Afshin Azizi

{{Infobox musical artist

| name = Afshin Azizi

| image = Afshin azizi 2.jpg

| caption = Afshin Azizi in Fajr Film Festival

| genre = Film score, television music, documentary, animation, electronic

| occupation = {{flatlist|

Composer
Musician
Sound engineer

}}

| years_active = 2008–present

| website =

}}

Afshin Azizi ({{langx|fa|افشین عزیزی}}) is an Iranian composer and musician, widely recognized for his extensive work in film, television, and documentary scoring. He is known for his ability to blend cinematic orchestration with elements of traditional Persian music, creating distinctive soundtracks that have garnered critical acclaim in Iran and at international festivals.{{cite interview|title=In the Shadow of the Cypress: A Powerful Short Animated Film|url=https://cinemawithoutborders.com/in-the-shadow-of-the-cypress-an-interview/|website=Cinema Without Borders|date=25 January 2024|access-date=3 June 2025}}

Career

Azizi’s professional career officially began in Iranian television, composing his first score for the series Khatereh Fardā (2008).{{cite web|title=افشین عزیزی - فیلمو|url=https://www.filimo.com/crew/Afshin-Azizi|website=Filimo|access-date=3 June 2025|language=fa}} He gained wider recognition after composing the soundtrack for the hit drama series Paria (2016), directed by Hossein Soheili Zadeh.{{cite web|title=بیوگرافی افشین عزیزی (Afshin Azizi Biography)|url=https://www.manzoom.ir/name/nm9485320/افشین-عزیزی|website=Manzoom|access-date=3 June 2025|language=fa}} Following Paria, Azizi worked on several successful television productions, including Anaam (2017–2018) under director Javad Afshar,{{cite web|title=افشین عزیزی: موسیقی سریال آنام اقتضای داستان است (Afshin Azizi: Anaam series music is what the story demands)|url=https://www.mehrnews.com/news/4059438/%D8%A7%D9%81%D8%B4%DB%8C%D9%86-%D8%B9%D8%B2%DB%8C%D8%B2%DB%8C-%D8%A2%D9%87%D9%86%DA%AF%D8%B3%D8%A7%D8%B2-%D8%A2%D9%86%D8%A7%D9%85-%D8%B4%D8%AF-%D8%B4%D8%B1%D9%88%D8%B9-%DB%8C%DA%A9-%DA%A9%D8%A7%D8%B1-%D8%B3%D8%AE%D8%AA-%D8%A8%D8%B1%D8%A7%DB%8C-%D9%87%D9%85%D8%AF%D8%A7%D9%86|website=Mehr News|date=30 January 2018|access-date=3 June 2025|language=fa}} Matador (2013), Gasht-e Vijeh (2016) and Khab-Zadeh (2019).

In cinema, Azizi has composed scores for a wide range of feature films such as Abajan (2017), There Will Be Blood on Wednesday (2015), Dying in September (2014), Starless Dreams (2016), and the critically acclaimed biographical drama Gholamreza Takhti (2019). His score for Gholamreza Takhti earned him a nomination for Best Original Score at the 37th Fajr Film Festival and the Hafez Awards.{{cite web|title=نامزدهای بخش موسیقی هجدهمین جشن حافظ اعلام شد (Nominees for music section of 18th Hafez Awards announced)|url=https://www.hafezawards.com/18th-hafez-awards-1397/|website=Hafez Awards|date=March 2022 |access-date=3 June 2025|language=fa}}{{cite web|title=نامزدهای بخش موسیقی سی و هفتمین جشنواره فیلم فجر (Nominees for music section of 37th Fajr Film Festival)|url=https://fajrfilmfestival.com/1397/10/12/%D9%85%D8%B1%D9%88%D8%B1%DB%8C-%D8%A8%D8%B1-%D9%85%D8%B3%D8%AA%D9%86%D8%AF%D9%87%D8%A7%DB%8C-%D8%B3%DB%8C-%D9%88-%D9%87%D9%81%D8%AA%D9%85%DB%8C%D9%86-%D8%AC%D8%B4%D9%86%D9%88%D8%A7%D8%B1%D9%87-%D9%81/|website=Fajr Film Festival|access-date=3 June 2025|language=fa}}

