Desiree Akhavan

Desiree Akhavan
Born 1984
New York
Nationality American
Occupation filmmaker, screenwriter, actor
Known for Appropriate Behavior

Desiree Akhavan (1984)[1] is an Iranian-American film director, producer, screenwriter and actor located in New York. She is best known for her 2014 feature film debut Appropriate Behavior.[2][3]

Biography

Early life

Born and raised in upstate New York to Iranian immigrant parents who left the country following the Iranian Revolution in 1980 and now identify as American [2][4] As a child Akhavan grew up learning about American culture through watching TV shows and movies [4] During childhood she often felt left out despite having a strong sense of humour [5][6] She began writing plays when she was 10 years old and began acting in plays at 13 years old [5][7] Akhavan went to a Bronx prep school and had a tough time as a teenager for being considered weird and was often ignored by her peers [5][4] She continued to write plays as a teenager [6] When she was young Akhavan wanted to work in theatre but later changed to studying film because it gave her more control over her content [8]

Education

Akhavan studied film and theatre at Smith College, the prestigious all-women’s college in Massachusetts, where she was a bit of a loner.[9] At 22 she studied film directing at New York University's Tisch School of the Arts and spent a year studying abroad at Queen Mary, University of London.[2][7][10]

Akhavan identifies herself as a bisexual woman.[9] After coming out to her parents at age 24 they had a hard time adjusting to the news for about a year but they now accept her sexuality because of the work she has done [5][4] Her films often have scenes filmed at her parent’s house and they contributed by feeding the cast and crew [6] Her family is very supportive of her. Akhavan has acted, directed, and written several pieces over the past few years as listed below.[6]

Work

Akhavan made her first short film Two Drink Minimum while studying in London.[11]

In 2010 Akhavan wrote and directed the short film Nose Job, and wrote, directed and acted in the lesbian-themed web series The Slope.[2][12]

Akhavan and Ingrid Jungermann, her creative partner on The Slope, were named to Filmmaker's 25 New Faces of Independent Film in 2012.[13]

She plays a writing student in Season 4 of Girls. The role was offered to her after Lena Dunham and Jenny Konner saw her film Appropriate Behaviour [8]

In 2014 Akhavan’s film Appropriate Behaviour, in which she plays an alternative version of herself, premiered at the Sundance Film Festival [5] The film was inspired by a break up and coming out to her parents but is not autobiographical [4] She wrote Appropriate Behaviour as thesis paper for film studies at New York University [11]

Akhavan is comfortable taking on whatever role is needed of her during a project and does not have a preference between being a writer, director, and actor [5]

She was selected for the Sundance Institute’s Episodic Story Lab for her pilot script Switch Hitter [14]

She has stated she drawn inspiration from people such as Woody Allen, Todd Solondz, and Noah Baumbach.[11]

Filmography

[15]

Year

Title Credit
2015 Girls (tv show) Actor
2014 Appropriate Behaviour (movie) Director/Writer/Actor
2010 The Slope (web series) Director/Writer/Actor
2010 Nose Job (short) Director/Writer

Awards and Nominations

Akhavan was nominated in the Independant Spirit Awards for best debut script for Appropriate Behaviour [4]

Akhavan's film Appropriate Behaviour won the Grand Jury Award at the San Diego Asian Film Festival [16]

References

  1. "Appropriate Behavior’s Desiree Akhavan: Just Your Average Iranian, Bisexual, Mel Brooks-Loving Breakthrough Filmmaker". Vanity Fair. Retrieved 2015-04-27.
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 "Sundance: Why Desiree Akhavan Could be the Next Lena Dunham". Variety, January 18, 2014.
  3. "Exclusive: Clip From Sundance Film 'Appropriate Behavior,' Writer/Director/Star Desiree Akhavan Talks Sex Scenes & More". Indiewire, January 15, 2014.
  4. 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 "Desiree Akhavan on Appropriate Behaviour and not being the ‘Iranian bisexual Lena Dunham’". March 5, 2015. Retrieved April 7, 2015.
  5. 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 "10 Questions for Filmmaker Desiree Akhavan". The Arts Desk. 2015-03-03. Retrieved 2015-04-08.
  6. 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 "How A Young Iranian Bisexual Filmmaker’s Family Helped Her Get To Sundance". January 22, 2015. Retrieved April 7, 2015.
  7. 7.0 7.1 "Desiree Akhavan & Ira Sachs: 'Seeing an out person living the kind of life I wanted made me want to emulate it'". March 8, 2015. Retrieved April 7, 2015.
  8. 8.0 8.1 "Appropriate Behaviour director Desiree Akhavan on diversity in film and being an outsider". March 5, 2015. Retrieved April 7, 2015.
  9. 9.0 9.1 http://www.vanityfair.com/vf-hollywood/2015/01/desiree-akhavan-appropriate-behavior
  10. QMUL. "Graduate’s ‘Iranian-American bisexual comedy’ premieres at London Film Festival". QMUL. QMUL. Retrieved 2015-01-12.
  11. 11.0 11.1 11.2 "'I'm not the new Lena Dunham': Desiree Akhavan on her new film Appropriate Behaviour and why she is different from the 'Girls' star". March 6, 2015. Retrieved April 7, 2015.
  12. "Meet Sundance breakout Desiree Akhavan, the next Lena Dunham". New York Post, January 20, 2014.
  13. "Desiree Akhavan and Ingrid Jungermann | Filmmaker Magazine". 2012. Retrieved 2015-04-27.
  14. "SUNDANCE INSTITUTE SELECTS 10 WRITERS FOR INAUGURAL EPISODIC STORY LAB". September 16, 2015. Retrieved April 7, 2015.
  15. "Desiree Akhavan". IMDB. Retrieved 2015-04-27.
  16. "2014 SDAFF winners announced!". November 9, 2014. Retrieved April 7, 2015.

External links