Sam Chegini ( fa, سام چگینی) is an Iranian

music video director A music video director is the head of music video production. The director conceives of videos' artistic and dramatic aspects while instructing the musical act, technical crew, actors, models, and dancers. They may or may not be in collaboration ...

filmmaker Filmmaking (film production) is the process by which a motion picture is produced. Filmmaking involves a number of complex and discrete stages, starting with an initial story, idea, or commission. It then continues through screenwriting, castin ...

animator An animator is an artist who creates multiple images, known as frames, which give an illusion of movement called animation when displayed in rapid sequence. Animators can work in a variety of fields including film, television, and video gam ...

graphic designer A graphic designer is a professional within the graphic design and graphic arts industry who assembles together images, typography, or motion graphics to create a piece of design. A graphic designer creates the graphics primarily for published, ...

video editor A video editor is involved in video production and the post-production of film making. The video editor's responsibilities involve decisions about the selection and combining of shots into sequences, as well as the addition of accompanying sou ...

, and

puppeteer A puppeteer is a person who manipulates an inanimate object, called a puppet, to create the illusion that the puppet is alive. The puppet is often shaped like a human, animal, or legendary creature. The puppeteer may be visible to or hidden from ...

born in

Tehran Tehran (; fa, تهران ) is the largest city in Tehran Province and the capital of Iran. With a population of around 9 million in the city and around 16 million in the larger metropolitan area of Greater Tehran, Tehran is the most popul ...

in 1992 in an artistic family. He has directed videos for Chris de Burgh,

Gentle Giant Gentle Giant were a British progressive rock band active between 1970 and 1980. The band were known for the complexity and sophistication of their music and for the varied musical skills of their members. All of the band members were multi-inst ...

, Jethro Tull,

King Crimson King Crimson are a progressive rock band formed in 1968 in London, England. The band draws inspiration from a wide variety of music, incorporating elements of classical, jazz, folk, heavy metal, gamelan, industrial, electronic, experime ...

's frontman, Jakko M Jakszyk, and

Lenny Henry Sir Lenworth George Henry (born 29 August 1958) is a British actor, comedian, singer, television presenter and writer. Henry gained success as a stand-up comedian and impressionist in the late 1970s and early 1980s, culminating in ''The Lenn ...

Career

Chegini started at the local TV as a puppeteer at 14. He then followed his passion for film and animation at 16. In 2009, Chegini joined VOP (Voice of Peace), a group that worked on reconstructing ancient Persian musical instruments, sponsored by

United Nations Human Settlements Programme The United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) is the United Nations programme for human settlements and sustainable urban development. It was established in 1977 as an outcome of the first United Nations Conference on Human Settleme ...

and IAARA. He made the artistic film The Lyre of Mesopotamia, Which received an award for best video art in the 1st Persbookart Contest on Facebook in 2010. In 2011, Dutch singer/songwriter

Chris de Burgh. Traveller (2012 music video)">Traveller Traveler(s), traveller(s), The Traveler(s), or The Traveller(s) may refer to: People Generic terms *One engaged in travel *Explorer, one who searches for the purpose of discovery of information or resources *Nomad, a member of a community withou ...

has been the official selection of many prestigious music video and film festivals around the globe and has been screened in different countries so far. In 2013, Chegini won the Royal Reel Award from

Canada International Film Festival The Edgewater Casino is a former casino that was located at 760 Pacific Blvd South Vancouver, British Columbia. It was in operation from 2005 to 2017. History The Edgwater Casino opened in February 2005. In 2006, the casino was acquired by Para ...

for this music video and it was also voted no. 1 in the Frisian charts in the Klipkar+TV program. in 2016, Chegini made an animated music video for British comedian Sir

, titled "

The Cops Don't Know "The Cops Don't Know" is the first track and single from the ''New Millennium Blues'' album by Lenny Henry. It was released by Made in Soho Music in April 2016. The song was written by Lenny Henry and the music is composed by Jakko Jakszyk. The o ...

