March 22-23, 2014 www.farhang.org

2014 NOWRUZ PROGRAM AT A GLANCE SPECIAL THANKS & ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

OUR VOLUNTEERS

DR. LINDA KOMAROFF for her continued commitment to programming in support of Iranian art and culture.

Bahar Amini Yeganeh Amini Siavash Anvari Sogol Ashrafian Saman Azimtash Sabrina Broomandan Sandra Broomandan Behrooz Cohen Minoo Dargah Khashayar Dolat Ladan Dorriz Stephanie Farokhi Maryam Hanser Ani Honarchian Roujin Jabbari Kimia Karian Eeman Khorramian Shireen Lankarani Nazafarin Malektojar Amanda Martinez Golnaz Mohebbi Roxanna Moridzadeh Nicole Motamed Ladan Nejad Nasim Niktash Nazanin Pajoom Deniz Sadeghi Safoura Sadeghianpour Samira Sariolghalam Shideh Shahraies Hamideh Sharifi Parinosh Sharifi Sahba Shayani Mahta Shayegan Shirin Shirvanifar Kayla Taheri Sonya Tamaddon Yasmeen Tsipena Arash Vafanejad Fariba Vesali Farin Yazdani Soroush Yazdi Lilliana Zar

JILANA STEWART for her positive energy and dedication to this program. DR. LATIFEH HAGIGI for her continous efforts in coordinating the youth program and activities with the support of UCLA Iranian Studies Program Students. FARIBA AMERI & HALEH GABBAY for their vision, commitment and tireless efforts to launch the 1st annual “Traditional Iranian Costume Parade”. SHIDEH SHAHRAIES for designing the beautiful tradional Iranian costumes. CAROL IZAD & NEDA ROUHANI for spearheading the youth programming and their enthusiasm to expand the activities. CHEF HOSS ZARÉ & CHEF RUI WANG for their collaboration and creating delectable Persian inspired eats. THE AUDIO / VISUAL TEAM AT LACMA for their professionalism and teamwork. KIRN670AM RADIO IRAN & JAVANAN MAGAZINE for their continued support and promotion of Farhang Foundation’s programs.   NOWRUZ COMMITTEE CHAIR:  Hormoz Ameri, Trustee FILM FESTIVAL COMMITTEE CHAIR:  Mark Amin, Trustee EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR: Bita Milanian PROGRAMS MANAGER: Sanam Zahir Funding for this program was provided by Farhang Foundation with contributions from its Board of Trustees and Sponsors.

OUR SPONSORS DIAMOND Neda Nobari Foundation U.S. Trust GOLD Hadi Morshed Wells Fargo SILVER Buchalter Nemer Comerica Bank Gursey Schnider LLP John & Hilda Arnold Foundation Primex International Trading Corp. SBE

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BRONZE AmeriClerkship Medical Society The Assurance Group, Inc. City National Bank Dadgostar Law LLP DAMOKA DARIOUSH, Napa Valley East West Bank First Credit Bank Golchin Mitchell Silberberg & Knupp LLP Phoenix House Ramineh, Fani, Nowakhtar & Rashidi, LLP Woodbury University

FRIENDS OF FARHANG Jordan Market Sabzee Mediterranean Market Stanford Wilk

March 22, 2014 FILM FESTIVAL 6:00 P.M. – 9:00 p.m. Award Ceremony & Reception Master of Ceremony: Shirin Rajaee – ABC Santa Barbara News Anchor Screenings of the top film contenders, created by emerging talents from all over the world, as well as recognition of the top three winners of this year’s competition. An exclusive reception with the winners and other filmmakers follows, featuring Persian-themed appetizers, specially created for this event by Chef Hoss Zaré & Chef Rui Wang. Seating is limited, tickets available at LACMA box office.

March 23, 2014 NOWRUZ CELEBRATION 11:30 A.M. – 5:00 p.m. Haft-Sîn Display (Los Angeles Times Central Court) Persian-themed Cuisine by CHEF HOSS ZARÉ & CHEF RUI WANG (Throughout Campus and Plaza Café)

11:30 A.M. - 4:00 P.M. Children & Youth Program (Director’s Roundtable Garden) Storytelling, Calligraphy & Puppet Show

NOON - 4:00 P.M. Traditional Persian Dancers (Los Angeles Times Central Court) NOON - 5:00 P.M. Screening of the Top 6 Films

2014 Farhang Short Film Festival (Brown Auditorium) Open to all, limited seating, no tickets required. Films shown on a loop.

