Mohammad Gorjestani and Jonny Mass have signed with their first production company, joining the live action directorial roster of bicoastal m ss ng p eces.
Gorjestani is an Iranian-American filmmaker who fled Tehran with his family during the Iran-Iraq War, setting in the Bay Area. His work often explores the immigrant experience and social justice issues, giving an authentic narrative across both independent and branded projects. He has directed spots and short films for brands including Airbnb, Square, Visa, and Pinterest. His short film for Square, Yassin Falafel, was a Tribeca X Award finalist earlier this year and three-time Webby Award winner; his “Love is Welcome Here” spot celebrating Pride Month for Airbnb was also honored with a Webby. Five of Gorjestani’s projects have been selected as Vimeo Staff Picks, he is a two-time San Francisco Film Society Grant winner, and his films Refuge and Miss Me: The Artful Vandal were SXSW Official Selections.
Mass, an accomplished action sports athlete, has already worked on more than 30 projects for brands including RED Digital Cinema and Ford. He began filmmaking as a young teenager at the skate park, where success through his YouTube channel led him to branded content opportunities early on. In 2016, RED Digital Cinema approached Mass to create a short film to launch its new HELIUM 8K sensor for the WEAPON. A self-taught jack-of-all-trades, Mass understands both the technology and creative techniques that deliver visceral and energetic stories.
“Mohammad captures these beautifully authentic stories of resiliency, which helps brands to forge more meaningful content that sets them apart and gives them a voice. Jonny is a very nimble, outside the box thinker with innate technical skills to push a story to new levels and make you experience action in a new way,” said Ari Kuschnir, founder and managing partner at m ss ng p eces. “They each bring a unique skillset to m ss ng p eces.”
