Shabnam Rezaei
NationalityIranian-American
Occupation(s)Children's television screen writer and producer
Notable work16 Hudson
The Bravest Knight
1001 Nights

Shabnam Rezaei is a children's television creator, director, producer and co-founder of Big Bad Boo Studios and VOD service Oznoz.[1] She is the director and producer of Hulu Original series The Bravest Knight, the first children's series with an LGBT protagonist.[2] The all-star cast includes T. R. Knight, Bobby Moynihan, Storm Reid, RuPaul, Wanda Sykes, Wilson Cruz, and Christine Baranski. The Bravest Knight won the 2020 GLAAD Media Award for Outstanding Kids and Family Programming.[3]

In 2019, Rezaei directed the short film Balloon Girl, which was a finalist in the PBS Online Film Fest. Set in Stadtpark, Vienna, the short film was part of the worldwide, London-based Hope Works Project, a series of short films to inspire kindness, understanding and hope in children around the world.[4][5]

Rezaei is the creator of the animated preschool series 16 Hudson,[6] which features a family with two dads, and families from various backgrounds such as Ireland, India, China and Iran. The series is based on Lili & Lola a mini-series created by Rezaei in 2015.[7] 16 Hudson currently airs on TVOKids, Ici Radio-Canada Télé, Knowledge Network, Amazon Prime Video, Discovery Kids, TFO, Oznoz, Vme Kids, and Rádio e Televisão de Portugal with Season 2 introducing a refugee family.[8]

16 Hudson won the Mipcom Diversify TV Award in 2021 in Cannes, France, beating out Disney Junior's Mira, Royal Detective and the CBeebies' JoJo & Gran Gran in Preschool category.[9] In 2022, Lili & Lola was nominated for the Mipcom Diversify TV Award in the Preschool category.[10]

In 2022, Rezaei greenlit her climate change series Galapagos X with public broadcasters TVOKids and Mediacorp Singapore among other commissioning partners.[11]

Career

Rezaei created and produced 1001 Nights, an animated children's series based on stories from One Thousand and One Nights.[12][13] Every episode opens with the famous storyteller Shahrzad, King Shahryar, and kids Donyazad and Shahzaman.[14][15] The series won three Leo Awards for Best Animation Program or Series, Best Screenwriting in an Animation Program or Series, and Best Overall Sound in an Animation Program or Series.[16][17]

Her first television series, Mixed Nutz, promotes diversity and multiculturalism through a group of friends from Iran, Korea, Cuba, Austria, and India.[18] The series was a continuation of their work Babak and Friends, and included the voice talents of Shohreh Aghdashloo, Parviz Sayyad, Ali Pourtash, and Catherine Bell.[19][20]

Her directorial work includes 16 Hudson, Lili & Lola,1001 Nights, and Mixed Nutz.[21]

Rezaei is also the creator of Persian cultural online magazine Persian Mirror.[22]

Personal life

Shabnam was born in Tehran, Iran and grew up in Vienna, Austria, where she attended the American International School of Vienna. She studied Computer Science Engineering and German Literature at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia. She later obtained an MBA from the New York University Stern School of Business. She speaks five languages. [23]

Filmography

Television

Year Title Notes
2022 - 2024 Galapagos X Creator, Director, Executive Producer, Showrunner
2018 - 2024 16 Hudson Creator, Director, Executive Producer, Writer (2 episodes)
2018 - 2020 The Bravest Knight Creator, Director, Executive Producer
2020-2022 ABC with Kenny G Creator, Director, Executive Producer
2015-2022 Lili & Lola Creator, Director, Executive Producer, Writer (8 episodes)
2012-2013 1001 Nights Creator, Director, Executive Producer, Writer (2 episodes)
2009-2010 Mixed Nutz Producer
2005 Babak and Friends Producer

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Shabnam Rezaei.
  1. ^ "Empathy Through Storytelling with Shabnam Rezaei, Big Bad Boo". BC Creates Magazine. 25 February 2021. Retrieved 28 January 2022.
  2. ^ "Hulu Orders Big Bad Boo Toon with LGBTQ Lead". Playback Online. 8 February 2018. Retrieved 1 July 2019.
  3. ^ ""The Bravest Knight," "Star Wars: Doctor Aphra" win 2020 GLAAD Media Awards". Playback Online. 12 October 2018. Retrieved 2 March 2018.
  4. ^ "Big Bad Boo's 'Balloon Girl' One of 25 PBS Online Film Fest Finalists". Animation Magazine. 11 July 2019. Retrieved 8 December 2022.
  5. ^ Hope Works Website
  6. ^ "TVO greenlights 16 Hudson". Playback Online. 12 October 2018. Retrieved 2 March 2018.
  7. ^ "Big Bad Boo gets TVO deal for new preschool series". Kidscreen Magazine. 27 March 2015. Retrieved 31 January 2022.
  8. ^ "Drawing on the Immigrant Experience: Big Bad Boo's '16 Hudson' Introduces a Refugee Family". Animation Magazine. 17 February 2021. Retrieved 2 March 2021.
  9. ^ "'It's A Sin', 'Dreaming Whilst Black' Among Winners at MIPCOM Diversify TV Excellence Awards". The Hollywood Reporter. 13 October 2021. Retrieved 18 October 2021.
  10. ^ "MIPCOM: 2022 Diversify TV Award Winners Revealed". The Hollywood Reporter. 18 October 2022. Retrieved 22 October 2022.
  11. ^ "Mediacorp Goes Green with Big Bad Boo's 'Galapagos X'". Animation Magazine. 18 December 2022. Retrieved 21 September 2023.
  12. ^ "Forbes Interview with Shabnam Rezaei on Big Bad Boo". Forbes. 4 January 2010. Retrieved 9 April 2012.
  13. ^ "Huffington Post Facing Barriers: Shabnam Rezaei". Huffington Post. 19 April 2011. Retrieved 24 March 2012.
  14. ^ "PBS Series on World Literature 1001 Nights". PBS Documentary on World Literature 1001 Nights. 4 June 2011. Retrieved 9 April 2012.
  15. ^ 1001 Nights TV Series Property Page
  16. ^ "2012 Winners by Name". Leo Awards. 2012. Retrieved 2 July 2019.
  17. ^ "Big Bad Boo Sweeps the Leo Awards with 3 Wins". Shaw Multicultural News. 6 June 2012. Retrieved 13 July 2018.
  18. ^ "Mixed Nutz on CNN". CNN. 13 December 2007. Retrieved 5 April 2012.
  19. ^ "Producers help kids deal with Social Diversity". Vancouver Sun. 3 May 2007. Retrieved 25 March 2011.
  20. ^ Mixed Nutz Property Page
  21. ^ "Big Bad Boo Heads to Oznoz". Kidscreen Magazine. 8 July 2015. Retrieved 31 January 2022.
  22. ^ "CNN interview with Shabnam Rezaei". CNN Interview. 20 April 2006. Retrieved 9 April 2012.
  23. ^ Richards, Sandra (June 20, 2010). "Shabnam Rezaei Biography". IMDb. Retrieved January 28, 2022.

External links

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