2:00 P.M. - 3:00 P.M. Official Nowruz Program (Leo S. Bing Theater) Featuring World Premiere Performance of “Spring Love” by Ziba Shirazi

Through a splendid blend of music, dance, and imagery, “Spring Love” celebrates the dynamic traditions of Nowruz through the story of three generations of a family experiencing love at first sight. Seating is limited, $15 tickets available at LACMA box office.

3:00 P.M. Traditional Iranian Costume Parade (Los Angeles Times Central Court) Docent-led Gallery Tour of LACMA’s Art of Ancient Iran Collection (Hammer Building) Tickets available at LACMA box office.

5:00 P.M. Live Outdoor Concert (BP Grand Entrance/North Plaza)              by the dynamic London-based Ajam

In an age when people relied on nature to distinguish what time of the year it was, local performers would take it upon themselves to wander from town to town to announce the coming of spring and the rebirth of nature. This year Ajam will pay homage to the once popular Nowruzkhāni performers by travelling from city to city to bring in the New Year in style.

Designed by Adroit Business Solutions, LLC. www.myadroit.com

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Chef Hoss ZarÉ & Chef Rui Wang LACMA guests have the opportunity to enjoy delectable eats by Chef Rui Wang of the Patina Group at LACMA and ‘Food & Wine Magazine’ featured San Francisco-based guest Chef Hoss Zaré, who will be collaborating to create Persianinspired dishes for this two-day event. About Chef Hoss Zaré

Chef Hoss Zaré grew up on his family’s century old farms in Tabriz, Iran. In 1986, after completing mandatory service in the Iranian Air Force, he immigrated to San Francisco where his older brother owned and operated the iconic Billboard Café. In 1989, while enrolled as a premed student at UC Davis, he would drive to and from the City to work as a line cook at the historic Fly Trap Restaurant. It was there that owner Walter Zolezzi and Chef Craig Thomas mentored Zaré to the rank of Executive Chef. Over a 25 year career, Chef Hoss Zaré has established a loyal following, while at the helm of several restaurants including Aromi, Zaré Sacramento, and Bistro Zaré. After a stint in the Napa Valley, fate brought him back to the restaurant where his culinary journey began. He became the owner of The Fly Trap on August 8, 2008. Known for his over the top sense of Hoss-pitality, often embracing guests with Hossy-Hugs, he is the force that pumps life into the team. Recipient of many accolades, he’s been the subject of several publications. Currently, he is at work on a memoir and recipe book dedicated to his parents. www.flytrapsf.com

About Chef Rui Wang

Rui Wang was born in Harbin, China and spent the majority of her childhood in St Genis Pouilly, France. At an early age travelling throughout Europe, Rui’s passion was ignited for exploring foods and culinary techniques of different cultures. Her international travels have also shaped her drive to combine flavors and techniques from various cultures. Having lived in Los Angeles for the last 20 years, her roots are now firmly planted in Southern California. She has worked in many restaurants all over Los Angeles including Bistro 45 in Pasadena, Innovative Dining Group’s Delphine at the W in Hollywood, Wilshire restaurant in Santa Monica and Chef de Cuisine at Palihouse in West Hollywood. Rui Currently serves as Chef de Cuisine at LACMA for the Patina Restaurant Group.

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In its sixth consecutive year, the 2014 Farhang Foundation Short Film Festival officially opened to the community at large on October 15, 2013. We called upon the public to submit short films visualizing some aspect of Iranian art, history, culture, crafts, geography, cuisine, or lifestyle that would inspire and spark the audience’s interest in learning more about Iranian art, history, and culture. Competing for $10,000 (first prize), $5,000 (second prize), and $3,000 (third prize), the top submissions will be screened on a loop between Noon and 5:00 p.m. on March 23rd in the Brown Auditorium. Thank you to this year’s participants. Your creativity and passion for Iranian heritage and the cinematic arts inspire us all! Special gratitude to this year’s Film Festival Jury Committee for their dedication to Farhang Short Film Festival: Mark Amin - Chair Nazanin Boniadi Hassan Ildari Hamid Naficy Navid Negahban Mahnaz Newman

The 2014 Farhang Foundation Short Film Festival received over 110 submissions from all over the globe, including the United States, Iran, Canada, Italy and the United Kingdom to name a few. We are proud to announce that Farhang Foundation has selected the above 6 submissions as the finalists, based on their originality, creativity, storytelling, production value, and visualization of Iranian heritage. NOTE: All submitted films were judged by the Jury Committee based on the film’s artistic merits only. Views expressed by the filmmakers do not represent those of Farhang Foundation or its Board Members and Management. Top six films listed in alphabetical order.