" produced by British record producer, Chris Porter, which was premiered on

Classic Rock Magazine ''Classic Rock'' is a British magazine and website dedicated to rock music, owned and published by Future. It was launched in October 1998 and is based in London. The magazine publishes 13 editions a year, mainly covering rock bands from the 60, ...

. Henry praised the video in his interview with

, saying the video has a "labor of love" style and "Sam is gifted." in 2017, Chegeni joined Verbatim

Theater Theatre or theater is a collaborative form of performing art that uses live performers, usually actor, actors or actresses, to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place, often a stage. The p ...

Group for the play MANUS, directed by Nazanin Sahamizadeh. As

Video Artist Video art is an art form which relies on using video technology as a visual and audio medium. Video art emerged during the late 1960s as new consumer video technology such as video tape recorders became available outside corporate broadcasting. ...

, Video Mapper and

International affairs International relations (IR), sometimes referred to as international studies and international affairs, is the scientific study of interactions between sovereign states. In a broader sense, it concerns all activities between states—such as ...

, He has worked with the team in 3 International festivals including the 36th

Fajr International Theater Festival Fajr International Theater Festival (est. 1983) occurs annually in Iran, featuring local and international theatrical works and performers. Among the participants: el-Warsha (Egypt) and Teatro Potlatch (Italy). Some of the events take place in the ...

(

Tehran, Iran Tehran (; fa, تهران ) is the largest city in Tehran Province and the Capital city, capital of Iran. With a population of around 9 million in the city and around 16 million in the larger metropolitan area of Greater Tehran, Tehran is th ...

), 2 performances in

Bangladesh Bangladesh (}, ), officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh, is a country in South Asia. It is the eighth-most populous country in the world, with a population exceeding 165 million people in an area of . Bangladesh is among the mos ...

, (

Chittagong Chittagong ( /ˈtʃɪt əˌɡɒŋ/ ''chit-uh-gong''; ctg, চিটাং; bn, চিটাগং), officially Chattogram ( bn, চট্টগ্রাম), is the second-largest city in Bangladesh after Dhaka and third largest city in B ...

and

Dhaka Dhaka ( or ; bn, ঢাকা, Ḍhākā, ), formerly known as Dacca, is the capital and largest city of Bangladesh, as well as the world's largest Bengali-speaking city. It is the eighth largest and sixth most densely populated city ...

) and 10th

International Theatre Festival of Kerala International Theatre Festival of Kerala (ITFoK) is an international theatre festival held every year in December in Thrissur city of Kerala State, India. The festival is organised by Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Akademi and Cultural Department of Gov ...

(

Thrissur Thrissur (), formerly Trichur, also known by its historical name Thrissivaperur, is a city and the headquarters of the Thrissur district in Kerala, India. It is the third largest urban agglomeration in Kerala after Kochi and Kozhikode, and t ...

Kerala Kerala ( ; ) is a state on the Malabar Coast of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, following the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, by combining Malayalam-speaking regions of the erstwhile regions of Cochin, Malabar, South ...

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

). As artistic director, Chegini organized the 9th Wordless International Short Film Festival in the city of

Qazvin Qazvin (; fa, قزوین, , also Romanized as ''Qazvīn'', ''Qazwin'', ''Kazvin'', ''Kasvin'', ''Caspin'', ''Casbin'', ''Casbeen'', or ''Ghazvin'') is the largest city and capital of the Province of Qazvin in Iran. Qazvin was a capital of the ...

, Iran, same time screening with

Sydney Sydney ( ) is the capital city of the state of New South Wales, and the most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Sydney Harbour and extends about towards the Blue Mountain ...

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

in November 2017. In August 2018, "SamChats" had its first premiere on

YouTube YouTube is a global online video platform, online video sharing and social media, social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by ...

, an online talk show interviewing the most successful international artists worldwide, designated for the Persian-speaking audience for the first time, held by Sam Chegini. In the first season, Neil Taylor,

Lena Katina Elena Sergeevna Katina (russian: link=no, Елена Сергеевна Катина; born 4 October 1984), better known as Lena Katina, is a Russian musician who gained fame as one half of the pop/electronica duo t.A.T.u. She started her care ...

