Shabnam Tolouei

Acclaimed Actress, Playwright and Director

• Born in Tehran/Iran Shabnam is an actress, filmmaker, theatre director, and playwright.
• Graduated in filmmaking from Bagh-Ferdos Film School, Iran as well as theatre studies from Université Paris X, Nanterre, France.
• Started her career by writing short stories for cultural magazines in 1990 and been writing plays and film scripts since 1994.
• Acted on stage since 1993 and has performed regularly as the leading role in more than 25 plays.
• Has been teaching different methods of stage and screen acting since 2001.
• 5 times recipient of awards as best actress, best playwright, and best director in the International Fadjr Theatre Festival in Iran from 1996 to 2004.
• Over the course of her career she has acted in theatre and film under the direction of Bahram Beyzai, Ali Raffi, Pari Saberi, Shirin Neshat, Kaveh Modiri, Marziyeh Meshkini, Siamak Shayeghi, Mohammad Aghebati to name a few.
• Her Novel "My Dear Actor", focusing on theatre history, published by Cheshmeh Publishing House, has been used as both a core and supplemental resource for young adults.

She has been continuing her artistic career as a documentary filmmaker, theatre director, actress, and acting instructor outside Iran.