Children & Youth Program 11:30 A.M. - 4:00 P.M. Storytelling, Calligraphy & Puppet Show for Youth

PUPPET SHOW NOON – 3:00 P.M.

Puppet Show by Vida Ghahremani Director’s Roundtable Garden

Director’s Roundtable Garden Coordinated by UCLA Iranian Studies Program Students

The children & youth program during Nowruz Celebration at LACMA has grown over the past five years. In addition to the much-loved annual activities of the Haft-Sîn display, egg decorating, Persian Costume Photo Stand designed by Neda Rouhani, and Persian calligraphy illustrations by Zia Erfanian, this year, we have added even more activities including a Puppet Show by Vida Ghahremani!

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Vida Ghahremani is an award-winning puppeteer and puppet builder, trained in puppetry, puppet design and construction at The Centre of Dramatic Arts in Tehran. She also participated in an Acting program at the School of Arts and Literature and launched her artistic career in 1985. Since 1987 she has written, directed, designed, and produced puppet shows for puppet theatres, TV programs, movies, and International festivals for children and adults.

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2:00 P.M. - Leo S. Bing Theatrer Seating is limited, tickets available at LACMA box office.

Through a splendid blend of music, dance, and imagery, Spring Love celebrates the dynamic traditions of Nowruz through the story of three generations of a family experiencing love at first sight.

Ziba Shirazi

Vandad Massahzadeh

Born and raised in California, Matt started acting at a very young age. He has starred on several network television shows and feature films such as; Raising Hope, Desperate Housewives, Body of Proof, Cowboy Junction and Crush on You.

Guitar

Music Director / Multi-Instrumentalist

Arash Rod

Shahaub Rudbari

Cast

Danny & Farid: their instrumental album called “Dancing Flames” was released in 2005. www.DannyandFarid.com

Narrator, Vocalist, Lyricist, Songwriter

Ziba Shirazi is an Iranian-American poet, singer, songwriter, and storyteller. She is known for her bold and provocative poetry and is often referred to as the voice of women in the Persian community. In 2008 Ziba was inspired to gather stories of Iranian -American immigrants who left Iran after the Islamic revolution in 1979. Moving from field to script to performance, mixed with montage of music, imagery, poetry, sound and movement; Ziba named her project Story & Song and took her first performance on stage in Los Angeles in the Fall of 2009. Since then she has had more than 50 performances in U.S., Canada and Europe, and about 20,000 people have attended the Story & Song performances. - www.zibashirazi.com

Audio / Visual

Vandad Massahzadeh was born in 1971 in TehranIran. He is a highly talented Iranian Musician, Composer and Conductor and plays numerous instruments, including the Accordion, Daf, Piano and Flute. Vandad composed more than 20 original scores for theatrical plays and TV series and was presented with The Best Music Composer of The Year Award in 2005 in Iran. Vandad Massahzadeh immigrated to the United States in December 2012 and released his first instrumental Album, Melody of Love, on August 2013.

Choreographer /Dancer

Working with Voice of America (VOA) since 2007 as the Los Angeles correspondent. www.arashrod.com

Former member of the Iranian and US national Martial Arts teams and international gold medalist, Shahaub has pursued his education at UC Berkeley and the Academy of Art to receive an MFA in Directing. He now works full time as an Actor and Director, utilizing his cultural background and passion in order to entertain and inspire people from every background.

Ahou Alagha

Darya

Stage Manager

Dancer

Multi-Instrumentalist / Cast

Dr. Theresa Larkin

Arezoo Koochakan Multi-Instrumentalist

Tanya Mekhtikhanyan

Sheyda Mina

Director

Dr. Theresa Larkin is a tenured full professor in the Department of Music, Theatre, and Dance and has been a professor of Theatre Awrts at Cal State LA since 1989. Her areas of expertise span a wide spectrum of specialized practice in the performing arts and related disciplines, including performance training, arts management, social sciences, cultural studies, media philosophy, and communications.

