7Berkeh: The 9th Kal Short Film Festival witnessed the rising of a new talent in filmmaking in Geash: Saeed Ravabakhsh. He directed two important films that gained attention: “Battle”, an action-packed film that explored social struggles in a world where even dreams were not safe from crime; and “The Familiar City”, a four-minute documentary showcasing the beauty and culture of Gerash.
“Battle” was filmed in just nine days during the summer of 2012, followed by two months of intensive editing. The film relied heavily on special effects, which Saeid created using Magix Movie Maker Pro. “The Familiar City” was shot over three days and was designed to introduce the city to festival audiences.
Saeid Ravanbakhsh has started making films during his school years, using a simple mobile phone camera. He taught himself how to edit videos on his phone and later moved on to computer software. His first short film, “Beggar to Beggar…”, was made using AVI Video Editor, and even with limited tools, he managed to bring his creative ideas to life.
In 2011, Saeid Ravanbakhsh directed his second short film, “12:12”, a horror film edited with Ulead Video Studio 11. The film was praised for its editing and storytelling, earning recognition at the KAL Short Film Festival in Iran. The irony? The film was labelled as +18, yet its director, Saeid, was only 16 years old at the time. This unexpected contrast became a humorous talking point in local film circles, further establishing him as a rising talent.
To strengthen his filmmaking career, Saeid Ravanbakhsh pursues higher education in Marketing and Film Production at the American University of Sharjah. His studies helped him blend storytelling with business strategy, allowing him to work in different areas of filmmaking, including screenwriting, directing, cinematography, and editing.
Read the Persian news story here.
