Early Life and Education
Afshin Azizi was born in 1986 in Iran. He began learning music at the age of seven by playing the Setar, one of the traditional Iranian instruments, and later switched to the Tar. For three years, he studied harmony, counterpoint, and orchestration under the mentorship of Master Farhad Fakhreddini, one of Iran’s most respected composers.
In 2007, Azizi discovered his passion for the Flamenco guitar and began formal training in this Spanish style. That same year, he was chosen as one of the winners of the Flamenco Guitar Festival, supported by the Spanish Embassy in Iran — an early recognition of his musical talent and versatility.
Career and Achievements
Afshin Azizi started composing for films at the age of 19 and soon established his own professional recording studio. Over the years, he has composed original scores for feature films, documentaries, and animations, blending cinematic orchestration with Persian cultural motifs.
He is the only Iranian composer to have participated in the International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam (IDFA) with two different documentary films across three separate editions. One of his most celebrated works is the short animation “In the Shadow of the Cypress” (2025), which won the Oscar for Best Animated Short Film.
Afshin’s compositions are known for their emotional depth, cultural richness, and refined craftsmanship — qualities that have earned him critical acclaim both in Iran and internationally.
Awards and Honors
- Winner of Best Original Score at the 9th Cinema Verite Documentary Film Festival (Iran’s most prestigious documentary event) for the film Dreams Without Stars.
- Nominated for the SACEM Award for Best Original Score at FIPADOC 2025 for the documentary Hava.
- Winner of Best Original Score for an Animated Short at the Portland Film Festival 2024 for In the Shadow of the Cypress.
- Winner of Best Original Score at the 11th Cinema Verite Festival for Finding Farideh.
- Winner of Best Original Score at the 12th Cinema Verite Festival for A House for You.
- Winner of Best Performer Award at the Tehran Flamenco Guitar Festival, held under the supervision of the Spanish Embassy in Iran.
- Nominated for Best Original Score at the 37th Fajr Film Festival for Gholamreza Takhti.
- Nominated for Best Original Score at the 19th Hafez Awards for Gholamreza Takhti.
- Nominated for Best Original Score at the 10th Cinema Verite Festival for Pale Blue.
- Served as a jury member at the Women’s Theatre Festival.
- Official composer of the Asian Cooperation Dialogue Anthem (2018), hosted by Iran.
- Nominated for Best Original Score at the 17th Cinema Verite Festival for Captive Breeding.
- Nominated for Best Original Score at the 14th Cinema Verite Festival for Eighteen Thousand Feet.
