List of Persian/Iranian Events for 2007-10-06

From October 6 through November 5, the Gene Siskel Film Center presents its "18th Annual Festival of Films from Iran." This year's festival represents an exceptionally diverse selection of films, from new work by major directors to popular comedies rarely seen outside of Iran. All 14 films this year are Chicago premieres, eight of which are U.S. premieres. Fifteen shorts by such masters as Abbas Kiarostami and Majid Majidi are featured in PERSIAN CARPET. International festival winners and recipients of critical accolades include HALF MOON, RAAMI, UNFINISHED STORIES, THOSE THREE, and A FEW DAYS LATER. Comedies include RULE OF THE GAME and DEPORTEES. Documentaries screened will be

THE RED CARD and 10 + 4, both of which are by women directors. Saturday evening screenings are followed by mini-discussions led by well-known authorities on Iranian cinema. And, on Saturday, October 27, director Amir Hamz appears with SOUNDS OF SILENCE, his engaging documentary about Iran's underground music scene.



Premier Radio Sponsor: Chicago Public Radio; Premier Print Media Sponsor: Chicago Reader



Please share this information with your friends, colleagues, and students. For more information about the "Festival of Films from Iran," please visit this link:



http://www.artic.edu/webspaces/siskelfilmcenter/2007/october/1.html



All screenings are at the Gene Siskel Film Center, 164 N. State St., Chicago,

IL.



Tickets: $9/general admission; $7/students; $5/Film Center members.



Discounted parking: Pay $14 for 9 hours at the InterPark Self-Park 20 E. Randolph—obtain a rebate ticket at the Gene Siskel Film Center Box Office.



Information: 312-846-2600 or http://www.siskelfilmcenter.org



Thank you for your generous assistance.

Red Robin takes place against the backdrop of a beautiful hillside area. While a group of adults watch a bullfight, some local children play games, chasing young Aliyar through the fields with a scarecrow. But when Aliyar tries to get his own back on his best friend, Gholam Hossein, tragedy occurs, and Aliyar fears that he has been the cause of Gholam Hossein's death. A Muslim, Aliyar has noticed that members of the Christian church nearby believe in resurrection; moreover, the priest has recently acquired a new cross for his church, hoping this will make it the most beautiful in the area. So Aliyar resolves to search for someone who has the breath of Christ in order to resurrect his friend. Director-writer Sheikhtadi's mystical tale about faith and the interconnectedness of all people is told with a gentle power that recalls Majid Majidi's Color of Paradise and Children of Heaven. North American Premiere

Presented in association with Iranian.com

http://mvff.inticketing.com/filmevent.php?eventid=19468&action=search&searchstr=iran

Director: Parviz Sheikhtadi
Producer: Majid Esmaeili
Screenwriter: Parviz Sheikhtadi
Cinematographer: Sirus Abdoli
Editor: Shahrzade Pouya
Cast: M. R. Davoodnejad, Reza Safaipour, Yousef Maradian

The Colors of Memory
http://mvff.inticketing.com/filmevent.php?eventid=19429&action=search&searchstr=iran

Layers of metaphor knit one man's path of discovery from a broken life back to his now earthquake-ravaged childhood home in Iran. Returning from abroad ostensibly to perform surgery, Dr. Parsa sees modern Iran through the eyes of his young driver, while at the same time he rediscovers the soul of the culture under the tutelage of his father's old friend. A quest to revive the family's palm groves and the search for a childhood love evolve into an unexpected pilgrimage, not only to the spiritual center of a country in transition but also to the soul of a man who's been adrift, devoid of spirit and heart. Part road trip, part vision quest, The Colors of Memory highlights both the value of remembrance and the vitality of place as that which feeds and forms us. North American Premiere

Presented in association with Iranian.com

Director: Amir Shahab Razavian
Producers: Mohammad Farokhmanesh, Amir Shahab Razavian, Seyed Saeed Razavian
Screenwriters: Amir Shahab Razavian, Armin Hofmann, Mohammad Farokhmanesh
Cinematographers: Daari Ayari, Mohamad Reza Sokoot, Claus Bosch Dos Santos
Editor: Faramarz Hootaham
Cast: Shahbaz Noshir, Ezatollah Entezami, Saber Abar

http://mvff.inticketing.com/filmevent.php?eventid=19433&action=search&searchstr=iran

Crossing the Dust

While the American invasion of Iraq is in its initial stages, two Kurdish militants heading home from Iraq encounter a major obstacle: a little boy (named after the deposed dictator) searching for his missing parents. The younger, idealistic soldier is determined to help the lost child; the older man, physically maimed and psychologically scarred by years of fighting, wants nothing to do with the kid. As the trio travel in search of the boy's family, they encounter a land filled with righteous holy men and stoic American troops, abandoned corpses and looting villagers, mass graves and marauding youths. Evoking both classic Italian neorealism and the roots of Iranian cinema's recent renaissance, Shawkat Amin Korki's humanistic parable paints a tragic picture of life during wartime. Even those who are shellshocked and who have had their innocence stolen are capable of hope for a better tomorrow.US Premiere

Director: Shawkat Amin Korki
Producers: Hasan Ali, Nechirvan Argosi, Toraj Aslani, Shawkat Amin Korki
Screenwriter: Shawkat Amin Korki
Cinematographer: Toraj Aslani
Editor: Ebrahim Saeedi
Cast: Adil Abdolrahman, Hossein Hasan, Abdola Awayd, Aba Rash, Ayam Akra

Ticket Code: CROS06S
View other dates/times for this event.

