Today's guest is Maryam Keshavarz. She is an Iranian-American writer, director, and producer. Maryam was born in New York City but spent most summers, and some of her school years, in Shiraz, Iran. This bi-national childhood naturally made her a translator of cultures, two cultures often at odds with each other. Maryam initially was pursuing a PhD in Near Eastern Studies focusing on Iran and Gender Studies but 9/11 propelled her to enter the media arena to try and change the narrative. 

Maryam’s first narrative feature fiction film, CIRCUMSTANCE, premiered to overwhelming critical acclaim at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival. The film won the coveted Sundance Audience Award. Maryam’s sophomore feature VIPER CLUB starring Academy Award Winner Susan Sarandon and Golden Globe Winner Edie Falco had its world premiere at Toronto International Film Festival 2018 and was released theatrically by Roadside Attractions. 

Maryam’s third feature. THE PERSIAN VERSION premiered in Main Competition at the Sundance Film Festival 2023, where it won the U.S. Dramatic Competition Audience Award and The Waldo Salt Screenwriting Award. Keshavarz is the first director in Sundance history to win the Audience Award twice. 

It is now playing in theatres