Mansour Forouzesh
Artistic Biography
Mansour Forouzesh is an Iranian-born, Hungary-based filmmaker, photographer, and interdisciplinary artist whose practice spans narrative cinema, documentary filmmaking, photography, installation, and artistic research. Active since 2005, his work consistently investigates the relationship between narrative, perception, and meaning, bridging cinematic storytelling with visual and conceptual art practices. His films and artworks have been presented at over 70 international film festivals, exhibitions, and academic platforms across Europe, the Middle East, and beyond.
Forouzesh’s filmmaking practice moves fluidly between fiction, documentary, and hybrid forms, often focusing on characters and situations situated at the intersection of personal experience and broader socio-political realities. His works are marked by a strong dramaturgical sensibility, an interest in non-professional performers, and a research-driven approach to cinematic form.
Among his most notable works is the feature-length documentary Lost Whispers in the Distance (2021), an observational film following Iranian and Afghan refugees stranded in Serbian camps as they attempt to cross European borders through what they call “the GAME.” The film was widely recognized, receiving multiple awards and nominations, including Best Feature Documentary Screenplay, Cinematography, and Sound Design at the Five Continents International Film Festival, and being named one of the top ten Iranian documentaries of 2021 by FIGAR Film Magazine.
His short narrative films include When I Killed the Cat (UK/Hungary/Iran), produced in collaboration with Mythberg Films and Bart Film (UK), which explores emotional dependency, power dynamics, and internalized obedience through dark humor and minimalist storytelling; A Few Knots Away (2017), an allegorical narrative addressing migration, inheritance, and severing ties with place; and The Hose (2014), a satirical examination of pedagogical authority and failed educational reform. These works have screened internationally, including at Oscar-qualifying festivals such as the Cork International Film Festival.
He is currently finalizing The Elephant’s Tango, a Mongolian-language short film that explores how fictional structures shape perceived reality, and developing his first feature fiction film, JACKSTONES, in collaboration with Bart Films (UK).
Since 2010, photography and visual research have become central to Forouzesh’s artistic practice. His long-term research-based project [IN]VISIBLE MEANING forms the conceptual backbone of his work across photography, video, and installation. The project explores how meaning is constructed not as a fixed message embedded in the artwork, but as a dynamic process emerging through the interaction between artist, artwork, and viewer.
Drawing on philosophical references such as Plato’s Allegory of the Cave and Rumi’s Elephant in the Dark Room, as well as contemporary theories of perception and narratology, [IN]VISIBLE MEANING examines narrative as a conceptual space rather than linear storytelling. The project emphasizes ambiguity, subjectivity, and the viewer’s role in meaning-making, positioning the artist as a facilitator of perception rather than an authority imposing interpretation.
Within this framework, Forouzesh has developed several photographic series and installations, including:
Forouzesh’s curatorial work is closely tied to his artistic research and commitment to visibility and representation. In 2025, he curated The ORDINAЯY MOMENT as part of the Budapest Photo Festival 2025 at FUGA Gallery. The exhibition presented works by 18 independent Iranian photographers selected through an open-call process conducted under the FORMA Visual Arts platform.
The project focused on photographers whose work emerges from personal necessity rather than institutional support, prioritizing authenticity, lived experience, and underrepresented regional perspectives. Rooted in the theoretical framework of [IN]VISIBLE MEANING and informed by Roland Barthes’ ideas on viewer-driven interpretation, the exhibition emphasized everyday moments as sites of narrative potential and emotional resonance.
Forouzesh holds an MA in Film Studies and Filmmaking from Eötvös Loránd University (ELTE), supported by the Stipendium Hungaricum Scholarship, and is currently a doctoral researcher (DLA/PhD) at the Hungarian University of Fine Arts. His doctoral research focuses on artistic narratology, examining how narrative structures operate within photography and cinema to generate meaning beyond linear storytelling.
He has presented his research at numerous international conferences and symposia, including events hosted by the Royal College of Art, University of Gothenburg (HDK-Valand), Jan Matejko Academy of Fine Arts, West University of Timișoara, and the Hungarian University of Fine Arts. His academic writings address topics such as photographic meaning, perception, crisis representation, documentary ethics, and ficomentary cinema.
Since 2011, Forouzesh has taught across Iran, Hungary, and the UK, combining formal academic positions with independently designed workshops and masterclasses. His teaching philosophy treats education as a form of creative dialogue, integrating theory, history, and practice within a research-based art methodology.
He has taught courses in scriptwriting and directing, cinematic dramaturgy, visual storytelling, artistic narratology, sound and music for film, and documentary and hybrid filmmaking. As a guest lecturer at dBs Music & Sound Institute (UK), he designed and delivered postgraduate masterclasses for Music for Film and Sound for TV students, translating cinematic narrative theory into practical tools for sound-based storytelling.
At the Hungarian University of Fine Arts, he has worked with students from painting and sculpture departments, helping them articulate the narrative and conceptual logic of their visual practices. Across disciplines, his teaching emphasizes questioning over execution, encouraging students to develop personal artistic frameworks grounded in critical reflection and cultural context.
Forouzesh has served as a jury member for numerous international film festivals, including FEST – New Directors | New Films (Portugal), Fajr International Film Festival (Iran), Malta Short Film Festival, and Parvaz International Film Festival, where he also worked as an international programmer. He co-curated Iranian short film selections for FEST and continues to support emerging filmmakers and artists through mentorship and curatorial initiatives.
He is the founder and producer of Forma Film (since 2018) and the founder and curator of Forma Visual Art (since 2024), platforms dedicated to supporting independent cinematic and visual art practices.
In addition to academic articles and film criticism published in journals and cultural newspapers, Forouzesh has translated Batman and Philosophy: The Dark Knight of the Soul into Persian, forthcoming from Soureh Cinema Publishing House. He is a member of the Iranian Artists Foundation, Iranian Photographers Association, and Parallel Hungary Artists’ Collective, and previously served as Vice President of the Iranian Students Association of Film and Photography.