Azizi is also notable for his significant contributions to documentary and art-house cinema. He composed the score for Finding Farideh (2018), Iran’s official submission for the Best International Feature Film category at the 92nd Academy Awards.{{cite web|title=Iran's Oscar entry: 'Finding Farideh'|url=https://en.mehrnews.com/news/150066/Iran-s-Oscar-entry-Finding-Farideh|website=Mehr News Agency|date=2019-08-18|access-date=3 June 2025}} His score for this film won Best Original Music at the 11th Cinéma Vérité (Iran International Documentary Festival) in 2017.{{cite web|title=جایزه بهترین موسیقی به افشین عزیزی رسید (Afshin Azizi wins Best Music)|url=https://defapress.ir/fa/news/323649/%D8%A8%D8%B1%DA%AF%D8%B2%DB%8C%D8%AF%DA%AF%D8%A7%D9%86-%D8%AF%D9%88%D8%A7%D8%B2%D8%AF%D9%87%D9%85%DB%8C%D9%86-%D8%AC%D8%B4%D9%86%D9%88%D8%A7%D8%B1%D9%87-%D8%A8%DB%8C%D9%86%E2%80%8C%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%85%D9%84%D9%84%DB%8C-%D8%B3%DB%8C%D9%86%D9%85%E2%80%8C%D8%A7%E2%80%8C%D8%AD%D9%82%DB%8C%D9%82%D8%AA-%D9%85%D8%B9%D8%B1%D9%81%DB%8C-%D8%B4%D8%AF%D9%86%D8%AF|website=DefaPress|access-date=3 June 2025|language=fa}} Azizi has scored numerous other internationally recognized documentaries, such as A House for You (2019) and Writing Hawa (2024), the latter premiering at the International Documentary Festival Amsterdam (IDFA).{{cite web|title=Writing Hawa - IDFA|url=https://www.idfa.nl/en/cinema/b647222a-b4b0-44fd-981c-8603cd28014b/Writing-Hawa/|website=IDFA|access-date=3 June 2025}}{{cite web|title=Afshin Azizi - Film-documentaire.fr|url=https://www.film-documentaire.fr/4DACTION/w_liste_generique/C_92689_F|website=film-documentaire.fr|access-date=10 June 2025|language=fr}}

In animation, his first score for the acclaimed animated short In the Shadow of the Cypress (2023) received significant praise and won the Best Score for Short Animation at the 2024 Portland Festival of Cinema, Animation & Technology.{{cite web|title='In the Shadow of the Cypress' Nominated For Academy Award|url=https://www.skwigly.co.uk/in-the-shadow-of-the-cypress-qa/|website=Skwigly Animation Magazine|date=9 February 2024|access-date=3 June 2025}}{{cite web|title=Portland Film Festival - 2024 Winners (Animation Shorts Category)|url=https://portlandfilm.org/2024/10/25/2024-portland-film-festival-winning-films-announced/|website=Portland Film Festival|date=25 October 2024 |access-date=3 June 2025|quote=Best Score for Short Animation: In the Shadow of the Cypress, Afshin Azizi}} The film was also shortlisted for the Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film. Directors Hossein Molayemi and Shirin Sohani lauded Azizi's work on the film, describing him as a "genius composer" who used a "minimal approach" to enhance the narrative.

