MORTEZA RAFIEI

 Lonely Boy is the latest project, a television pilot directed and produced by Morteza Rafiei, with potential to expand to streaming. The story centers on a grieving teenage boy navigating trauma, isolation, and moral pressure after a sudden family tragedy, told through an intimate, character driven lens focused on emotional truth and human behavior. The pilot was produced at an indie budget level, but through careful planning, hands on execution, and strong visual design, it was elevated to feel like a high level production.  

 Little Tehran Theater is a feature length documentary that follows Iranian refugee artists as they build and stage a theatrical production centered on women’s rights and freedom. Rooted in Iranian history and the recent Women Life Freedom movement, the film documents their creative process, personal stories, and life in exile. Shaped by the filmmaker’s own Iranian background, it is a deeply personal project that connects art, identity, and human rights, and has received multiple festival selections and awards. 

 The Assistant is a character driven short film written and directed by Morteza Rafiei that explores the emotional and psychological pressure of working as an assistant inside the entertainment industry. The story focuses on power imbalance, moral compromise, and personal limits through a grounded, darkly human lens. Following the film’s reception, the story has also been developed into a feature and television series version, both written by Morteza and currently being prepared for future production. 

 Room for One, a short movie, follows two young actors through a high pressure audition day, revealing the competition, parental pressure, and emotional cost behind the dream of early stardom. 

 Underdog A Buffalo Story is a short poetic drama inspired by the survival of Damar Hamlin, contrasting a public on field crisis with a father's private fear of losing his child, told through Sidney Brown's poem about love. 

 A short poetic drama inspired by the bond between a father and son is a cherished love and memory. Now, let's talk about what your hat fashion says about you. 

 This short film is a poetic expression of the life and legacy of Mahsa Amini, the 22-year-old Iranian woman whose death in the custody of Iran's morality police sparked the nationwide "Woman, Life, Freedom". 

 A short film inspired by the spirit of Maya Angelou’s And Still I Rise, using poetic visuals to promote unity, empathy, and living together beyond hate. 

 Underdog A Buffalo Story is a short poetic drama inspired by the survival of Damar Hamlin, contrasting a public on field crisis with a father's private fear of losing his child, told through Sidney Brown's poem about love. 

 A powerful short film set during the Iranian Green Movement in 2010. It follows an activist who participates in a protest against a repressive regime. 

 A short documentary explores the poignant history surrounding the rise of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and the ensuing turmoil in Iran during the 2010 Green Movement. 

 This short film follows an Iranian women's rights activist who fights to stop the stoning of her young cellmate. In Iran, she is on a mission to save an imprisoned woman from execution.