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ساز
(music projects)
و
(installations)
فیلم
(visual projects)




©2026 Filmsaaz


Saleh Kashefi (b. 1999, Tehran), also known as Filmsaaz, is an audiovisual artist in exile working between cinema and music. Through intimate, low-budget works, they explore the juxtaposition of extreme dualities—trauma and healing, toxic masculinity and queerness, hate and compassion—developing a formally radical yet youthful language.
They have been part of film festivals such as Cannes, Berlinale, Venice, Locarno, Visions du Réel, IDFA and FID.   A Prince Claus Seed Awardee, l'Abri associated artist, Master ECAL/HEAD and Le Fresnoy alumni, working under the pseudonym Filmsaaz as a visual artist, musician and DJ, having released 2 LPs, exhibited and performed in different venues around the world.

in 2026, their first feature-length film, the audiovisual opera WOLFGANG, premiered at IFFR and their new short film, the romantic-slasher-3d-animation Ãsheghetam  won the Youth Jury Award for Best Auteur Short Film at Locarno.



(SELECTED) RESIDENCES, FELLOWSHIPS, EXHIBITTIONS

2027, Basel / Kaserne Basel Residency, three months
2025-27, Tourcoing / Le Fresnoy, two years
2025-27, Geneva / L’Abri Residency, two years
2025, Amsterdam / EyeFilmMuseum, Prince Claus Lab with Apichatpong
2025, Paris / Aide au parcours d’auteur du CNC, grant
2025, Basel / Gwaertler Stiftung, grant
2025, Bern / P.AiR.S Kurzfilmtage Residency, seven weeks
2022-24, Geneva / Hans Wilsdorf Fellowship, two years
2023, Sao Paolo / SPSFF, Loki Records, fifteen days
2023, Normandie / Moulin d'Andé, five days
2023, Zurich / Jugendfilmtage’s Talent Campus, five days
2022, Prizren / DokuFest Residency, three weeks
2022, Venice / Venice FF, Biennale College Cinema, ten days
2022, Kassel / Documenta fifteen, Prince Claus Lab, five days
2022, Berlin / Berlinale Film Festival, Berlinale Talents, ten days
2021, Locarno / Locarno FF, Filmmakers Academy, two weeks
2021, Oslo / PRAKSIS Oslo, Exhibition & Residency, two months
2020-21, Paris / La Residence du Festival de Cannes, six months
2020, Dongguan / Young Yan Artist Residency, one month
2019, Basel / Basel Filmmakers Residency, three months
2018, Tehran / Fajr FF Talent Campus, ten days
2018, Tehran / Iranian Youth Cinema Society fellowship, one year