Baran Nikrah
| Baran Nikrah | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Baran Nikrah at Rostamzad concert, 30 September 2025 (cropped).jpg Nikrah performing as a narrator at Vahdat Hall in 2025 | |
| Native name | باران نیکراه |
| Born | Gilan Province, Iran |
| 🏳️ Nationality | Iranian |
| 💼 Occupation | Film director, screenwriter, producer, presenter, narrator, actress |
| Known for | These Voices Are Real |
Baran Nikrah (Script error: The function "langx" does not exist.) is an Iranian filmmaker, screenwriter, producer, presenter, narrator and actress. She has worked in film, live performance, theatrical productions and audiobook narration.
Nikrah wrote and directed the Iranian short drama film These Voices Are Real (2026), which she co-produced with actress Hoda Zeinolabedin. The film received the Audience Award, the Raskin Spirit Festival Award and an honourable mention at the 38th Minimalen Short Film Festival in Norway. It subsequently won Best Short Film at the 18th Prishtina International Film Festival (PriFest) in Kosovo.[1][2][3]
Career
Presenting and live performance
Nikrah has worked as a presenter and narrator at Iranian cultural, cinematic and artistic events.
In 2019, she presented the closing ceremony of the 37th Fajr International Film Festival in Persian and English. The ceremony included the presentation of awards to films from the festival's international competitions.[4]
In November 2024, Nikrah hosted the 23rd Hafez Awards, an annual Iranian ceremony recognizing achievements in cinema and television. Her role as presenter was documented by the Iranian cultural news publication Saba.[5][6]
In September 2025, she was the narrator of Rostamzad, an orchestral performance by the National Orchestra of Iran at Vahdat Hall in Tehran. The work, composed and conducted by Amir Pourkhalaji, was based on narratives from Ferdowsi's Shahnameh. The performance combined orchestral music with narration across seventeen sections.[7]
Theatre
In 2026, Nikrah joined the cast of Kourosh (Script error: The function "langx" does not exist.), a theatrical production written and directed by Nader Borhani Marand. The play presents a dramatic interpretation of the life of Cyrus the Great, from his birth to the conquest of Ecbatana.
The production was staged at the main hall of Tehran's City Theatre Complex. Its cast also included Hamid Reza Azarang, Morteza Esmail Kashi and Roozbeh Hesari.[8]
Filmmaking
These Voices Are Real (2026)
Nikrah made her short-film directorial debut with These Voices Are Real (Script error: The function "langx" does not exist.), an eleven-minute Iranian drama that she wrote and directed. She also co-produced the film alongside actress Hoda Zeinolabedin. The film stars Zeinolabedin and Dorrin Afsharian.[9][10]
The narrative follows a woman and her young daughter as they wait for the results of a medical test. During the day, the mother records voice messages addressed to an unseen man, while the child observes and imitates aspects of her mother's behaviour. The film examines the relationship between observation, communication, femininity and the experiences of women and girls.[9]
The cinematography was handled by Farshad Mohammadi, with editing by Hamid Najafirad. Other production personnel included production designer Mohsen Shah Ebrahimi, sound recordist Mehdi Ebrahimzadeh and sound designer Hosein Abolsedgh.[9]
The film had its world premiere at the 38th Minimalen Short Film Festival in Trondheim, Norway, in January 2026. At the festival, it received the Audience Award in the International Competition, the Raskin Spirit Festival Award and an honourable mention from the international jury.[1][11]
The film subsequently received the Best Director award at the Golden Grape International Short Film Festival in Georgia.[12]
In September 2026, These Voices Are Real won the Best Short Film award at the 18th Prishtina International Film Festival in Kosovo. The festival jury recognized the film's portrayal of the relationship between a mother and daughter and its emotional approach to the subject.[2][3]
International screenings
Following its Norwegian premiere, These Voices Are Real was selected for a number of international film festivals.
