Award-Winning Film His Father’s Son Screens at HAAPIFest with Special Guest Producer & LEAD ACTOR
HAAPIFest is thrilled to feature His Father’s Son, the debut feature film from award-winning director Meelad Moaphi, as part of its 2025 lineup. The film will screen on Sunday, June 1 at 5:15 PM at the DoubleTree by Hilton (10609 Westpark Dr, Houston, TX 77042), with a special in-person appearance by the producer and the lead actor following the screening.
🎬 A Story of Truth, Inheritance, and the Bonds That Bind Us
Fresh off its award-winning run at the Toronto Reel Asian Film Festival—where it earned the DGC Best Direction Prize and the Blue Ant Media Audience Choice Award—His Father’s Son dives deep into the complexities of family, identity, and legacy.
The film follows Amir, an aspiring chef who struggles under the weight of his Iranian parents’ expectations while his younger brother, Mahyar, breezes through life. When a close family friend in Iran passes away, leaving his entire inheritance to Mahyar, the bequest triggers a series of revelations that shake the family’s foundations and unearth long-buried truths.
👤 Meet & GREET
Producer Q&A featuring Mohammed Daud and Lead Actor Alireza Shojaei.
Lead actor Alireza Shojaei
a Toronto-based actor. He is known for Star Trek: Discovery (2021), Air Emergency (2016), Dark Matter (2016), The Lottery (2014), and Nikita (2012). He attended York University for Acting and Psychology. He also enjoys writing, directing, and producing.
Producer Momo Daud
a Pakistani-Canadian film producer. He worked in the camera department on 40+ shorts and features before making a leap into producing, with his extensive technical knowledge making him a highly versatile producer.
🎥 About the Director – Meelad Moaphi
Born in Iran and raised in Japan, Meelad Moaphi is a Toronto-based filmmaker whose multicultural background deeply informs his storytelling. His directorial debut, His Father’s Son, was funded by Telefilm Canada and has already made waves on the festival circuit—winning the DGC Best Direction Prize and the Blue Ant Media Audience Choice Award at the Toronto Reel Asian Film Festival.
Meelad’s previous short films, including Arrhythmia (2009), Republic of God (2010), and Worth (2019), have screened at prestigious venues like the Rotterdam International Film Festival, Filmets Badalona, and EnRoute Air Canada. He also served as Associate Producer on Antoine Bourges’ critically acclaimed Concrete Valley, which premiered at TIFF 2022 and Berlinale 2023.
In addition to his filmmaking, Meelad is a passionate educator, currently an Assistant Professor of English and Film Studies at Wilfrid Laurier University. He holds BFA and MFA degrees from York University.
Event Details:
Film: His Father’s Son
Director: Meelad Moaphi
Date: Sunday, June 1, 2025
Time: 5:15 PM
Location: DoubleTree by Hilton, 10609 Westpark Dr, Houston, TX 77042
Tickets: www.haapifest.org/tickets
Don’t miss this HAAPIFest highlight — a film that will move your heart, challenge your assumptions, and stay with you long after the credits roll.