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Danny Akhavan Farid Vaghefi Nazari

Matt Austin

Ali Farahani

Choreographer/Daf

Choreographer / Dancer

Melody Shirazi

Cloe Tishbi

Cast

Cast

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This year, we welcome individuals of all ages to participate in the inaugural Traditional Iranian Costume Parade, the newest addition to this year’s programming lineup, which takes place at 3:00 p.m. starting in the LA Times Central Court. The community is invited to join the Parade dressed in their preferred traditional costumes of their favorite region of Iran and have a chance to win prizes, by just participating in the Parade.

3:00 P.M. to 4:00 P.M. LA Times Central Court Raffle Prize Drawing at 4:00 P.M.

Check-in 2:30 - 3:00 P.M. by the Haft-Sin Display to receive your raffle ticket

In an age when people relied on nature to distinguish what time of the year it was, local performers would take it upon themselves to wander from town to town to announce the coming of spring and the rebirth of nature. This Year Ajam will pay homage to the once popular Nowruzkhāni performers by travelling from city to city to bring in the New Year in style. With extensive research and field studies in the various Nowruzkhāni performance style from historic regions of Tabarestan, Koomeh, Rey, and Astarabad in the foothills of the Alborz Mountains and the Caspian Rim, Ajam will be bringing the quick-witted, spiritual, and lively character of the Nowruzkhāni performers to life for audiences around the world. The performances will include original pieces from Ajam’s well-known first album and upcoming second album. As always Ajam’s performance will take the audience on a small tour of Iran and they will also present how Nowruz is celebrated along coast of the Persian Gulf. Ajam is a cultural experience of Iranian Roots Music not to be missed.

Amin Ajami Arash Fayyazi Nari Man Parham Ajami

vocals, oud, dotaar, guitar & sorna vocals, tar, nobaang, choghoor & barbat drums , drum machine, backing vox sorna, balaban, ghoshmeh, clarinet, vocals, dayereh & tombak Sara Fotros daf, tombak, dosar-kotan (naghareh) & dayereh Shohreh Khaatoon keyboards & backing vox

5:00 P.M. BP Grand Entrance 14

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Nowruz Banner Design WINNER

AFSOON RIAZI

Afsoon Riazi, a graphic designer based in Vancouver, Canada has created this year’s winning design, at the heart of which is a red apple. Signifying health and beauty, a red apple is traditionally among the seven essential items that are featured in the Haft-Sîn, one of the centerpieces of Nowruz where each article symbolically corresponds to some aspect of life, nature, or creation.

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Nowruz always invokes bright, inspiring and cordial memories that delightfully resonate in all of my Nowruz-related projects,” said Afsoon Riazi. “Its festivities gracefully represent the renewal of the Earth that occurs with the arrival of spring. This idea inspired me to create a symbolic illustration that embodies a new beginning in both eastern and western culture, through the use of the well-recognized motif of the Persian paisley (boteh jeghe) and the apple tree to reflect health and beauty in the renewal of the Earth.

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Afsoon Riazi

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Cyrus Cylinder Exhibition In 2013, for the first time in history, the Cyrus Cylinder, one of the ancient world’s most celebrated artifacts of freedom and human rights, traveled to 5 major U.S. cities in an exhibition titled The Cyrus Cylinder & Ancient Persia: A New Beginning. Accompanied by sixteen objects, the exhibition showcased the innovations initiated by Persian rule in the Ancient Near East (550 BC-331 BC), when the Persian Empire was then the largest the world had known. Farhang Foundation is proud to have been the sole financial and community sponsor of the tour’s final stop, Los Angeles, home to the largest Iranian community outside Iran, and worked closely with the Getty museum to ensure a successful exhibition at the Getty Villa from October 2 – December 8, 2013. The Cyrus Cylinder and Ancient Persia: A New Beginning, with just less than 75,000 visitors, became the number one exhibit based on weekly attendance average, in the history of the Getty Villa! During the weeks leading to and following this historic exhibition, Farhang Foundation sponsored over 15 programs including a series of academic conferences, film screenings, books, lectures and educational opportunities in collaboration with notable institutions such as the Getty, LACMA, USC, UCLA, UC Irvine, UC San Diego, and the PBS SoCal broadcast of Recreating Pasargadae: Cyrus the Great’s Paradise, to promote the ideals behind the Cyrus Cylinder. Through these programs Cyrus the Great and his ideals were introduced to over 55,000 additional attendees and viewers. Additionally, the launch of the Farhang Community and Education Outreach (CEO)

