Desiree Akhavan facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Desiree Akhavan
Akhavan in 2015
Born	(1984-12-27) December 27, 1984 (age 40) New York City, New York, U.S.
Alma mater	Smith College New York University
Occupation	Filmmaker actress writer
Years active	2010–present

Desiree Akhavan (born December 27, 1984) is an American filmmaker, writer, and actress. She is well-known for her first feature film, Appropriate Behavior, released in 2014. She also directed The Miseducation of Cameron Post in 2018.

Early Life and Education

Desiree Akhavan was born in New York City in 1984. Her parents moved to the United States from Iran in 1979, after the Iranian Revolution. Desiree has said that her parents now see themselves as American. Her father has not gone back to Iran since the 1980s. However, Desiree sometimes visited family there when she was a child.

As a child, Desiree lived in New Jersey. Later, her family moved to Rockland County, New York. She went to Horace Mann School for high school, which is a private school in The Bronx. During this time, she felt a bit lonely. She spent a lot of time watching TV and movies, which helped her learn about American culture.

Desiree started writing plays when she was 10 years old. She began acting in plays when she was 13.

She studied Film and Theatre at Smith College in Massachusetts. After finishing college in 2007, she went on to study film directing. She attended New York University's Tisch School of the Arts. She also spent a year studying in London at Queen Mary, University of London.

Career Highlights

Akhavan made her first short film, Two Drink Minimum, while studying in London. In 2010, she wrote and directed another short film called Nose Job.

She often appears in her own projects. She wrote, directed, and acted in the web series The Slope. This series premiered in 2011. In 2012, Filmmaker magazine named her and her creative partner, Ingrid Jungermann, as "25 New Faces of Independent Film."

Akhavan played a writing student in season 4 of the TV show Girls. She got this role after Lena Dunham and Jenni Konner saw her film Appropriate Behaviour.

In 2014, her film Appropriate Behavior was shown at the Sundance Film Festival. In the film, Akhavan plays a character similar to herself. She first wrote the film as her final paper at New York University. The movie was inspired by her own experiences, like a past relationship ending. However, she says the film is not exactly her life story. That same year, she was chosen for the Sundance Institute's Episodic Story Lab. This was for her TV pilot script, Switch Hitter.

In 2015, Akhavan was the head of the Queer Palm jury at the Cannes Film Festival. This jury focuses on films that explore diverse stories and identities.

She has said that filmmakers like Todd Solondz and Noah Baumbach inspire her.

Channel 4 asked Akhavan to write, direct, and star in a TV show called The Bisexual. It aired in the U.K. in October 2018 and in the U.S. in November 2018. The show explores different ideas about relationships. Akhavan said it was a good way to discuss these topics.

In November 2016, it was announced that Akhavan would write, direct, and produce The Miseducation of Cameron Post. The film starred Chloë Grace Moretz and Sasha Lane. This film was highly praised. It won the Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival in 2018. It was also shown at many other film festivals. These included the Tribeca Film Festival and the Seattle International Film Festival. The film received many awards and nominations.

In an interview with The Guardian, Akhavan shared her thoughts on the film industry. She said that most stories about diverse female relationships have been directed by men. She wanted to change this with The Miseducation of Cameron Post. She explained that she wanted the film's tone to be just right. She also noted that films about teenagers often show them realizing adults don't have all the answers.

On November 17, 2018, Akhavan attended the Vulture Festival. She spoke with actresses Chloë Grace Moretz and Tatum O'Neal about working in the film industry.

..... The book covers her life from childhood to her success as a filmmaker. It is written with her unique, funny style.

Advocating for Diverse Stories

Desiree Akhavan is a strong supporter of telling diverse stories in the film industry. She works to make sure more films and TV shows feature different kinds of relationships and identities.

She mentioned that when she tried to get her show The Bisexual made in Los Angeles in 2015, she faced many rejections. She felt this was because some people in America are uncomfortable with female relationships. Her work, including The Miseducation of Cameron Post, The Bisexual, and Appropriate Behaviour, focuses on these kinds of stories.

Even after The Miseducation of Cameron Post did well at Sundance, it was hard to find a company to distribute it. Akhavan believes this shows unfairness in the industry. She noted that few women have won the Sundance award. She felt it was difficult for her film, which focused on female relationships and was directed by a woman, to get widely released. She said that while things are changing, stories about female relationships, especially those with romantic themes, are still challenging to get made. She observed that if a film has romantic scenes, it often focuses on a man's perspective.

Akhavan is calling for big changes in the film industry. She believes there are problems, like women being paid much less than men for the same work. She hopes that these changes will lead to more exciting and diverse stories being told.

When asked about the future of TV shows featuring diverse relationships, Akhavan said that these topics are becoming more common in mainstream television. She feels there is less of a "separate" feeling now compared to when shows like The L Word were first made.

In June 2019, Queerty magazine named her one of the "Pride50." This was to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall riots. These riots were a key moment in the movement for equal rights for all people. The "Pride50" list honors people who work to ensure fairness and acceptance for everyone.

Personal Life

Desiree Akhavan identifies as a woman who is attracted to both men and women. She lives in Brooklyn, New York. She often explores her own experiences and identity in her creative work. She has spoken about her family's background in Iran.

Filmography

Film

Television

Web

Personal Television Appearances

Awards and Nominations

See also

In Spanish: Desiree Akhavan para niños

• List of female film and television directors
• List of LGBT-related films directed by women
• LGBT culture in New York City
• List of LGBT people from New York City
• NYC Pride March