Print Source:
Arc En Ciel Films
113 Rue Danielle Casanova St. Denis, 93 200 France

Mehregan Celebration, Oct 6 7 pm, Holiday Inn-San Jose, tickets:
$40/Adults & $25/Children. Info: 707.330.7201.

UCSF Iranian Cultural Org

Annual Fall DANCE PARTY

7pm-Midnight

@ Milberry Union City Lights Room

UCSF Parnassus Campus

500 Parnassus Ave

San Francisco, CA 94143

*$5 suggested donation

*Dinner & dancing

*All welcome

Saturday, October 6, 2007

Time: 7:30pm - 10:00pm



House of the Redeemer (former Vanderbilt/Fabbri Mansion)



7 East 95th Street (at 5th Avenue)

New York, NY





Phone: 917.617.1911

Email: info@gothamharpsichord.org, mahan.esfahani@gmail.com





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Winning wide acclaim for his musical sensitivity and his technical prowess, the Tehran-born harpsichordist and organist Mahan Esfahani enjoys an active career as a soloist and collaborative musician and has appeared on many leading series and venues in the United States and in Europe. Praised for his 'clarity and poise' (The Washington Post), he has recently entered into an agreement with the Musica Omnia label to record the complete works for harpsichord, virginals, and organ of the English Virginalist composer John Bull (1562-1628), the 'Liszt of the harpsichord.' Mr. Esfahani will present virtuoso works for the harpsichord by Rameau, Scarlatti, and J.S. Bach on an instrument by William Dowd, formerly in the collection of the late concert pianist Rosalyn Tureck. Featuring a rising presence on the Early Music scene, this is an evening not to be missed.

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WHAT THE MEDIA HAS TO SAY...



''the brilliance and artistry...the virtuosity of a master...."

(Keyboard Magazine)



''a tour de force...the audience went wild.''

(San Francisco Classical Voice)



"a musician's musician...he displayed an awesome keyboard technique. His fingers flew like lightning over the keys....the young virtuoso we heard Saturday night managed an enormous variety of effects. This is, then, what makes the music of the Baroque endure and causes young artists of great talent like Esfahani to probe its mystery and depth."

(The Independent)

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$30 general/ $25 students and seniors



You are kindly asked to reserve tickets in advance as space is limited; tickets may be reserved by calling (917) 617-1911 or e.mailing info@gothamharpsichord.org

Saturday, October 6th, 2007

The Red Poppy Art House

2698 Folsom St., SF, CA

www.redpoppyarthouse.org



General Admission $15

Doors: 7:30pm - Show: 8:00pm



Shirzad Sharif’s Solo Album & CD Release Party!!



featuring:



Shirzad Sharif – Tanbur, Zarb, Daf & electronics

Mark Deutsch – Bazantar & Sitar

John Connell – Daf



Visual Alchemy by VJ Neda



Creating a fine tapestry of sound using dreamscape ambience

and sacred Persian melodies this performance will take you on a

journey into the deep space of sacred sound.



Inspired by the creation of the universe, astronomy and mankind’s quest to

understand himself, the origin of creation & the true essence of life this will be

a very special performance & sneak preview of Shirzad Sharif’s new upcoming solo album

titled “The Alchemist” which features lush electronic sound-scapes, organic Persian

drumming, sacred Sufi Tanbur & Daf music.



Joining Shirzad for this special performance will be Mark Deutsch on the amazing

Bazantar and John Connell on Daf (Sufi Frame Drums).



For more information please visit: www.shirzadsharif.com or www.bazantar.com or www.redpoppyarthouse.org

shirzad@shirzadsharif.com>

Come join us for a Dance party to Benefit Children with Cancer
Sat, Oct 06. Doors open at 8:00 PM, Civic Arts Center, Shadelands
Campus. 111 North Wiget Lane (at Ygnacio Valley Road),
Walnut Creek. Ticket Donations: General: $27.00, Students: $15.00
(with valid student ID) Children 12 & under: $8.
For Tickets call: (510) 220-2840 (Ticket Sale & Reservation by
Phone ends on Mon. 01 Oct 07). No ticket sale or Will Call at
the door.

GUESTLIST FREE B4 11PM:

ONTHEVIPLIST@GMAIL.COM

-The Iranian Students' Cultural Organization of U.C. Berkeley is proud to present "ISCO DISCO in 'Frisco" , ISCO's party in the city that promises to be a night you will not forget. The party will take place at Pasha Restaurant located at 1516 Broadway San Francisco, CA 94109 and will begin at 10 pm and last until 2 am. This event is 18 and over, but there will be a full bar for those that are 21. The DJ will be spinning Persian, Middle Eastern, and Hip-Hop music all night long so come ready to dance and have a blast. We hope to see everyone there, and bring your friends. $15 cover charge, $10 for ISCO card holders.-

snabavinouri@berkeley.edu>