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Committee allowed students a rare opportunity to learn about our culture through objects like the Cyrus Cylinder that is an enduring symbol of universal human rights, religious diversity and freedom. The CEO Committee helped facilitate field trips for over 160 schools and 10,000 students who would not have had the chance otherwise and provided “Cyrus Workshops” to several schools, reaching hundreds of teachers and students in Los Angeles and Orange County. CEO will continue its efforts to build bridges to more schools in our community in the future, giving more of our community-at-large the opportunity to learn about Iranian art and culture. The success of this exhibition and its supporting programs is due to the generosity and support of many of our community leaders and patrons. Even though the exhibition is now over, thanks to the generosity of our supporters, its message will resonate for years to come. To assure that, Farhang Foundation is planning an international competition for the design and installation of a permanent piece of public urban art titled, “Freedom: A Shared Dream”. This large-scale project will celebrate the ideals of Cyrus the great that resonate with all humanity, with winning submission to be built and gifted to the City of Los Angeles, by Farhang Foundation on behalf of the Iranian American community. The Cyrus Cylinder national tour was organized by the British Museum in partnership with the Iran Heritage Foundation and the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, Smithsonian Institution.

Board of Trustees Hormoz Ameri Mark Amin Dar Gabbay Shazad Ghanbari Ahmad Gramian - Vice Chairman

Darioush Khaledi Fasha Mahjoor Ron Mavaddat Aria Mehrabi Farhad Mohit - Vice Chairman

Shulamit Nazarian Anoosheh M. Oskouian Hooshang Pak Ali C. Razi – Chairman Shidan Taslimi

Management Team Bita Milanian - Executive Director Hassan Izad - Chief Financial Officer Sanam Zahir – Programs Manager Shahram Soleimani - Secretary

Eric Anvari - Deputy Secretary David W. Newman - Legal Counsel (Pro Bono) Haydeh Shirmohammadi - Special Projects Director

Fine Arts Council

Generations Council

Iranian Studies Council

Roshi Rahnama – Chair Firouzeh Ameri Amir Angha Ladan Behnia Azadeh Dadgostar Shahrzad Farhadi Ati Farmani Shazad Ghanbari – Trustee Shahpar Khaledi Homa Mahmoudi Shulamit Nazarian –Trustee Maryam Pak Anousheh Razi Mehrzad Roshan Katy Saei

Amir Hemmat – Chair Ali Elahi Ali Fakhari Farhad Mohit – Co-Chair, Trustee Sara Pak Sheila Parsa Naseem Sagati

Haleh Emrani – Chair Amir Aalam Mehrdad Amanat Akbar Azad Houshang Dadgostar Ahmad Gramian – Trustee Hassan Izad –CFO Ron Mavaddat –Trustee Michael Saei Sussan Sharifian Farrok Yazdi

Orange County Council

Patron Council

UCLA Council

Assad Kazeminy – Chair Bijan Fazeli Shazad Ghanbari –Trustee Gilda Gilak - Secretary Fariba Hezar Mona Karimpour Sharo Khastoo Parmis Khatibi Tannaz Mazarei Pedram Mizani Anoosheh M. Oskouian – Trustee Dariush Rachedi

Abdi Rais – Chair Pouria Abbassi Nazfar Afshar Farhad Bahar Ahmad Gramian –Trustee Said Jabbari Afshin Kateb Reza Momeni Hadi Morshed

Mark Amin – Trustee Farhad Mohit – Trustee Ali C. Razi – Trustee

Advisory Committee Janet Afary - University of California Santa Barbara Elizabeth Carter - University of California Los Angeles Fereshteh Daftari - Independent Scholar and Curator Touraj Daryaee - University of California Irvine - Academic Coordinator Layla Diba – Independent Scholar and Curator Arash Khazeni - Pomona College Linda Komaroff - Los Angeles County Museum of Art Afshin Matin-Asgari - California State University Los Angeles Sheida Mohamadi - Poet-in Residence at Maryland University Ali Mousavi - Los Angeles County Museum of Art Shirin Neshat - Modern Art Nasrin Rahimieh - University of California Irvine Shardad Rohani - COTA Symphony Orchestra - Los Angeles Kourosh Taghavi - Namâd Ensemble

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