The film screened at SXSW London on 4 June 2026 as part of the Shorts: Bloodlines and Faultlines programme at Curzon Hoxton. The programme presented short films exploring family relationships and intergenerational experiences.[13][14]
In August 2026, the film was selected for the international short-film competition of the Anonimul International Independent Film Festival in Romania. It was one of twelve films selected for the competition.[15]
The film was also selected for the 23rd Sedicicorto Forlì International Film Festival in Italy and was presented at Sentiero Film Factory in Florence.[16][17]
In October 2026, the film appeared in the Short Forum 6: Archive Lives! programme at the Vancouver International Film Festival in Canada.[18]
Selected festival appearances are listed below.
| Year | Festival | Country | Selection or programme | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Minimalen Short Film Festival | Norway | International Competition; world premiere | [1] |
| 2026 | Golden Grape International Short Film Festival | Georgia | Official selection | [12] |
| 2026 | SXSW London | United Kingdom | Shorts: Bloodlines and Faultlines | [14] |
| 2026 | Anonimul International Independent Film Festival | Romania | International Short Film Competition | [15] |
| 2026 | Prishtina International Film Festival | Kosovo | Short Film Competition | [2] |
| 2026 | Sedicicorto Forlì International Film Festival | Italy | Official competition | [16] |
| 2026 | Sentiero Film Factory | Italy | Festival screening | [17] |
| 2026 | Vancouver International Film Festival | Canada | Short Forum 6: Archive Lives! | [18] |
Critical reception
These Voices Are Real received critical coverage following its international screenings.
Writing for the Italian film publication Taxidrivers in September 2026, film critic Serena Romeo examined Nikrah's approach to the relationship between a mother and daughter. Romeo discussed the film's use of sound, observation and changes in perspective to explore the child's developing awareness of the adult world.
The review also considered the film's treatment of femininity and bodily autonomy, observing how the child gradually encounters adult expectations and experiences through listening and imitation. Romeo described the film as an intimate narrative that extends into a broader examination of the condition of women.[17]
At Minimalen, the international jury awarded These Voices Are Real an honourable mention. In its statement, the jury emphasized the film's representation of aspects of women's lives in Iran that were unfamiliar to its members.[1]
At PriFest, the jury recognized the film for its restrained narrative approach and depiction of the relationships between a woman, her daughter and the wider world.[2]
Audiobook narration
Nikrah has also worked as an audiobook narrator. In 2025, she narrated the Persian-language audiobook edition of Wilful Disregard, originally titled Egenmäktigt förfarande, a novel by Swedish author Lena Andersson. The Persian translation was by Saeed Moghaddam, and the audiobook was published by Novin Ketab.[19]
In January 2026, the Iranian Book News Agency published an interview with Nikrah about her first experience narrating a full-length audiobook. In the interview, she discussed the differences between reading aloud and performing a literary work, including the role of pauses, rhythm and vocal interpretation in conveying a character's internal experience.[20]
Selected works
Film
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | These Voices Are Real | Director, writer, co-producer | Short film; co-produced with Hoda Zeinolabedin |
Theatre and live performance
| Year | Production or event | Role | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 37th Fajr International Film Festival | Closing ceremony presenter | [4] |
| 2024 | 23rd Hafez Awards | Presenter | [5] |
| 2025 | Rostamzad | Narrator | [7] |
| 2026 | Kourosh | Actress | [8] |
Audiobooks
| Year | Title | Author | Role | Publisher | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Wilful Disregard (Tasarruf-e Odvani) | Lena Andersson | Narrator | Novin Ketab | [19] |
Awards and recognition
| Year | Festival | Award | Work | Result | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Minimalen Short Film Festival | Audience Award – International Competition | These Voices Are Real | Won | [1] |
| 2026 | Minimalen Short Film Festival | Raskin Spirit Festival Award | These Voices Are Real | Won | [11] |
| 2026 | Minimalen Short Film Festival | Honourable Mention – International Competition | These Voices Are Real | Received | [1] |
| 2026 | Golden Grape International Short Film Festival | Best Director | These Voices Are Real | Won | [12] |
| 2026 | Prishtina International Film Festival | Best Short Film | These Voices Are Real | Won | [3][2] |
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 "Award Winners 2026". Minimalen Short Film Festival. 17 January 2026. Retrieved 19 October 2026.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 "Winners of PriFest 18". Prishtina International Film Festival. 13 September 2026. Retrieved 19 October 2026.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 "Shame and Money, by Visar Morina, triumphs at the 18th PriFest". Cineuropa. September 2026. Retrieved 19 October 2026.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 "Closing ceremony of the 37th Fajr International Film Festival". Soureh Cinema (in فارسی). Retrieved 19 October 2026.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 "تندیسهای حافظ به هنرمندان اهداء شد / از مهران مدیری و احسان علیخانی تا پارسا پیروزفر و محسن چاوشی" [Hafez Awards presented to artists]. Saba (in فارسی). 2024. Retrieved 19 October 2026.
