Homa Films

08/16/2026

We are pleased to announce a London screening of Performing Beauty | سماع قلم at the Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland.

October 14, 2026 | 6:30–8:30 PM
Royal Asiatic Society Lecture Theatre
14 Stephenson Way, London NW1 2HD

Free and open to all.
Please note that the event is in-person only and will not be available online.

We look forward to sharing Performing Beauty with audiences in London.

08/11/2026

I was pleased to present my paper, “Performing Beauty: A Filmmaker’s Journey with Nastaʿlīq,” at the 15th Biennial Conference of the Association for Iranian Studies (AIS 2026) at Utrecht University.

The paper reflected on the making of Performing Beauty | سماع قلم and my journey of bringing Nastaʿlīq to the screen.

07/31/2026

Performing Beauty | سماع قلم was recently screened for members of the Goldman Sachs Americas Muslim Forum in New York and Dallas.

Following the screening, audience members shared thoughtful reflections on the film, its exploration of Persian calligraphy, and the connections it inspired across different cultural backgrounds. The film resonated with viewers and encouraged meaningful conversation.

05/24/2026

Following the May 22, 2026 screening of Performing Beauty at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, the screening prompted a deeply positive response, with the film being received as visually refined, emotionally moving, and culturally meaningful. Particular appreciation was expressed for its pacing, editorial rhythm, spiritual atmosphere, and its treatment of Persian calligraphy as a living art shaped by reverence, transmission, and cultural memory. The response also suggested that the film has strong potential for wider visibility among museums, universities, and broader art and cultural audiences.

05/10/2026

I am honored to share that Performing Beauty | سماع قلم will be screened at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, NY, on May 22 as part of an invitation-only program hosted by the Department of Islamic Art.

04/06/2026

“A beautiful ode to the nasta’liq script.”
«ستایشی زیبا برای خط نستعلیق.»
— Video Librarian

“A loving portrait of an aesthetic experience.”
«تصویری سرشار از مهر از یک تجربه‌ی زیباشناختی.» — جسی ای. دیزارد

03/06/2026

A new academic review of "Performing Beauty | سماع قلم" has appeared in Educational Media Reviews Online (EMRO).

Danielle Hassan writes:
“[It] establishes calligraphy as a performative act, where motion, balance, and composition shape interpretation.”

EMRO reviews are widely used by university libraries when evaluating films for acquisition, which makes this recognition especially meaningful.

You can read the full review here:
https://emro.libraries.psu.edu/record/index.php?id=8343

12/21/2025

A contemporary poetic animated work inspired by Attar’s The Conference of the Birds.
یک اثر انیمیشن شاعرانه معاصر با الهام از منطق الطیر عطار.

12/13/2025

"[Performing Beauty] is...a loving portrait of an aesthetic experience, not merely the maintenance and production of a unique form of calligraphy, the subtleties of which are painstakingly explained."

Jesse A. Dizard
Filmmaker & Professor
Department of Anthropology
California State University at Chico

10/19/2025

"It’s a visually meditative experience that invites viewers to slow down and appreciate the act of creation itself."
- Meaghan Steeves, Video Librarian

The documentary is a work of art from start to finish. Even the credits are fascinating to study because they include degree-specific angles and construction marks to illustrate how the characters are made.