Massoud Mehrabi

Massoud Mehrabi (born in 1954 in Tehran) is an Iranian journalist, writer and caricaturist. He studied cinema at the Faculty of Dramatic Arts of the University of Art (1977–1982).^[1] and later passed a Film Production Management course at the Industrial Management Institute (1983–84). Mehrabi started his professional career as a journalist in 1970, writing articles for several papers. From 1982 to 1989, he worked at the economic desk of the Iranian National Television.

He has been the president and publisher of:

1. Film monthly, in Persian (since 1981), the leading film magazine in Iran. Founded in a time when there was no other serious film journal to meet the expectations of the increasing movie fans, and all pre-Revolutionary film journals had ceased to publish for several years, it attracted a number of young film devotees to its staff as writers and critics, many of whom went on to publish magazines of their own. Providing and developing many future film critics and authors of film books, who grew out of the pages of this influential periodical, Film has always been perceived as an institution, far beyond a mere magazine. For many years, after the release of the films of the prominent Iranian directors, their audience were waiting and eager for the Film's point of view and positions; a situation which remains the same now.

2. Iranian Cinema Yearbook in Persian (since 1992), which covers all the important film events of the year, and reviews every new film released in Iran.

3. Film International quarterly, in English (since 1993), which remains to this day the sole reference journal for non-Persian readers and international festivals all over the world. It has played a significant role in introducing the Iranian cinema, past and present, to the western audience.

Massoud Mehrabi writes books on cinema; his The History of Iranian Cinema (1983) is the best-selling book ever written about the Iranian cinema, a book that has, by popular consent, become established as a powerful and fascinating read in its field. His remarkable recent book, A Hundred Years of Film Adverts and Film Posters in Iran (2012), a unique (bilingual) study on a subject neglected for years and decades, has been well received by the critics and movie fans. Despite its high cover price, the book has been a best-seller, and soon its second edition will be published less than a year after it first appeared in bookstores.

Massoud Mehrabi, always interested in caricatures, has been a caricaturist and a graphic artist for a variety of Iranian publications since 1970 and participated in several Iranian and international caricature exhibitions.

Bibliography

Exhibitions

Awards

• A recipient of a plaque of Appreciation and the Golden Pen Award from the 4th Festival of Film Books

by the House of Cinema (2014) as an outstanding writer and author of Reference Books.

• Honorary Award, House of Iranian Cinema Festival, 2007
• Many Diplomas from Various International Exhibitions of Caricature / 1975–1992
• Silver Medal and 200,000 yen, from Yomiuri Shimbun, Japan / 1983
• Bronze Medal, from Yomiuri Shimbun, Japan / 1982

Contributions as a Jury

• Jury Member of the 1st and 4th International Tehran Cartoon Biennial – 1993, 1999.

As a Publisher and Designer of Books

• The Duties of Assistant Director – Translated and Adapted by Mohammad Haghighat – 1994
• Wind Blows Anywhere it Likes – by Babak Ahmadi – 1992
• Conducted by Morteza Hannaneh – by Touraj Zahedi – 1991
• Tarkovsky – by Babak Ahmadi – 1990
• Understanding Movies – Translated by Iraj Karimi – 1990
• Film Appreciation – Translated by Bahman Taheri – 1989
• Film as Film – Translated by Abdollah Tarbiat – 1989
• Literature and Cinema – a group work – 1989
• The Age of Comic Films – a group work – 1988
• Paradjanov – a group work – 1988
• Yasujiro Ozu – a group work – 1988
• François Truffaut – by Hamid Hodania – 1987
• Acting for Films – a group work – 1987
• The Characteristics and Aims of Film Criticism – 1986

And cover designs for numerous books

Works in Other Newspapers & Periodicals as Writer, Caricaturist and Graphist

• Soroush weekly, 1982
• Sanat-e Haml-o-Naghl monthly, 1982
• Fokahyoun weekly, 1981
• Tebb-o Darou weekly, 1981
• Jahangard weekly/monthly, 1980
• Ferdowsi weekly, 1980
• Zan-e Rouz weekly, 1980
• Pirouzi monthly, 1980
• Kayhan daily, 1987
• Ayandegan daily, 1978
• Donya-ye Varzesh weekly, 1977
• Javanan weekly, 1977
• Talaash monthly, 1977
• Rastakhiz daily, 1975
• Mardom daily, 1975
• Caricature weekly, 1971
• Economic Desk of Iranian Television (IRIB)/ 1982–1989
• Essays, articles and art reviews in various papers/ 1970–1995

Gallery

External links

• Massoud Mehrabi / website
• Massoud Mehrabi / weblog
• Film Magazine / Website
• Film International Website

Notes