقدس" در بخش مسابقه جشنواره کن ۲۰۲۲". euronews (in Persian). Retrieved 14 April 2022.
  3. ^ tnews.ir. "بیوگرافی کامل سعید روستایی (کارگردان ابد و یک روز) +عکس های جدید ایشان". جستجوگر اخبار تی نیوز tnews.ir (in Persian). Retrieved 28 September 2017.
  4. ^ "Geneva International Film Festival Tous Ecrans | 3–11 November 2017". Festival tous écrans | Geneva international film festival. Retrieved 28 September 2017.
  5. ^ "Life+1 Day Receives Best Film Award At Geneva Festival". Kodoom.com. Retrieved 28 September 2017.
  6. ^ Keslassey, Elsa (16 August 2023). "Iranian Director Saeed Roustaee Sentenced to Six Months in Prison for Showing 'Leila's Brothers' at Cannes". Variety. Retrieved 17 August 2023.
  7. ^ Kuo, Christopher (16 August 2023). "Iran Sentences Director to 6 Months After He Screened Film at Cannes". The New York Times. Retrieved 17 August 2023.
  8. ^ Tartaglione, Nancy (14 April 2022). "Cannes Film Festival: Michel Hazanavicius' 'Z (Comme Z)' To Open; James Gray, David Cronenberg, Cristian Mungiu, Kelly Reichardt In Competition – Full List". Deadline. Retrieved 3 July 2022.
  9. ^ ""Leila's Brothers" wins Fipresci prize in Cannes". Honaronline. Retrieved 3 July 2022.
  10. ^ Hopewell, John (28 May 2022). "Fipresci Prizes 'Leila's Brothers,' 'The Blue Caftan,' 'Love According to Dalva'". Variety. Retrieved 3 July 2022.
  11. ^ VB, Andy (16 September 2019). "Announcing Competitions for the 55th Chicago International Film Festival". Cinema Chicago. Retrieved 3 July 2022.
  12. ^ Tartaglione, Nancy (26 January 2022). "César Awards Nominations: 'Lost Illusions', 'Annette', 'Aline' Dominate; 'Titane' Shut Out Of Best Film Race – Full List". Deadline. Retrieved 3 July 2022.
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