ViSION FORWARD

Payam Films carries a heritage that spans generations. In 1919, my grandfather Mohammad Payami established a printing house in Tehran called “Payam Publishing.” The name “Payam,” which translates to “Message” in English, embodied his vision to contribute to Iran’s cultural and intellectual life during a time of transformation following the constitutional revolution. With the introduction of official identification and surnames, my grandfather chose “Payami” as our family name to reflect his passion for journalism.

Payam Publishing soon evolved to become a beacon of progress in a rapidly changing Iran. My grandfather launched the “Payam Newspaper,” a weekly publication that covered arts, culture, and politics with a progressive spirit. By 1957, however, the newspaper was banned by the government for its progressive positions on civil rights and foreign influence. Despite this setback, the printing house endured, passed down through the family, and remains Iran’s oldest operating printing house to this day.

I founded Payam Films in the mid-1990s to honor my grandfather’s legacy and to pursue my passion for cinema. Mohammad Payami was a visionary whose passion and courage inspired everyone who knew him. His dedication to arts and culture lives on through our work at Payam Films, where we focus on producing impactful independent films that explore the human condition, celebrate the art of storytelling, and push the boundaries of filmmaking. At Payam Films, our core mission is to bring compelling cinematic stories to audiences worldwide, continuing the tradition of creativity and resilience that began over a hundred years ago in my family.

Babak Payami