journey of ALTERNATIVE FILM LAB :

Established in Tehran (2012) by Mohammad Shirvani, Alternative Film Lab is a production house and talent-development hub dedicated to independent cinema in Iran. For over a decade, we have fostered a legacy of underground filmmaking, mentoring a new generation of Iranian directors through innovative initiatives. Now operating internationally with a recent presence at the 76th Berlinale Forum, we serve as a strategic bridge for Persian-language cinema, facilitating international co-productions and global sales.

about MOHAMMAD SHIRVANI :

Mohammad Shirvani (born 1973, Tehran) is an Iranian independent filmmaker and producer working between narrative and experimental cinema. His first short film The Circle (1999) was selected for the Critics’ Week at the Cannes Film Festival, and his early works were distributed in Europe by MK2.
His debut feature Navel (2003) marked a turning point in Iranian underground cinema, challenging censorship and official production systems. His second feature Fat Shaker (2013) won the Tiger Award at the International Film Festival Rotterdam and was subsequently banned in Iran.
Working consistently outside official structures, Shirvani has developed an independent path in response to restriction and censorship. In 2012, he founded the Alternative Film Lab in Tehran, an initiative dedicated to supporting underground filmmaking and mentoring a new generation of filmmakers.
In 2015, in protest against censorship and the continued ban on his work, he released 18 of his prohibited films online, an act that resonated widely and influenced a new wave of independent Iranian filmmakers.
Three of his films received post-production support from the Hubert Bals Fund.
His films have screened at major festivals including Cannes, Berlinale, Sundance, Locarno, and Rotterdam. His latest feature ‘Cesarean Weekend’ premieres in the Forum section of Berlinale 2026.