PARSA CF Volunteer: Filmmaker Taghi Amirani Awarded Globally Prestigious Fellowship

Few conferences in the world attract as many movers and shakers as the annual TED (Technology, Entertainment, Design) Conference and few are as inspiring. Since 1984, this annual event has attracted speakers as diverse as Bill Gates, Jane Goodall and Bono and seeks to address questions as varied as “What is life?” and “Who are the young thinkers and doers capable of shaping the future?” This year, the organizers of the TED Conference announced the introduction of the TED Fellows program, an international program designed to foster the spread of great ideas. Among the 50 Fellows selected in 2009 was Taghi Amirani, an Iranian physicist turned award-winning documentary filmmaker. Amirani is also a member of PARSA Community Foundation’s Grant Advisory Committee.

Born in 1960 in a small village near Varamin in Iran, Amirani moved to England in 1975, studied physics at university and went on to become a documentary filmmaker. In a career spanning 20 years he has made thirty-six films.Amirani is also a Producer-Director at Amirani Films, which he set up in 1993 with his brother Amir. Their clients include the BBC, Channel 4, PBS, Aljazeera and National Geographic TV. Amirani’s inauguration this year as a TED Fellow made him not only a trailblazer for the TED community but for the global Iranian community as well. “It’s exciting to be among such a diverse and inspiring group of people,” Amirani said. “For me TED is about the art of the possible with a dash of can-do idealism that helps you see your work and your contribution in a new light,” he added. “Certainly my creative vision as a filmmaker has been strengthened and nourished by joining the TED community.As an Iranian, I hope I can contribute to their understanding of Iran, its rich history, contemporary culture, and dynamic people.”

As a TED Fellow, one of Amirani’s goals will be to communicate his work to the TED community and to the world. TED facilitates this by having Amirani and other TED Fellows attend the TED Conference in one of its locations worldwide, where they have the opportunity to speak during TED and spread their ideas through TED.com. They also receive a private social network and the opportunity to talk about their ongoing experiences via the TED Fellows blog. Readers can follow Amirani’s TED blog here: http://posterous.com/people/Q1vwtjkJ1L

The TED Fellows program focuses on attracting applicants living or working in Asia, Africa, the Caribbean, Latin America and the Middle East, with attention given to individuals who have shown unusual accomplishment, exceptional courage and the potential to increase positive change in their respective fields. The program focuses on innovators in technology, entertainment, design, science, film, art, music, entrepreneurship and the NGO community. Applications to become a 2010 TED Fellow are open and applicants can apply online at: http://www.ted.com/pages/view/id/247

With an Iranian among the first TED Fellows and the TED Fellows program eager to attract applicants from the Middle East, next year’s fellowship presents a unique opportunity for innovative Iranian thinkers and doers to make a difference in the lives of others. As the TED Fellows program enters its second year, this is an extraordinary time to take advantage of the fellowship and join this group of world-changing innovators.

The next TED Conference will be held in Long Beach, California from February 9-13, 2010. TEDIndia will also be held in Mysore, India, on November 4-7, 2009. While registration for these events has ended or sold out, applicants still have the opportunity to register for TEDActive 2010, a simulcast event in Palm Springs, CA, which features a live satellite feed from Long Beach and exclusive performances on site: http://conferences.ted.com/TED2010/register.php

PARSA CF congratulates Taghi Amirani for receiving this prestigious fellowship and thanks him for making a difference in the lives of Iranian-Americans by donating his time, energy and domain expertise to reviewing and evaluating grant applications at PARSA CF.

For more information, please visit http://www.amiranifilms.com/.