Maryam Keshavarz (Los Angeles, CA) is one of the 2015 Creative Capital art awardees for her project in progress, The Last Harem, a feature film set in 19th-century Persia that follows a rebellious cross-dressing musician and her romance with the boy-king Nasir. 

Set in tradition-bound 19th-century Persia, The Last Harem follows Jayran, a rebellious cross-dressing musician, her ascension to power and her romance with unconventional boy-king Nasir. Together, they battle societal expectations of their political and gender roles, embodied in the fierce figure of Nasir’s mother and ruler of the Royal Harem, Malik Jahan. The Last Harem is a narrative feature film with a script based on a decade of academic research. The film is intended for international theatrical distribution and is presently in late development stage.

Maryam Keshavarz received her MFA from NYU’s Tisch School in film direction. While a student Maryam made two critically acclaimed films: her short film The Day I Died garnered festival accolades including the Gold Teddy and Jury Award at the Berlin International Film Festival; her feature documentary The Color of Love was feted at the International Documentary Association and Full Frame Festival and was broadcast internationally. Maryam’s first narrative feature, Circumstance, premiered to critical acclaim at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival, garnering the coveted Audience Award and landing Maryam a spot on Deadline.com’s Directors to Watch list. Circumstance has won over a dozen international awards, including Best First Film at the Rome Film Festival and the Audience & Best Actress Awards at Outfest. Described by the Wall Street Journal as “supremely cinematic” and the Hollywood Reporter as “amazingly accomplished and complex,” Circumstance was nominated for an Independent Spirit Award and was theatrically released by Participant Media and Roadside Attractions. 

www.marakeshfilms.com

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Pioneering artist support organization Creative Capital announces its 2015 awardees in the categories of Moving Image and Visual Arts, representing a total of 46 funded projects selected from a nationwide pool of more than 3,700 proposals. Drawing on venture-capital principles, Creative Capital seeks out artists’ projects that are bold, innovative and genre-stretching, then surrounds those artists with the tools they need to realize their visions and build sustainable careers...

The 2015 Awardees in Moving Image are >>>