Mani Nickpour
Director · Cinematographer · Montage · Teacher. Based in Amsterdam.
Mani Nickpour is a Dutch-Iranian filmmaker and film educator based in Amsterdam. Born in Tehran in 1983, he was introduced to cinema at an early age through his father, filmmaker Saeid Nickpour.
At the age of seven, he appeared in one of his father’s films, an experience that sparked his lifelong dedication to storytelling through images. In 1990, he moved with his family to Amsterdam.
Since 2007, Mani has been teaching filmmaking, with a focus on directing, camera work, editing, and compositing. He has taught at institutions including the Gerrit Rietveld Academie and Open Studio Amsterdam. He also teaches at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, where he gives the course Making Short Documentaries. Alongside his teaching practice, he runs his audiovisual company HADOKEN, producing commercials and corporate films.
In 2008, Mani expanded his practice in New York, studying directing actors with Lenore DeKoven.
His work is shaped by a fascination with mythology, symbolism, and the language of dreams, elements that continue to inform his visual storytelling.
His debut feature film Death Before Dying (2023) received several awards at international film festivals. He later directed Dream Machine (2024), which received the award for Best Fantasy Film at the Kanazawa Film Festival. His short film Abyss Interface (2026), a Japanese production, is currently on the international festival circuit.
Festivals & awards
A film education exchange between the Netherlands and Japan.
Free filmmaking workshops
Currently, Mani Nickpour is developing an international film education project focused on cultural exchange between the Netherlands and Japan.
As part of this initiative, he will conduct a series of filmmaking workshops in Japan, including a collaboration with the Kanazawa Film Festival. The workshops guide participants through the complete process of creating short documentary and fiction films, from concept to final edit.
The project also includes an exchange between students in the Netherlands and Japan. Mani will present films created by his students in Amsterdam to participants in Japan, and bring the work of Japanese students back to the Netherlands, creating a dialogue between different cultural perspectives and approaches to filmmaking.
The workshops are designed to be accessible and offered free of charge, with the aim of removing barriers to participation and encouraging creative exchange.
Film courses with Mani
If you are interested in taking film courses with Mani Nickpour, you can explore his current teaching programs here.
In the press
A selection of interviews and profiles offering insight into Mani Nickpour’s artistic practice, personal journey, and work in film.
