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Asghar Farhadi is one of the most prominent directors in Iranian history. He got his start in TV before transitioning to features in the early 2000s, directing a string of dramatic gems beginning with 2003's Dancing in the Dust. His projects tend to be realistic dramas that delve into relationships and social dynamics, generally making subtle commentaries on modern life in his home country. Farhadi's most famous project is the acclaimed drama A Separation, which brought him significant international attention.

Another week, another early Asghar Farhadi film gets restored and finally comes to North America. Following last week’s release of his 2003 drama Dancing in the Dust, Film Movement Classics will now release the Oscar-winning Iranian director’s second feature Beautiful City in a new 2K restoration approved by Farhadi. Led by Taraneh Alidoosti––who would go on to work with the director in Fireworks Wednesday, About Elly, and The Salesman––the 2004 drama will be released digitally on October 13 and we’re pleased to exclusively deubt the new trailer.

Here’s the full synopsis: “After spending two years in juvenile detention for killing his girlfriend as a teenager, the troubled, young Akbar is transferred to an adult facility shortly after turning 18. No longer a minor, his death sentence will soon be legally carried out. Meanwhile outside, Ala — Akbar’s friend and newly paroled petty thief — along with Akbar’s sister...

Exclusive: Film Movement Classics has acquired North American rights to 2K digital restorations of Asghar Farhadi’s first two features Dancing in the Dust and Beautiful City, which have been signed off on by the two-time Oscar winner himself. Both restored dramas will be released theatrically this year, with a release on all heading home entertainment and digital platforms to follow.

In Farhadi’s 2003 feature directorial debut Dancing in the Dust, Nazar (Yousef Khodaparast) is pressured into divorcing his wife (Baran Kosari) because of her family’s bad reputation. This leads to money problems, and before long, he’s on the run due to debts that he can’t pay. Hiding out in the desert, he meets an eccentric elderly man (Faramarz Gharibian) who makes a living by collecting venom from poisonous snakes. Nazar becomes his unlikely partner and gets an unexpected chance at redemption. The film won Best Director,...

Farhadi’s ‘Everybody Knows’ will also screen in the Open Air programme.

Iranian director Asghar Farhadi will preside over the Competition jury at the 24th Sarajevo Film Festival, which runs this August 10-17.

Farhadi’s most recent film, Everybody Knows, will also screen at the festival in the Open Air programme.

Starring Penélope Cruz and Javier Bardem, it was the opening film of the recent Cannes Film Festival on May 8.

A feature director since 2002’s Dancing In The Dust, Farhadi is best known for his films A Separation (2011) and The Salesman (2016), both of which won the Academy Award for best foreign language film.