Beyond film and television, Azizi has released several singles, including "Shouting at the Wind" (2023), "Nobody Is Waiting for You" (2023), "Jangale Asfalt (Titraj Payani) [feat. Arash Azizi]" (2024), "Sistan" (2024), and "Ashes of a Dream" (2025).{{cite web|title=Afshin Azizi on Apple Music|url=https://music.apple.com/us/artist/afshin-azizi/1229705446|website=Apple Music|access-date=3 June 2025}}{{cite web|title=تک آهنگ سیستان به خوانندگی محمد معتمدی منتشر شد (Sistan single released with Mohammad Motamedi's vocals)|url=https://www.mehrnews.com/news/5796090/%D8%AA%DA%A9-%D8%A2%D9%87%D9%86%DA%AF-%D8%B3%DB%8C%D8%B3%D8%AA%D8%A7%D9%86-%D8%A8%D9%87-%D8%AE%D9%88%D8%A7%D9%86%D9%86%D8%AF%DA%AF%DB%8C-%D9%85%D8%AD%D9%85%D8%AF-%D9%85%D8%B9%D8%AA%D9%85%D8%AF%DB%8C-%D9%85%D9%86%D8%AA%D8%B4%D8%B1-%D8%B4%D8%AF|website=Mehr News|date=2024-05-24|access-date=10 June 2025|language=fa}} He has collaborated with leading Iranian directors such as Hossein Soheili Zadeh, Javad Afshar, Bahram Tavakoli, and acclaimed documentary filmmakers like Kourosh Ataee and Azadeh Moussavi.{{cite web|title=موسیقی در مستند به دنبال فریب مخاطب نیست (Music in documentary is not looking to deceive the audience)|url=https://www.mehrnews.com/news/4488539/%D9%85%D9%88%D8%B3%DB%8C%D9%82%DB%8C-%D8%AF%D8%B1-%D9%85%D8%B3%D9%8C%D9%82%DB%8C-%D8%AF%D8%B1-%D9%85%D8%B3%D8%AA%D9%86%D8%AF-%D8%A8%D9%87-%D8%AF%D9%86%D8%A8%D8%A7%D9%84-%D9%81%D8%B1%DB%8C%D8%A8-%D9%85%D8%AE%D8%A7%D8%B7%D8%A8-%D9%86%DB%8C%D8%B3%D8%AA-%D8%AF%D8%B3%D8%AA%D8%A7%D9%88%D8%B1%D8%AF%D9%87%D8%A7%DB%8C-%DB%8C%DA%A9-%DA%A9-%D8%B3%DB%8C%D8%B3%D8%AA%D8%A7%D9%86-%D8%AF%D8%B1-%D9%85%D8%B3%D8%AA%D9%86%D8%AF-%D8%A8%D9%87-%D8%AF%D9%86%D8%A8%D8%A7%D9%84-%D9%81%D8%B1%DB%8C%D8%A8-%D9%85%D8%AE%D8%A7%D8%B7%D8%A8-%D9%86%DB%8C%D8%B3%D8%AA-%D8%AF%D8%B3%D8%AA%D8%A7%D9%88%D8%B1%D8%AF%D9%87%D8%A7%DB%8C-%DB%8C%DA%A9-%D8%AA%D9%86%D8%AF%DB%8C%D8%B3|website=Mehr News|date=19 December 2018 |access-date=3 June 2025|language=fa}} Azizi also served as a sound engineer for the album "The Lords of The Secrets," a collaboration between Sohrab Pournazeri and Homayoun Shajarian.{{cite web|title=The Lords of The Secrets - Barana Art|url=https://www.baranaart.com/en/albums/the-lords-of-the-secrets/|website=Barana Art|access-date=3 June 2025|language=en}}

Awards and honors

2017 – Cinema Vérité Iran International Documentary Festival: Best Original Music for Finding Farideh
2019 – 37th Fajr Film Festival: Nominee, Best Original Score for Gholamreza Takhti
2019 – Hafez Awards: Nominee, Best Original Score for Gholamreza Takhti
2024 – Portland Festival of Cinema, Animation & Technology: Best Score for Short Animation for In the Shadow of the Cypress