Their film was shot in secret and smuggled out of Iran. It won an award at Sundance

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February 6, 2026

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editor@creativeunderworld.com

Maryam Ataei and Hossein Keshavarz in Park City, Utah, after the premiere of their film <em>The Friend at the Sundance Film Festival.’/>

Between war, protests and government crackdowns, the filmmakers raced to finish and smuggle their portrait of Tehran’s underground arts scene to the prestigious film festival.

(Image credit: Mandalit del Barco)