I'm Shahrooz Mahmoodi, an Iranian-American filmmaker and founder of Higher Low Films. 

From a young age, I knew that I wanted to be involved in the world of art and creativity. I was born and raised in Zahedan, Sistan Baluchestan in Iran, where I spent most of my childhood drawing and exploring my artistic abilities in one of the most marginalized places in the world. As I grew older, I became more interested in animation and photography, and I decided to pursue my passion by studying animation in the United States. I left Iran by myself when I was 18. I spent a year in Turkey before making my way to the US, where I originally pursued animation, but soon discovered my love for photography and ultimately found my calling in film.

As a refugee, I had to work hard to establish myself in a new country with a completely different culture. Along the way, I realized that many people around me were afraid to take risks and fight for what they really deserved. It was a constant battle to overcome my own fears and push forward, but I knew that I wanted to build a community that could help others in similar situations.

Unfortunately, the film industry can be notoriously difficult to break into, especially if you don't have the right connections or come from a privileged background.

Despite my best efforts, I struggled to find the support and resources that I needed to make my dreams a reality. That's when I realized that I had to take matters into my own hands and create a platform that would give people like me the opportunities they deserved. And thus, Higher Low Films was born.

Our mission is simple: to empower those who have been overlooked and underrepresented in the film industry, and expose them to the resources and opportunities they need to succeed. We want to create a community where people from all backgrounds can come together and collaborate towards a common goal. It hasn't always been easy. Building a successful film company from scratch takes a lot of hard work, dedication, and of course, a sense of humor to keep things in perspective. But I'm proud to say that after years of struggling and fighting for what I believe in, Higher Low Films is thriving, and we're making a difference in people's lives.

I am Samir Golshan, an Iranian-American cinematographer and producer based in Los Angeles.

Growing up in Iran, I initially pursued engineering until I turned 20 years old and decided to leave my country. I became a refugee and lived in Turkey before ultimately moving to the United States. It was through my immigration journey and interactions with people from diverse backgrounds going through similar experiences that I realized how similar yet different people's stories can be. This sparked a passion for storytelling, particularly for those who are often unheard.

After settling in the US, I studied filmmaking to fulfill my passion for storytelling and discovered my talent in helping people bring their stories to life through visual media. I found myself most useful on production sets where I could collaborate with other artists to tell a story. I worked my way up from different departments on set to learn and absorb as much as I could.

As a cinematographer and producer, I am constantly on the lookout for new stories and ways to visually bring them to life. I believe that telling these stories can make a difference in people's lives, and it is this belief that fuels my passion for filmmaking.

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