Caveh Zahedi (born Robert Caveh Zahedi on April 29 1960) is an American film director and actor.

Zahedi is the son of Iranian immigrants and was born in Washington, D.C. He studied philosophy at Yale University. Upon graduation Zahedi moved to Paris, France where he believed he would easily find funding for his films. He failed to interest any French producers in his projects about Arthur Rimbaud, Stephane Mallarme, and Eadward Muybridge. During this time Zahedi also succeeded in forever estranging himself from his idol Jean-Luc Godard with whom he had hoped to make films. Zahedi worked during this time as a film critic but was soon sacked when he concluded that 1984's Ghostbusters was the greatest film ever made. Zahedi has since stated that this conclusion was based on his homesickness at the time, and his rediscovery and appreciation of Hollywood filmmaking.

He subsequently left France and returned to Los Angeles to attend UCLA film school. Zahedi spent five years in the UCLA graduate program where he completed his first feature film A Little Stiff (1991) which he co-directed with fellow student Greg Watkins. The film recounts Zahedi's real life unrequited and obsessive love for a UCLA art student. Not only does he play himself in the film, but Zahedi was able to get his real life love interest and his "competition" to play themselves. A Little Stiff premiered at the Sundance Film Festival to critical acclaim but it did not bring commercial success.

His next feature film, I Don't Hate Las Vegas Anymore (1994), documents his attempt to bond with his estranged father and half-brother on a road trip to Las Vegas. Zahedi was criticized for insisting that his father and brother take Ecstasy with him, on film, in order to kick-start the bonding process.

In 1998, Zahedi moved to San Francisco after accepting a teaching position there.

His next feature is the docu-diary In the Bathtub of the World (2001). In the film, Zahedi attempts to shoot at least one minute of video diary every day for an entire year.

His latest film, I Am A Sex Addict (2005), has been in the works for fifteen years. Through re-enactments it recounts Zahedi's struggle with his addiction to prostitutes and the havoc it wreaked on his marriages and romantic relationships. The film has just had its theatrical premiere in San Francisco.

Zahedi has also appeared in several films in acting roles such as Richard Linklater's Waking Life (2001) and Citizen Ruth (1996).

References

• Caveh Zehedi – The Official Website

1960 births | American film directors | American film actors | Iranian Americans | Living people