Farbod Khoshtinat , an Iranian filmmaker, is one of the six recipients of the 2010 Democracy Video Challenge. Farbod and five other film makers from around the world received the award from Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Friday, September 10..
The Democracy Video Challenge is a contest held by the U.S. State Department for young filmmakers from around the world. The contest is about interpreting in film what “Democracy Is…” “They interpret in film, in a two-minute film, what democracy means. And it’s absolutely extraordinary. The sort of versions and interpretations of this are really incredibly well done, but also very moving. ” said Under Secretary for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs R. Judith McHale in a ceremony held at the State Department.
Farbod, better know as Fred, is a twenty-two year old director, editor, cinematographer, artist, writer, composer, producer, musician and singer. Fred’s film ATTN: Mr. Democrat is this year’s winner in the Near East and North Africa category.
Among his other accomplishments, Fred has also collaborated with Bahman Ghobadi, an acclaimed Iranian director, on his well-publicized film that offers perspective into Iran underground Rock scene, No One Knows About The Persian Cats.
Yassi Moghaddam was born and raised in Iran until the age of sixteen, and while she has lived in the US for most of her life she remains very connected to the culture, politics, and arts in Iran.
Yassi Moghaddam is the Managing Director of Stradanet, a Silicon Valley-based firm that provides strategy and business development consulting and related interim management services to companies in Mobile Computing, Telecommunication and IT globally. Since 2003, Yassi has also been the President/Founder of Bay Executive Partners, a consultancy firm providing corporate and leadership development to high tech companies such as Cisco, Wells Fargo, Corning, Applied Materials and a number of successful startups, and Venture Capital Firms.
Yassi is a member of the Advisory Board of Santa Clara University MBA Global Women Leadership Network, a member of GLG Council of Experts, and an International Coaching Federation certified business coach.
