these fruits are still alive

Saleh Kashefi (born in Tehran August 1st, 1999) is an Iranian artist, filmmaker, musician and DJ whose works bring a bold lens upon contemporary Islamic youth culture, making ‘no-budget’ films which have gone on to be screened with international acclaim. He began his career as a child actor when he was 9 years old before starting to make films when he was 12 years old. He`s an alumni of FIFF‘s Talent Campus 2019, Locarno Film Festival’s Filmmakers Academy 2021 and has been part of artist residencies like Switzerland’s Basel House of Film‘s Filmmaker Residency Program, China’s Young Yan Artists Residency, Norway’s PRAKSIS Exhibition Artist Residency and the winner of Prince Claus Seed Awards 2021. He has made 14 short films which have been included in over 100 film festivals around the world and have won 26 awards. His work usually surrounds the youth exploring numerous taboo topics like sexuality, religion and politics in a mix between documentary and fiction, putting his characters in uncomfortable therapy-like situations in order to explore the emotions of the contemporary youth in the middle east while he works with zero-budget and as all the crew of the film himself. Right now he is working on a 10 part documentary project, a short fiction co-production and his first feature film. His first feature film is one of the six selected projects for the 41st session of La Residence du Festival De Cannes which won the CNC support grant at Cannes Film Festival 2021 for best project during the Cinefondation pitching session. He is the youngest filmmaker ever selected at the Cannes Residence and the Locarno Academy.