TALENT SPOTLIGHT: SADAF FOROUGHI

CFC Features Alumna, Summer With Hope (2022)

“It is essential for me to explore the problems faced by the people of my motherland [Iran]. I am aware of the cultural and social complexities there. I like to follow what’s going on there as much as possible with thorough analysis and investigation, hoping for any positive changes.”

Iranian-Canadian filmmaker Sadaf Foroughi has become known for her unique and poignant storytelling, filled with striking visuals and barbed complexities. In 2003, Foroughi began her professional career by diving into filmmaking with short films, documentaries and video art. Intense gratitude for the art of filmmaking inspired Foroughi to take her love of storytelling to new heights by pursuing a degree in Film Production from the New York Film Academy and an MA in Film Studies from the University of Provence.

Foroughi gained recognition in 2017, when her debut feature Ava premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival, where it received an honourable mention as Best Canadian First Feature Film and the International Critics’ Award (FIPRESCI) in the Discovery section.

Fast-forward to 2022: Sadaf’s sophomore feature, Summer With Hope - the second part of a planned trilogy that started with Ava - premiered to critical acclaim at the 2022 Karlovy Vary International Film Festival, where it took home the Crystal Globe for Best Feature Film, and went on to receive three 2023 Canadian Screen Award nominations.

“It [Summer With Hope] examines the pressure-filled expectations of a new generation, for both themselves and their families, as they explore beckoning horizons and newly discovered freedoms. Set against the backdrop of a traditional patriarchal society where tendencies that contradict accepted norms are met with fierce-yet-cloaked resistance, Summer With Hope is a classic tragedy of real-world proportions.”