Tara Aghdashloo is an Iran-born, award-winning filmmaker, writer and multidisciplinary artist based between London and Toronto. With a background in journalism and literature, her body of work captures nuanced characters, examining the contradictory nature of human desire and disrupting established tropes and visual cultures. She works closely with actors and non-actors in developing emotive performances, while her visual arts practice imprints a strong aesthetic language. Her films have been nominated over 20 times and won 9 awards, competing at Oscar, CSA, BAFTA and BIFA Qualifying festivals across the world including: BlackStar, ReelWorld, Edinburgh Short, Leiden International, Cinequest, St. Louis, Aesthetica, SJIWFF, HollyShorts, Norwich, and many more.

Born and raised in Iran, Tara emigrated to Toronto, Canada. She studied journalism at the Toronto Metropolitan University with a focus on political philosophy, and received her MA at SOAS, University of London with an interest in critical media theory and aesthetics of politics. Her articles and essays have been published in a range of newspapers and magazines, and her documentaries and reports appeared on Channel 4 and BBC World among others, covering art and culture, current affairs, and issues related to the global majority. After pivoting to filmmaking, Tara wrote and directed her first narrative short, THE RIDE, commissioned by BFI Network with the support of Canada Council of the Arts and Toronto Arts Council. It premiered at Cinequest Festival and has been screened in competition at festivals internationally, winning Best Short Film at Nostalgia Festival. Her second narrative short, BRIDGE, was funded by the BBC, premiered at Norwich Film Festival, and has received 17 nominations and took home 7 awards including for Best Short Film, Best Director, and Best Actress. Tara’s third short, EMPTY YOUR POCKETS, produced by OPC productions and Intermission Film, was supported by Canada Council of the Arts, Ontario Arts Council, and NEXT UP: Intermission Short Film Fund. It premiered at BlackStar Film Festival and has received two awards for Outstanding Direction and Outstanding Lead Actor at ReelWorld Festival. She’s currently developing her debut narrative feature with Caspian Films, supported by Telefilm Canada and Ontario Creates. 

Tara was one of 12 participants in the 2024 Oscar Academy-backed Cine Qua Non Lab for script revision with her debut feature. She also attended the Reykjavik Talent Lab with this project. She’s an alumni of renowned director Mohsen Makhmalbaf’s filmmaking masterclass at the London Film Academy, who remains as her mentor. Tara’s a member of Directors UK, has served as a jury on various festivals and funding bodies including Canada Council of the Arts, and is a mentee with Film London.

Her writings have appeared in the Financial Times, Harvard Business Review, The Guardian, Real Life Magazine, The New Inquiry, TANK Magazine, The Lead, Ibraaz, Fashion Magazine, Art Rabbit, Adult Magazine among others, and her poetry collection THIS IS NOT A POMEGRANATE was published in Toronto. Alongside her artistic practice, she co-founded The Invisible Line Gallery (TIL) in East London, curating over 30 exhibitions as well as film programs and events. Tara’s a vocal intersectional feminist, dissident activist, and an advocate for human rights and matters around displacement. She speaks regularly about inclusivity and representation in film, participates on panels, and leads workshops.

In between filmmaking, Tara paints, writes poetry and art directs.

AGENT
Eva Bell // Sayle Screen
t. + 44 207 823 2883
e. eva@saylescreen.com