Babak Jalali is a British Iranian filmmaker.
Having received a BA degree in East European Studies and an MA in Politics from the University of London, Babak went to London Film School where he graduated with an MA in Filmmaking.
His graduation film, HEYDAR. AN AFGHAN IN TEHRAN screened at 60 film festivals worldwide and received a BAFTA nomination for Best Short Film.
He was selected as one of the residents at the prestigious CANNES FILM FESTIVAL CINEFONDATION RESIDENCE where he developed his first feature film FRONTIER BLUES.
FRONTIER BLUES premiered in the International Competition at the LOCARNO FILM FESTIVAL went on to screen at over 20 festivals worldwide. It won the FIPRESCI award at the San Francisco International Film Festival and was released in cinemas in the UK, Switzerland and Austria.
Babak’s second feature RADIO DREAMS premiered at the International Film Festival Rotterdam and won the Festival’s Tiger Award. It toured several other festivals worldwide while Babak worked to put together his third feature LAND, a modern western set in a Native American reservation which premiered at the BERLIN INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL in the Panorama section.
Babak’s fourth feature FREMONT, co-written with Carolina Cavalli, received its world premiere at SUNDANCE FILM FESTIVAL 2023. Babak is currently writing an adaptation of the acclaimed novel ONE OF THE BOYS by Daniel Magariel together with the author, and is developing another co-written screenplay with Carolina Cavalli among other original projects.
FILM
FREMONT (Butimar Productions) 2023
Sundance World Premiere
Winner of the JOHN CASSAVETES AWARD at the 2024 Independent Spirit Awards
Nominated for Best International Independent Film at the 2023 British Independent Film Awards
Winner of Best Director Award at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival
New American Cinema Competition Nominee at the 2023 Seattle International Film Festival
Nominated for the Audience Award at 2023 SWSW Film Festival
Nominated for NEXT Innovator Award at the Sundance Film Festival
LAND (Asmara Films, The Cup of Tea) 2018
Developed in collaboration with TorinoFilmLab FrameWork, Paris Project, Sofia Meetings e New Cinema Network Roma.
RADIO DREAMS (Butimar Productions) 2016
Winner of the Tiger Award – International Film Festival Rotterdam 2016
FRONTIER BLUES (Caspian Films) 2009
Winner of the FIPRESCI Prize – San Francisco International Film Festival 2010
Heydar: An Afghan in Tehran (Short) 2005
Nomination for Best Short BAFTA 2006
Winner Best Student Short – New York City Short Film Festival 2005
TV
SOUTHCLIFFE (Warp Films/Channel 4) 2013
Second Unit Director