, Ayda Mosharaf, and

Alex Jolig Alexander Jolig (born January 14, 1963, Stuttgart), better known by his stage name Alex, is a German actor, singer, and motorcycle racer. Once a housemate in Big Brother Germany reality show on RTL II, he became famous in Europe and also interna ...

appeared on the show. In 2019, during the pandemic of

COVID-19 Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by a virus, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The first known case was COVID-19 pandemic in Hubei, identified in Wuhan, China, in December ...

, Chegini directed a music video for King Crimson's frontman, Jakko M Jakszyk, titled "The Trouble with Angels". Jakszyk praised Chegini's work in a comment saying: "The first single, ‘The Trouble With Angels, makes its debut on the 14th August, 2020. Complete with an extraordinary animated video by Iranian filmmaker Sam Chegini. And getting that made amidst the pandemic is a whole other story!!" In an exclusive interview with

Prog magazine ''Prog'' is a British magazine and website dedicated to progressive rock music. The magazine is published 11 times a year by Future. It was launched in February 2009 and is based in London, publishing its 100th issue in August 2019. ''Prog'' ...

, Jakko opens the story, explaining the unusual production process of the video because of the pandemic of COVID-19 along with a very bad political climate in Iran, to which Prog Magazine headline reads: "Worldwide political upheaval almost derails the shoot for King Crimson singer Jakko Jakszyks recent promo video". "The video looks amazing, but what’s most amazing is that we managed to make it at all," said Jakko Jakszyk, explaining the difficult online production of the animated video. In another interview with Prog, the British journalist/TV presenter

Matthew Wright Matthew may refer to: * Matthew (given name) * Matthew (surname) * ''Matthew'' (ship), the replica of the ship sailed by John Cabot in 1497 * ''Matthew'' (album), a 2000 album by rapper Kool Keith * Matthew (elm cultivar), a cultivar of the Chi ...

describes the video saying: "I haven't seen anything quite like it! It is not just visually stunning. The story behind the video is worth telling." In the same interview, Jakszyk explains their first collaboration in the making of the video for Sir Lenny Henrys, "The Cops Dont Know" which led to their second and third collaborations, "The Trouble with Angels" and "Uncertain Times". Later in 2020, "Uncertain Times", another animated music video for

Jakko Jakszyk Michael "Jakko" Jakszyk (born Michael Lee Curran, 8 June 1958) is an English musician, record producer, and actor. He has released several solo albums as a singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist and has been the lead singer for King Crims ...

directed by Sam Chegini and starring the renowned British Actor, Comedian,

Al Murray Alastair James Hay Murray (born 10 May 1968) is an English comedian, actor, musician and writer from Hammersmith. In 2003, he was listed in ''The Observer'' as one of the 50 funniest acts in British comedy, and in 2007 he was voted the 16th gr ...

was released on October 9, 2020, from

InsideOut Music Inside Out Music is a German independent record label originally based in Kleve, North Rhine-Westphalia, and dedicated to the publication of progressive rock, progressive metal and related styles. In 2009, it formed a partnership with Century Me ...

. In 2021, an official music video for " Aqualung" was released by Warner Music on the occasion of the album's 50th Anniversary. The Aqualung video directed by Sam Chegini was premiered on

Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first kno ...

on April 1, 2021. Jethro Tull's frontman,

Ian Anderson Ian Scott Anderson (born 10 August 1947) is a British musician, singer and songwriter best known for his work as the lead vocalist, flautist, acoustic guitarist and leader of the British rock band Jethro Tull. He is a multi-instrumentalist w ...

