Photo: Fabienkhan / CC BY-SA 2.5 (source: Wikimedia Commons)
Mohsen Makhmalbaf was born on May 29, 1957 in Tehran, Tehran Province, Iran. Mohsen Makhmalbaf is credited as a writer, film director and film producer. That works out to 69 years old in 2026. Recorded honors include Freedom to Create Prize (2009), Sitges Film Festival Best Director award (1996), honorary doctorate of Paris Nanterre University (2010) and 2 more. Notable works include The Cyclist and Kandahar.
My Take
Mohsen Makhmalbaf is, to my mind, one of the great consciences of Iranian cinema. Films like The Cyclist and Kandahar refuse easy entertainment, confronting poverty, borders, and freedom head-on. More than twenty features and some fifty awards are impressive, but the number that matters less than the courage. To keep filming, honestly and humanely, in a place and time where doing so carried real danger is the achievement. His Freedom to Create Prize feels emblematic of everything he stands for. He turned a camera into an instrument of dignity and never looked away, and for that he has my deep respect.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Mohsen Makhmalbaf
- Name (Japanese)
- モフセン・マフマルバフ
- Reading
- もふせん・まふまるばふ
- Born
- May 29, 1957 (age 69)
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Gemini / Rooster
- Origin
- Tehran, Tehran Province, Iran
- Occupation
- writer / film director / film producer / film editor / novelist
2. Background
Awards & achievements
- 2009 Freedom to Create Prize
- 1996 Sitges Film Festival Best Director award
- 2010 honorary doctorate of Paris Nanterre University
- 2015 Annual award ACFK
- 2011 Honorary Doctor of Letters
3. Works & records
| Category | Title | Role | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Notable work | The Cyclist | — | |
| Notable work | Kandahar | — |
4. Links
- Official sitehttps://www.makhmalbaf.com/
- Wikipedia (English)https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mohsen%20Makhmalbaf
- Wikipedia (Japanese)https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E3%83%A2%E3%83%95%E3%82%BB%E3%83%B3%E3%83%BB%E3%83%9E%E3%83%95%E3%83%9E%E3%83%AB%E3%83%90%E3%83%95
- Wikidatahttps://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q55211
5. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-23
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public or unconfirmed items are omitted. English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.
Frequently asked questions
When was Mohsen Makhmalbaf born?
Born May 29, 1957 (age 69).
Where is Mohsen Makhmalbaf from?
Mohsen Makhmalbaf is from Tehran, Tehran Province, Iran.
What does Mohsen Makhmalbaf do?
Mohsen Makhmalbaf works as writer, film director, film producer, film editor, novelist.
What is Mohsen Makhmalbaf known for?
Notable works include The Cyclist, Kandahar.
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