Mohammadreza Vatandoust

Mohamadreza Vatandoust began his career in theater as a child. He continued his love for theater and and performance art by winning several awards during high school in theater design, directing, and best play before he was accepted at the Tehran University of Art as an Honor Student in 2000. During his sophomore year he directed his first documentary "RED MOUNTAIN" winning numerous awards and festivals. He won the Best film at the International Short Film Festival in Tehran (2003). He completed his dissertation with another documentary "50000 YEARS DAY" (2005)earning him an honor's degree in 2005. This film too went on to again win Vatandoust many awards. He completed his Masters degree in Art research and Sociology. "WHEN THE LEMONS TURNED YELLOW" (2009) is Vantandoust's first feature film.This film premiered at the Montreal World Film Festival, and won the Best first feature film award. and in 2019 his other film "Lotus", a documentary film premiered and won the "Artistic Vision Award" at the Big Sky Documentary Film Festival (USA). He has directed several award-winning documentary and feature films which have been screened in many prestigious international film festivals such as the Montreal, Sao Paulo, Munich, LA, Sheffield, Big Sky, Ji.hlava, and Shanghai International Film Festival.

He is an university lecturer, and has had over 30 professional workshops in most of cities of Iran, and other countries, directed a Workshop in "Writing A Plot and Directing A Movie of Invisible Wounds" at the Avanca International Film Festival (portugal, 2011). He has taught creativity directing in IRIB Education Center, and cinema college in Iran from 2011. And also he has judged in a lot of festivals.