Mahboobeh Kalaee (1992, Iran) graduated from the Tehran College of Fine Arts with a BA in Industrial Design (2015). An MA Animation Directing at Tehran University of Art (Faculty of Cinema & Theatre) (2020). She is a 2D animator, author, illustrator, graphic designer, and director of experimental and short animations.
The Fourth Wall, her graduation film and first professional film, won the Zlatko Grgic Award at Animafest Zagreb 2021 and the best film prize at Fantoche Animation Festival 2021. Her first professional film's success motivated her to devote herself full-time to her special mix media technique, as well as to study the form and narrative structure of experimental films. Her favorite forms are studies on real-world images as an animation material that led to essays films and creative animated documentaries. Her goal is to create a world which stands in the blurry line between the real and the imaginary. She is currently pre-producing an animation feature film as well as an experimental short film. 



Filmoghraphy
THE FOURTH WALL Animation / 2021 / 9' 50"
2021  Annecy International Animation Festival | France
2021  Zlatko Grgic Award for best first film out of institution at Animafest Zagreb | Croatia
2021  Best Film Award at FANTOCHE International Animation Film Festival | Switzerland
2021  Mephisto 97.6 Award at DOK Leipzig Documentary and Animated Film Festival | Germany
2021  New Talent Award at New Chitose Airport  International Animation Festival | Japan
2021  Special Mention at Animist Tallinn International Animation Festival | Estonia
2021  Anibar International Animation Festival | Kosovo
2021  Animatou International Animation Film Festival | Switzerland
2021  Animasyros International Animation Festival Greece
2021  Animest Bucharest International Animation Film Festival | Romany
2021  Big Cartoon International Animation Film Festival | Russia
2021  Imaginaria International Animated Film Festival | Italy
2021  Indie-AniFest International Animation Festival | South Korea
2021  Taichung International Animation Festival | Taiwan
2021  BFI London International Film Festival | UK
2021  Londan International Animation Festival | UK
2021  LIAF London International Animation Festival | UK
2021  Leeds International Film Festival | UK
2021  Feinaki Bejing Animation week Festival | China
2021  LSFF London Short Film Festival | UK
2021  POFF Shorts Black Night Tallinn | Estonia
2021  TOFUZI International Aniamtion Festival | Georgia
2021  Tehran International Short Film Festival | Iran
2021  Animateka International Animation Festival | Slovenia
2021  PICCOLO FESTIVAL DELL'ANIMAZIONE | Italy



MIRAGE Experimental Film / 2019 / 3’
2021  Best Animation at the Water and Energy Film Festival of the Ministry of Energy in collaboration with UNESCO | Iran
2020 Tehran International Short Film Festival | Iran
2019  Best Experimental Film at Shiraz Regional Film Festival | Iran



ONE PERSON Animation / 2018 / 3’ 30”
2020  MONSTRA International Animation Festival | Portugal
2020  Canterbury Anifest | UK
2020  BLACK MOVIE,International Independent Film Festival | Switzerland
2020  Stars of Students at HIROSHIMA International Animation Festival | Jpan
2019  Animafest Zagreb International Animation Festival | Croatia
2019  11th Tehran International Animation Festival | Iran
2019  Honorable mention for Best Animation-16th Nahal International Student Film Festival | Iran
2019  Kinolikbez International Film Festival | Russia
2019  16th IN THE PALACE International Short Film Festival | Bulgaria
2019  12th Annual Iranian Film Festival | United States
2019  12th Paris International Animation Film Festival | France
2019   International animated film festival | Bosnia
2019   36th Tehran International Short Film Festival | Iran



MIND Animation / 2018 / 3’
2019   Nahal International Student Film Festival | Iran
2019   AL-NAHJ International Film Festival | Iraq
2019   Globe International Film Festival | Iran
2019   Izmir International Film Festival | Turkey
2019   Shiraz Regional Film Festival | Iran
2019   Simorgh International Film Festival | Iran
2018   Sound &Image Challenge Film Festival | China
2018   Iranian Film Festival of San Fransisco | USA



SINK Animation / 2018 / 3’ 30”
2019  11th Tehran International Animation Festival | Iran
2019  16th Nahal International Student Film Festival | Iran
2019  Kinolikbez International Film Festival | Russia
2019  7th International Shahr Film Festival | Iran
2019  17th Imaginaria Animated Film Festival | Italy
2019  42th Elche International Independent Film Festival | Spain
2019  11th TOFUZI International Animated Film Festival | Georgia
2019  Vafi & Rafi International Animation Festival | Croatia
2019  Hasanat International Short Film Festival | Iran
2019  3 Minutes, 3 Days Film Festival | Iraq
2018  Honorable Mention for Best Animation Directing at Tehran International Short Film Festival | Iran
2018  12th International 100 seconds film festival | Iran
2018  48th Roshd International Film Festival | Iran



Exhibition
2021 / Behind the Scenes, Group exhibition of grand competition short film authors.
Photo series of “The Fourth Wall”, ULUPUH Gallery, Zagreb, Croatia.                                                 
2017 / Creative Drawing, Group exhibition of animation students.
An installation of sculpture and drawing, Tehran University of Art, Tehran, Iran.
2014 / Let the Books Read Us,Individual installation.
An installation of a massive number of black books, Fine Arts Gallery, University of Tehran, Iran.
2012 / Industrial Design week, Group exhibition of industrial design students.
A Lighting, Designed with recyclable materials, Fine Arts Gallery, University of Tehran, Iran.
2010 / Illustrators Exhibition, Group exhibition of local illustrators.
Diverse them, Eshragh Gallery, Qom, Iran.



Education
2016-2020 / Master of Arts (M.A), Animation, Tehran University of Art, Tehran, Iran.
Thesis title: The study of space structure as a rhizomatic space in animation.
2011-2015 / Bachelor of Art (B.A), Industrial Design, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran.
Thesis title: Product designing to create a new experience in the study process.