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Amir Ganjavie, a multifaceted individual based in Toronto, holds a Ph.D. in communication and culture and is on the verge of completing a second Ph.D. in philosophy at McMaster University. His first doctoral dissertation focused on utilizing Hegel's philosophy to understand and analyze contemporary utopian movies. He is currently pursuing a second doctorate in philosophy, specifically studying democracy theories and the dangers of privatization.
Fascinated by the issue of alternative and utopian space in modern urban settings and cinema, Amir has published several articles on utopia and authored two books—one on utopia and another on walkable neighborhoods (Pour une ville qui marche). Recently, he has co-edited two special volumes on Iranian cinema for Film International and Asian Cinema and edited Humanities of the Other: An essay collection on the Dardanne Brothers (in Persian). Apart from academia, Amir contributes to various publications including MovieMaker, Filmint, Mubi, Senses of Cinema, Offscreen, and Brightlight. He also serves as the chief editor of Universal Cinema Journal.
Amir is highly active in the community, serving as the CEO of the Cyrus Intl. Film Festival and the Phoenix Cultural Centre of Toronto. Additionally, he is one of the founding members of NaMaNa Cinema, a non-profit film club at University of Toronto. His filmmaking journey began in 2018 with the co-direction of Pendulum. In 2021, he directed the COVID thriller film "Into Schrödinger's Box" in collaboration with Nasim Naghavi.
