Behnam
Khosravi

Drawn to cinema from an early age, Behnam developed his craft through years of study and hands-on production experience — directing, writing, and collaborating on short films that have been recognized internationally for their distinct visual poetry and emotional depth. Alongside filmmaking, he trained and practiced as a lawyer, a background that shows through in the precision and structure of both his screenplays and his prose.

In 2025, Behnam published two full-length books that extend his storytelling from screen to page, followed by a third in 2026. Together, the three works form a literary counterpart to his cinema: patient, introspective, and unafraid of difficult emotional terrain.

His most recent and most ambitious project, Mandala, reflects his ongoing exploration of cyclical human experience — the patterns we repeat, the memories that shape us, and the quiet moments between certainty and doubt. Written, directed by, and starring Behnam himself, the film began not with a plot but with a single recurring image: a man standing still while the world rotated around him.

The crew spent three months scouting locations, ultimately choosing transitional spaces — hallways, thresholds, staircases — that could hold a sense of both intimacy and vastness. Shooting exclusively with natural light, the production followed the sun itself, working within the narrow window of winter afternoon light each day, a constraint that became the film's visual signature. Extensive collaboration on sound design shaped the film's use of silence — not the absence of noise, but a directed quiet meant to make space for the audience's own feeling.

Read the full story of making Mandala →

Mandala has gone on to earn recognition at international festivals including the Accolade Global Film Competition, the Pune Film Festival in India, the Stay Gold Film Festival, the Southeast Asia International Film Festival (SEAIFF), and the Toronto International Nollywood Film Festival (TINFF) — with Behnam also receiving a Best Actor in a Leading Role award for his performance in the film.

See the full list of awards →