- ↑ "23rd Hafez Awards". Hafez Awards. 28 November 2024. Retrieved 19 October 2026.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 "از «زال» تا «رستم» در تازهترین کنسرت ارکستر موسیقی ملی" [From Zal to Rostam in the latest National Orchestra concert]. Gostaresh Sakhteman (in فارسی). October 2025. Retrieved 19 October 2026.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 "نادر برهانی مرند «کورش» را به تئاتر میآورد/ از تولد تا فتح هگمتانه" [Nader Borhani Marand brings Kourosh to the theatre]. Tasnim News Agency (in فارسی). 14 September 2026. Retrieved 19 October 2026.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 "These Voices Are Real". Lights On. Retrieved 19 October 2026.
- ↑ "هدی زینالعابدین تهیهکننده شد" [Hoda Zeinolabedin becomes a producer]. Honar Online (in فارسی). 8 June 2026. Retrieved 19 October 2026.
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 "Priser på Kortfilmkonventet og Minimalen". Rushprint (in norsk). 18 January 2026. Retrieved 19 October 2026.
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 12.2 "هدی زینالعابدین با فیلمش برگزیده گرجیها" [Hoda Zeinolabedin's film receives recognition in Georgia]. Iranian Students' News Agency (in فارسی). 2026. Retrieved 19 October 2026.
- ↑ "These Voices are Real". SXSW London. Retrieved 19 October 2026.
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 "Shorts: Bloodlines and Faultlines". SXSW London. Retrieved 19 October 2026.
- ↑ 15.0 15.1 "Festivalul Anonimul: Cinci lungmetraje concurează pentru Trofeu". AGERPRES (in română). 16 July 2026. Retrieved 19 October 2026.
- ↑ 16.0 16.1 "Selezione – Official Selection". Sedicicorto Forlì International Film Festival (in italiano). 31 August 2026. Retrieved 19 October 2026.
- ↑ 17.0 17.1 17.2 Romeo, Serena (20 September 2026). "These Voices Are Real: crescere tra le voci degli adulti". Taxidrivers (in italiano). Retrieved 19 October 2026.
- ↑ 18.0 18.1 "حضور پررنگ سینماگران ایرانی و ایرانیتبار در فستیوال فیلم ونکوور" [Iranian and Iranian-origin filmmakers at the Vancouver Film Festival]. Marikaa Media (in فارسی). 2026. Retrieved 19 October 2026.
- ↑ 19.0 19.1 "تصرف عدوانی" [Wilful Disregard]. Taaghche (in فارسی). Retrieved 19 October 2026.
- ↑ "باران نیکراه: خواندن صوتی کتاب بلندخوانی نیست، نوعی همزیستی با جملههاست" [Baran Nikrah: Audiobook narration is not simply reading aloud]. Iran Book News Agency (in فارسی). 3 January 2026. Retrieved 19 October 2026.
External links
- These Voices Are Real at Lights On
- These Voices Are Real at SXSW London
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