Today we’d like to introduce you to Mahmoud Shoolizadeh.
Hi Mahmoud, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstories with our readers?
I am a film Director, Screen Writer, Actor, and Producer based in the USA and an active filmmaker since 1988. I received a Bachelor’s degree in Film Production (Directing) and a Master’s degree in Cultural Affairs Management in my origin country Iran. I have been a film director for over 35 years and am involved in the production of over fifty films.
My major activities include directing fiction, documentary, long and short films, and acting in some films. Besides directing, producing, and editing films, I also undertake writing the screenplays. In 2010, I immigrated to the USA. Each year, I made fiction short or Long length films.
I have made my latest long Feature Narrative film SUSAN (2018) in London, United Kingdom. It has streamed on Amazon Prime like some of my other films. I am now acting in a Narrative Feature Long length film called “The Lost Poem” and preparing research materials for making a new film project screenplay. I have been the recipient of several international awards, including the Best Film award for the feature film “Noora” at the “49th Taormina International Film Festival”, Italy in June 2003. This long length 35 mm movie “Noora” has been the “Official Selection” in many film festivals and has gotten several awards. “Noora” has been sold to more than 40 countries for broadcasting on TV channels all over the world. Best Film award for “The Prisoner” at the “Hollywood Cinerockom International Film Festival”, USA, LA, CA, 2013.
Best Film award for “The Debt” at the “Moondance International Film Festival”, USA, CO, Boulder, September 2014. Best American Film award for “Daddy” at the “Toronto World International Film Festival”, Canada, Toronto, December 2015. Best Feature Film award for the “Daddy” at the “Phoenix International Film Festival”, Australia, Melbourne, November 2015. Best Children’s Film award for “Daddy” at the “Los Angeles International Film Festival”, USA, LA, CA, 2016. Best Feature Film for Kids award for “Daddy” at “The Kids Film Festival”, Spain, Madrid, May 2016. Also the Best Fiction Film award for “The Lover” at the “Five Continents International Film Festival”, Puerto La Cruz, Venezuela, June 2017, Best Story award at the “Red Corner International Film Festival”, Sweden, June 2017.
I have played the leading roles in long length movies such as “The Lost Poem” (2022) directed by Zuo Liujiyi in the Boston USA, “Johann Wolfgang von Goethe” (2007) directed by myself, and “The Puppet Bride” (1996) directed by Hojatollah Sayfi and “The Lover of Koochak” (1985) directed by Farokh Ansari in Tehran Iran. In 1987, I worked in a new feature narrative long film directed by Mohammadreza Bozorgnia that was called “Angelica Ship” (1988) as script supervisor. It was a great experience for me, working in a big production, set on a huge ship on the sea, and being in the director’s team.
I also have written several long length screenplays including “Susan” (2018), “Two Friends” (2017), “The Lover” co-writer (2015), “Daddy” co-writer (2014), “Poet of Life and Love” (2009), “My Homeland”(2008), “Forgotten” (2007), “The Migration of Love” (2004), and “Noora” (2001) and…
Let us know about the film festival you established in the USA.
I am the president of the “American Golden Picture International Film Festival” that we have established in 2019 in Jacksonville Florida, USA. Filmmakers from all over the world can submit their films to this film festival through FilmFreeWay platforms. It is open all the time for submission and a wonderful opportunity for the Filmmakers to share their films with the audience.
The ”American Golden Picture International Film Festival” is a yearly event structured in monthly contests. The physical live screening of the “American Golden Picture International Film Festival” happens just once every year with an award ceremony in front of the audience. Actually, our judges in each month will select the films, give the best one an award, then for yearly screening they will choose the best of the best among all the monthly winners for the physical annual live screening.
Due to our special programming system, there is a chance for the filmmakers to win in one of the monthly competitions and then automatically participate in the yearly competition to win and receive the annual award.
The American Golden Picture Film Festival celebrates the best that cinema has to offer, showcasing films from talented filmmakers and emerging storytellers. The Festival welcomes films from around the world and offers an impressive selection of competitive programming.
The Festival brings both domestic and international films to the big live silver screen in front of the audience every year. The “American Golden Picture International Film Festival” aims to help independent filmmakers gain the credibility and publicity they truly deserve. The movie will compete with other independent films with world-class talents. The festival will award and present a digital “Gold Certificate” in all categories to the winners of each month.
