Noor Film Festival

Question Index
What is your mission/vision?
What makes NFF different than other festivals?
What are your affiliations?
Who are the organizers?
What is this year's theme?
How are films selected and judged?
How do I get tickets?

What is your mission/vision?
To foster a greater appreciation of Iranian-American culture and its contribution to the American cultural landscape, independent of religious and political ideology, through the medium of cinema.

What makes NFF different than other festivals?
Our focus and our reach... By presenting films from Iran and around the world that an American audience would not typically have access to, we strive to bring diverse communities together through the storytelling medium of film. We foster a greater appreciation of Iranian-American culture and its contribution to the American cultural landscape.

What are your affiliations?
None. The NFF is an independent, non-religious, nonpolitical festival. Funding comes from corporate sponsors and patrons. We have no affiliation with other groups or government agencies.

Who are the cofounders?
Siamak G.
Siamak is happy to have mixed his love for film with his love for his Iranian heritage in putting on the Noor Film Festival. Visit Siamak G. Productions for more info about Siamak and his other projects.

Anthony Azizi
Charming and handsome, Anthony Azizi, costars in ABC’s one hour drama “Commander In Chief” alongside Geena Davis and Donald Sutherland as Vince Taylor the gay, HIV positive aide to the President of the United States. Vince Taylor is the first of his kind on network television. Azizi also made history on ABC’s one hour drama, “Threat Matrix”, as Mo, the first series regular Egyptian-American Muslim character on network television. Azizi has recently finished production, starring opposite Tony Shalhoub in the film “American East.”

Anthony Azizi is as much the consummate actor as his is a force of nature. He is one of those electric people who creates energy when he enters a room. He loves playing diverse roles and approaches each with passion and commitment to character. Some of his film credits include “Three Kings” with George Clooney, “McHales Navy” with Tom Arnold and Debra Messing, and “Tomcats” with Jerry O’Connell. Currently he’s recurring on ABC’s “Desperate Housewives” as Mr Faladi and has held recurring roles on Fox’s “24”, CBS’s “JAG” as well as guest starring roles on Criminal Minds, Las Vegas, Without A Trace, Sleeper Cell, West Wing, Dragnet and Strong Medicine and many more…

Anthony is excited to have developed this film festival with his wife, Cymbeline, Krista and Siamak.

Cymbeline Smith-Rowshan
Cymbeline has been involved with the acting business since she was born. Well, nearly! She won the best actress award as a child & teenager at Festivals in Southern England many times over and was awarded a choral scholarship for acting and music in her secondary school.

Cymbeline was in two touring companies as well as studying acting and dance at Birmingham University (the number one course for acting at a University at the time). She earned a First for all her practical work, as well as acting in the University's theatre company at the Edinburgh Festival, Scotland. Cymbeline also has a postgraduate degree in acting from the Drama Studio London. She was an actress for the Royal National Theatre and took class at the National Theatre's Studio. Cymbeline produced and acted in the TV comedy 'Losers in LA'.

Cymbeline is very excited to be one of the founders of FiddleHeadFern Productions which just shot their first feature film, a psychological thriller called ‘Strange Angel”. They are also developing other projects – one of which is called ‘Wings of the Lion.’ It is a love story set against the Revolution in Iran. The company’s goal is to “recount stories that reflect the diversity and layers of the human spirit and experience by creating feature length and short presentations which entertain, enlighten and uplift, through the full richness of the film and TV mediums.”

Krista Behi-Semple
Krista has been involved in the performing arts from a very early age, starting out in professional theater as a child. She went onto study performing arts, stage management and other production elements in Wales where she also grew up. While still in school, Krista worked on stage and television in front and behind the camera on shows such as BBC Wales’ “Bubble Gum” and S4C’s “iDot”.

Krista was also a modern-dancer for many years and has a number of choreography credits from European Dance Tours to NYC performances. While performing as a principal actor, dancer and choreographer, Krista also helped produce tours for the Baha’i inspired performing groups ‘Vision’ and ‘Youthquake’. Krista was thrilled to work as an assistant Stage Manager (which also meant understudying every role suitable!) at the legendary Circle Repertory, Off Broadway theatre in New York City.

Having spent five years working in movie sales and marketing for Vivamorem Entertainment Inc., an international distribution and production company, Krista has developed a broader skill base in the business of making and distributing feature films. She represented Vivamorem at Cannes and the American Film Market in the aforementioned capacity for the last five years.

Krista is proud to be the co-writer and producer of the show ‘Losers in LA’, which she performed with her creative–partner, Cymbeline, at the Hudson Theatre in LA. The show received critical acclaim by the press and great responses from the audiences. A demo has been made with NBC and developments for the television version as a Hybrid comedy are in the pipeline. Last but certainly not least, Krista is proud to be one of the three cofounders of the company FiddleHeadFern Productions. The company’s motto is: “We all matter and it matters what we do!”

Both Krista and Cymbeline are really excited about the Noor Film Festival. From the beginning it has been an event designed to build bridges across cross-cultural borders.

What is this year's theme?
Women.

How are films selected and judged?
Film submissions are first reviewed by NFF organizers and staff who assess them for their narrative content, themes explored and technical production. Films that pass the first cut are then delivered to the panel of celebrity judges for their consideration. Awards will be presented during the festival.

How do I get tickets?
Please visit our online box office.

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