Filmmaker | Photographer | Interdisciplinary Artist | Researcher
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 more than 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 received multiple awards and nominations, including recognition for screenplay, cinematography, and sound design at the Five Continents International Film Festival, and was selected among 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); A Few Knots Away (2017), an allegorical narrative addressing migration and belonging; 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 exploring how fictional structures shape perceived reality, and developing his first fiction feature 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, alongside contemporary theories of perception and narratology, the project investigates narrative as a conceptual space rather than a linear structure. It emphasizes ambiguity, subjectivity, and the active role of the viewer in meaning-making.
These works have been exhibited in Iran and Hungary, including at the Iranian Photographers Association, Parallel Hungary Collective, 2B Gallery, and Feszty Ház.
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 at FUGA Gallery. The exhibition presented works by 18 independent Iranian photographers selected through an open call conducted under the FORMA Visual Arts platform.
Rooted in the theoretical framework of [IN]VISIBLE MEANING and informed by Roland Barthes’ concept of 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 research internationally at institutions including 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.
Since 2011, Forouzesh has taught across Iran, Hungary, and the United Kingdom, combining academic teaching with independently designed workshops and masterclasses. His teaching philosophy approaches education as a form of creative dialogue that integrates theory, history, and practice within a research-based artistic methodology.
He has taught scriptwriting, directing, cinematic dramaturgy, visual storytelling, artistic narratology, sound and music for film, and documentary and hybrid filmmaking. His work with students emphasizes critical reflection, conceptual development, and the creation of personal artistic frameworks.
Forouzesh has served as a jury member, programmer, and curator 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.
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, 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.
