23rd edition November 20th to 28th, 2026
23rd edition
20 to 28 November, 2026
Payman Maadi is an acclaimed and internationally recognized actor and filmmaker. He began his career as a screenwriter, earning national attention in Iran before transitioning to acting with a lead role in Asghar Farhadi’s About Elly, winner of the Best Narrative Feature award at the Tribeca Film Festival. His breakthrough came with Farhadi’s Academy Award and Golden Globe winner A Separation, for which Maadi received the Silver Bear for Best Actor at the Berlin International Film Festival. He earned further praise at the Berlinale in 2023 for his lead role in Opponent, and recently starred in Anne Fontaine’s Night Shift and Jared Moshe’s Aporia. Maadi’s international credits include The Night Of, Westworld, Camp X-Ray, 13 Hours, and 6 Underground. Also a director, he helmed Snow on the Pines and Bomb: A Love Story. He splits his time between Los Angeles and Tehran.
As actor
CRIME 101 (Bart Layton, Upcoming)
WOMAN AND CHILD / ZAN O BACHEH (Saeed Roustayi, 2025)
APORIA (Jared Moshe, 2016)
OPPONENT / MOTSTÅNDAREN (Milad Alami, 2023) – Best ActorGULDBAGGE AWARDS
PARFUM (Dylan Gee, 2011, Short film)
LEILA’S BROTHERS / LEILA ET SES FRÈRES (Saeed Roustayi, 2022)
NIGHT SHIFT / POLICE (Anne Fontaine, 2020)
WALNUT TREE (Mohammad Hossein Mahdavian, 2020)
6 UNDERGROUND (Michael Bay, 2019)
JUST 6.5 / LA LOI DE TÉHÉRAN/ METRI SHESH VA NIM (Saeed Roustayi, 2019)
13 HOURS: THE SECRET SOLDIERS OF BENGHAZI / 13 HOURS (Michael Bay, 2016)
LIFE AND A DAY / ABAD VA YEK ROOZ (Saeed Roustayi, 2016)
THE NIGHT OF (2016, TV)
THE LAST KNIGHTS / LAST KNIGHTS (Kazuaki Kiriya, 2015)
CAMP X-RAY / THE GUARD (Peter Sattler, 2014)
GHESSEHA (TALES) / GHESSE-HA (Rakhshan Bani Etemad, 2014)
MELBOURNE (Nima Javidi, 2014)
A SEPARATION / UNE SÉPARATION / JODAEIYE NADER AZ SIMIN (Asghar Farhadi, 2011) – Silver Bear for Best Actor BERLIN INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL
MOURNING / QUERELLES (Morteza Farshbaf, 2011)
ABOUT ELLY / A PROPOS D’ELLY / DARBAREYE ELLY (Asghar Farhadi, 2009)
As director
* ** BOMB: A LOVE STORY (2018)
* SNOW ON PINES / BARF ROOYE KAJHA (2012)
* Also screenwriter
** Also actor
As screenwriter
STAR CAFE (Saman Moghadam, 2006)
SWAN SONG / AVAZ-E GHOO (Saeed Assadi, 2011)
Payman Maadi is an acclaimed and internationally recognized actor and filmmaker. He began his career as a screenwriter, earning national attention in Iran before transitioning to acting with a lead role in Asghar Farhadi’s About Elly, winner of the Best Narrative Feature award at the Tribeca Film Festival. His breakthrough came with Farhadi’s Academy Award and Golden Globe winner A Separation, for which Maadi received the Silver Bear for Best Actor at the Berlin International Film Festival. He earned further praise at the Berlinale in 2023 for his lead role in Opponent, and recently starred in Anne Fontaine’s Night Shift and Jared Moshe’s Aporia. Maadi’s international credits include The Night Of, Westworld, Camp X-Ray, 13 Hours, and 6 Underground. Also a director, he helmed Snow on the Pines and Bomb: A Love Story. He splits his time between Los Angeles and Tehran.