Pirooz Kalayeh is an Iranian-American film director, screenwriter, and writer. He is known for known for The Human War, , Brad Warner's Hardcore Zen and Zombie Bounty Hunter M.D..
Early life
Kalayeh was born in Tehran, Iran and emigrated to LaFayette, Indiana shortly before the Islamic Revolution. His family settled in Hockessin, Delaware, where he attended high school. Later, he attended The University of Delaware for his undergraduate degree, and then obtained an MFA in creative writing from The Jack Kerouac School. He has been making films since he was 12 years old.
Career
Kalayeh's early interest was in music and he sang for , playing with The Toasters, Ruder Than You, Spindrift, and The Verge. In 2005, he moved to Los Angeles and began working as an Associate Producer for Weller Grossman Productions. In 2008, Pirooz left Hollywood for a two year exploration of South Korea, where he produced with musical group , interviewed artists and filmmakers on his blog Shikow, and wrote the screenplay that would lead to his eventual return stateside for a directorial debut. In 2012, Pirooz’s first feature was released by Indie Screen and played to select theaters across America. The film received mixed reviews for its meta-approach: Benoit Lelievre extolled the film for requiring "every bit of your wits" and not being a "sit-and-watch, turn-your-brain-off movie"; VICE criticized the film "as a total lack of substance covered up with gimmicks"; The Village Voice commented that "Kalayeh and co. can be credited with capturing much of the tone of the novella". His documentary feature about Buddhist teacher Brad Warner premiered at the Buddhist Film Festival in Amsterdam on October 5, 2013, and played in select theaters across the United States and Europe, and was featured in major Buddhist publications and city papers, such as Lion’s Roar, The Daily Camera, and Nomos Journal. was co-produced and co-directed by Pirooz Kalayeh and Thomas Henwood and premiered at the Beloit International Film Festival on February 21, 2014. The film received a Best Screenplay Award and played in double screenings across America with Hardcore Zen. . premiered at On Vous Ment Film Festival in Lyon, France on May 24, 2016. Coinciding with his professional work in film and television, Pirooz has continued to teach screenwriting, cinema studies, creative writing, acting, and film production courses to a diverse array of students around the globe, including , , and . He is currently an Assistant Professor of Cinema Studies and Video Production at Monroe Community College.