During the past years, due to my film background and awards I took, I was invited to be a judge as part of various film festival panels of jurors internationally including:
1- “American Golden Picture International Film Festival” 2019, Jacksonville, Florida, USA
2- “Harvard College International Film Festival” 2019, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
3- “Southeast Regional Film Festival” 2019, Jacksonville, Florida, USA
4- “Jacksonville Dance Film Festival” 2019, Jacksonville, Florida, USA
5- “Golden Tree Documentary International Film Festival” 2018, Frankfurt, Germany
6- “Texas Cinemania International Film Festival” 2016 and 2017, Texas, USA
7- “WideScreen International Film Festival” 2015, Miami, Florida, USA
8- ” Red Dirt International Film Festival” 2014, Stillwater, Oklahoma, USA
9- “Amelia Island International Film Festival” 2014, Amelia Island, Florida, USA
10- “Gwinnett Center International Film Festival” 2014, Georgia, USA
11- “StArtFest Film Festival” 2014, Orlando, Florida, USA
12- “48 HFP in Jacksonville” 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013 Jacksonville Florida, USA
What is your filmography or the list of my most important films that could bring you several awards during the past years?
• “Susan”, Feature fiction film (Producer, Director, Writer, and Editor) 2018
• “The Lover”, Feature fiction film (Producer, Director, co-Writer and Editor) 2016
• “Daddy”, Feature fiction film (Producer, Director, co-Writer and Editor) 2015
• “The Debt”, Short fiction film (Producer, Director, co-Writer and Editor) 2014
• “The Prisoner”, Short fiction film (Director and Editor) 2013
• “Falcon’s Blood Diamond”, Short fiction film (Director, Actor and Cinematographer) 2010
• “Homeless”, Documentary (Producer, Director, Writer, and Cinematographer) 2006
• “A man Called Brian”, Documentary (Producer, Director, and Cinematographer) 2005
• “Noora”, The long length 35 mm, Feature fiction film (Writer and Director) 2002
• “Studying in the Modern World”, The series of films, Documentary (Writer and Director) 1997
• “Culture and Scientific Treasuries”, The series of films, Documentary (Writer and Director) 1996
• “Nations Cultures”, The series of films, Documentary (Writer, Director, and Researcher) including :
England, France, Netherlands, Belgium, Ethiopia, Sudan, Senegal, Guinea, and Kenya. 1994-1997
• “Religious Toolmaker”, Fiction-Documentary (Producer, Director, and Writer) 1991
• “The World Intellectuals”, The series of fiction films (Writer and Director) 1990
• “The Textbooks”, The series of films, Documentary (Writer, Director, and Researcher) 1990
• “One Land, Five Nations”, The series of films, Documentary (Writer and Director) 1989
• “A City Surrounded by Mountains”, The series of films, Documentary (Director) 1988
• “The Noon of the 10th Day”, Documentary (Writer, Director, and Researcher) 1988
• “The Bitter Dawn”, The fiction film (Writer and Director) 1988
• “Green Faces, Burnt Bodies”, Documentary (Writer, Director, and Researcher) 1985
• “The End”, The fiction film (Writer and Director) 1984
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
There were a lot of obstacles along the way. I have moved a few times and I did my best to cope each time. Being an immigrant to find the best opportunities in life is not easy, especially when you have to find your connections and paths.
When I came to the USA, it took me a while to find those professionals around me who were able to assist me. I also tried to start with making short fiction films, then later, I made the long-length features that attended different international film festivals around the world. These films were officially selected and screened in those festivals and even got several awards which was a great encouragement for all my cast and crew for what they had done in my films.
Attending the festivals is a big challenge when your film is going to be judged by different people so it is important to keep the enthusiasm and get stronger. I came to the conclusion that how getting an award at a film festival can be so encouraging to the filmmakers, that was when I thought about establishing one in order to support and encourage the other filmmakers.
The “American Golden Picture International Film Festival” aims to help independent filmmakers gain the credibility and publicity they truly deserve.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I am very proud of every single film I made and every step I took so far. Even establishing a film festival was once in the corner of my mind, but when I decided seriously about it, it became a reality. The reviews I receive on the festival’s website show how appreciated the filmmakers are because of our support. At our film festival, we even write feedbacks and reviews on the films if the filmmakers would like to know more about their final product.
So they can submit in this category and receive the reviews in four pages in different aspects of technical and content. I am hoping to be able to find some connections in more professional film industry sections so I can work more with those in higher levels of professionalism.
I also welcome any filmmaker who would like to contact me to share my years of experience either in acting in their films or in any other way they need, My email and phone number are available on my website and social media.
In terms of your work and the industry, what are some of the changes you are expecting to see over the next five to ten years?
When we started the film festival, the number of submissions was inclined rapidly in a few months but with the start of the Covid pandemic. it negatively affected the film industry and our film festival was not an exception. The number of films made during this difficult time went down tremendously since many people lost their jobs and with less money, the number of film productions and submissions to our festival was affected.
We hope with getting back to normal, more films can be made and more films can attend the festival. As the reviews on film festival were great, it is a big encouragement for us to continue and we are very hopeful that in a few years time we can receive the best films to choose from for our audience and we can physically have the audience come to the theaters to watch those films together on a big screen instead of the current online streaming.
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: https://americangoldenpictureiff.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/americangoldenpicture/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AmericanGoldenPictureIFF
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/GoldenIff
- Other: https://shoolizadeh.com/
Image Credits
Mahmoud Shoolizadeh
