Maryam Tafakory, an Iranian-British artist, has won the 2024 Film London Jarman Award in recognition of her innovative films that defy traditional cinema and tackle complicated cultural concerns.
Actor Rupert Everett presented Tafakory with the £10,000 prize at a ceremony in London’s Soho Hotel. The award recognizes her distinctive style of filmmaking, which combines historical material, personal experiences, and visual poetry to unveil hidden themes about Iranian society.
The Barbican cinema curator and jury member Matthew Barrington called Tafakory’s work a “compelling exploration of displacement, memory, and resistance.” Her films are critical of cultural identity, censorship, and personal experiences in post-revolutionary Iran.
Her significant works include “Irani Bag” (2020), which explores human connection using split-screen techniques, and “Nazarbazi” (2022). This film challenges depictions of love and desire. Her 2023 painting “Mast-del” is an intimate portrayal of a forbidden connection.
Tafakory’s artistic journey is just as unique as her films. After quitting computer science courses in Iran and Southampton, she earned a master’s degree in creative arts from Oxford and a PhD at Kingston University.
“I want these images to confess,” Tafakory explained to the Guardian. “Misogyny and the absence of queer narratives are fundamental to post-revolution Iranian cinema.”
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The Jarman Award, now in its 17th year, has a track record of recognizing developing talent in the visual arts. This year’s nominees included Larry Achiampong, Maeve Brennan, Melanie Manchot, Rosalind Nashashibi, and Sin Wai Kin. Their art will be displayed at the Whitechapel Gallery on November 30th and December 1st.
Tafakory’s international reputation is well established. Her work has been shown at the Museum of Modern Art in New York, Cannes, and the Toronto International Film Festival. She had previously won the Gold Hugo Award at the Chicago International Film Festival.
The prize recognizes Tafakory’s artistic achievement while highlighting her critical analysis of cultural censorship, gender dynamics, and personal expression in modern Iranian visual culture.