, praised Chegini in his statement to Rolling Stone saying: “At the suggestion of my pal, Jakko Jaksyzk of King Crimson, I contacted a young Iranian videographer/director, Sam Chegini; He delivered a unique rendition of the ‘Aqualung’ song with abstract and documentary-type footage. A talented young man with a bright future in the music arts.” On April 21, 2021, on the occasion of World Creativity and Innovation Day, the virtual event "Creativity For Urban Future" was held by

UN-Habitat The United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) is the United Nations programme for human settlements and sustainable urban development. It was established in 1977 as an outcome of the first United Nations Conference on Human Settlem ...

and Urban+Future. Alongside the screening of the video "Aqualung" directed by Sam Chegini at the virtual event, he gave a speech about "Limitations that can lead to Creativity and Innovation" based on his experiences making videos. On April 30, 2021

announced the release date of a remixed version of their 1975 album "Free Hand" by

Steven Wilson Steven John Wilson (born 3 November 1967) is an English musician. He is the founder, guitarist, lead vocalist and songwriter of the rock band Porcupine Tree, as well as being a member of several other bands, including Blackfield, Storm Corrosio ...

with custom visuals for all tracks. The title track "

Free Hand ''Free Hand'' is the seventh album by British progressive rock band Gentle Giant. It was released in 1975. It was Gentle Giant's first album with their new label Chrysalis Records in the UK. It is noted for its high production values, and for ...

" is directed and animated by Sam Chegini. The release date is June 25, 2021. On October 15, 2021, British-Irish singer/songwriter, Chris de Burgh released a music video for his single "Legacy" directed by Sam Chegini. The animated music video that was released on de Burgh's 73rd Birthday is produced for his 27th Studio album "The Legend of Robin Hood". On January 28, 2022, Jethro Tull's new album, "The Zealot Gene" was released—an album of new materials in over two decades, featuring two music videos directed by Sam Chegini. "Sad City Sisters" and "The Zealot Gene". Chegini is also a member of the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations Intercultural Leaders.

Filmography

Puppetry

Awards

*Best Music Video - Tassvir Film Festival, for Chris de Burgh's Legacy *Best Music Video - Cannes World Film Festival, for The Trouble with Angels (202

*Honorable Mention - 39th New Jersey International Film Festival, for The Trouble with Angels (202

*Best Music Video Award, Stockholm Monthly Film Festival, for The Trouble with Angels (2020) * Plural+ FERA-LUCERO Award, United Nations Plural+ Youth Video Festival, for

(2016) * Best Music Video Award, ShortPole London, for

(2016) * Music Video of the Month, The Monthly Film Festival, for

(2016) * Best Music Video, The Motion Picture Film Festival, USA for Emotions of Tomorrow (2016) * Best short of the week, Reel13

WNET WNET (channel 13), branded on-air as "Thirteen" (stylized as "THIRTEEN"), is a primary PBS member television station licensed to Newark, New Jersey, United States, serving the New York City area. Owned by The WNET Group (formerly known as the ...

PBS The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) is an American public broadcasting, public broadcaster and Non-commercial activity, non-commercial, Terrestrial television, free-to-air television network based in Arlington, Virginia. PBS is a publicly fu ...

for ''

Traveller Traveler(s), traveller(s), The Traveler(s), or The Traveller(s) may refer to: People Generic terms *One engaged in travel *Explorer, one who searches for the purpose of discovery of information or resources *Nomad, a member of a community withou ...

'' music video (2014) * The Royal Reel Award for ''

'' music video –

(2013) * 1st place – Music Video Category for ''

'' – 9th Annual '' MY HERO'' International Film Festival 2013 * 2nd place – Experimental/Music Video category for ''

'' – The 6th Annual Boomtown Film and Music Festival,

Texas Texas (, ; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2 ...

(2013) * 3rd place – Best Film Poster for ''Maybe Sky'' – 11th Iranian Youth Cinema Society Film Festival (2011) * Best Video Art '' The Lyre of Mesopotamia'', Persbook Art Festival, Iran (2009)

Notes

References

Persbookart winners - Persbookart official website

Folkforum report of the Noordfolk festival

'Traveller' music video on Protoclip festival website

External links

Official website
*
Facebook fanpage
{{DEFAULTSORT:Chegini, Sam 1992 births Living people