Born in 1983 in Tehran, Ali Zarnegar is an Iranian filmmaker, author, and poet whose work bridges literature and cinema. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Film Directing and a master’s degree in Drama from the Tehran University of Art. Beginning his career with a strong foundation in both storytelling and visual expression, Zarnegar directed seven award-winning short films between 2002 and 2015, including Becoming, which received Best Film and Best Screenplay at the 27th Tehran International Short Film Festival.

His early feature screenplay Wednesday, May 9 (2014) earned him international attention and a Best Screenplay nomination at the 33rd Fajr International Film Festival, followed by major awards at the Venice, Bratislava, and Berkshire film festivals. Three years later, No Date, No Signature (2017) marked another career milestone, winning the Best Screenplay Award at the 27th Stockholm International Film Festival and the Cinema Cinema Academy Award in Iran. The film was screened in over forty international festivals and earned more than ten major prizes, establishing Zarnegar as one of Iran’s most accomplished screenwriters.

In 2021, Zarnegar made his directorial debut with Cause of Death: Unknown, a moral and psychological drama set in the desert, following seven passengers whose encounter with a mysterious death forces them to confront their own conscience. The film was produced by Majid Barzegar and premiered in 2023, quickly emerging as one of the most celebrated Iranian works of the decade.

Cause of Death: Unknown was officially selected as Iran’s entry for the 2026 Academy Awards (Best International Feature Film) and went on to receive extensive international recognition. The film won the Best Cinematography Award at the Shanghai International Film Festival (2023), and was nominated in several major categories, including Best Film, Best Director, and Best Actor. It continued its successful journey across the festival circuit, receiving awards and nominations from Hof International Film Festival (Germany), Torino Underground Cinefest (Italy), Iranian Film Festival Zurich (Switzerland), Girona International Film Festival (Spain), Salento International Film Festival (Italy), Monadnock International Film Festival (USA), and ÍRÁN:CI Film Festival (Czech Republic).

In 2025, Cause of Death: Unknown dominated Iran’s national awards season, winning Best Motion Picture of the Year, Best Director, Best Screenplay, and multiple acting honors at both the Iran Cinema Celebration and the Iran’s Film Critics and Writers Association Awards. The film’s success was widely viewed as a turning point for Iranian independent cinema, showcasing a new generation of filmmakers working outside official production systems.

Through his work, Zarnegar has consistently examined the moral, existential, and social complexities of modern Iranian life. His writing combines poetic language with structural precision, while his filmmaking reflects a quiet, humanist perspective that resists sensationalism. Today, he stands among the most prominent voices in contemporary Iranian cinema — a filmmaker whose commitment to artistic integrity continues to challenge both form and authority.