An Iranian-American writer and director, born in North Carolina, USA. He graduated from Columbia University in New York State. His first film, Man Push Cart (2005), was screened in 2005 at the Venice Film Festival in Italy and the Sundance International Film Festival in the United States. He won more than ten awards, and art critic Roger Ebert considered him the most important director to emerge. He is known for 99 Homes (2014) and The White Tiger (2021).