Outside the Box [Office] and Gandom Films invite you and a guest to attend

A Special For Your Consideration Screening of

CUTTING THROUGH ROCKS

NOMINATED FOR BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
AT THE 98TH ACADEMY AWARDS

WINNER: Grand Jury Award for World Cinema Documentary
2025 Sundance Film Festival

Directed by Sara Khaki and Mohammadreza Eyni
Produced by Mohammadreza Eyni  and Sara Khaki

Followed by a Q&A with Sara Khaki and Mohammadreza Eyni

2:00 P.M. on Thursday, February 12th, 2026

The Michelle & Kevin Douglas IMAX Theater, RZC 119
@ The Robert Zemeckis Center for Digital Arts (RZC)
3131 S. Figueroa Street, Los Angeles, CA 90007

FREE ADMISSION. OPEN TO THE PUBLIC. RSVPs REQUIRED.
RSVPs ARE NON-TRANSFERABLE.

FOOD AND DRINKS ARE STRICTLY PROHIBITED IN THE AUDITORIUM.
 

CLICK HERE TO RSVP
 

About Cutting Through Rocks

Sara Shahverdi — a divorced, motorcycle-riding former midwife — is an unlikely leader in her conservative northwestern Iranian village. As the first woman ever elected to the local council, she’s determined to break the cycle of empty promises and complacency passed down by the men who came before her.

Fierce and unapologetic, Sara pushes for bold reforms, fighting her most difficult battles on behalf of the village’s girls and women. From teaching teenage girls to ride motorcycles to challenging child marriage to advocating for female land ownership, she openly defies patriarchal norms. But when her efforts spark backlash and accusations about her motives, Sara must confront not only her critics — but also her own sense of identity.

Provided courtesy of Gandom Films. Running time: 95 minutes. In Azeri Turkish and Farsi, with English subtitles.

About the Guests

SARA KHAKI - Director, Producer, Editor

Sara Khaki is a documentary director, producer and editor dedicated to telling stories that promote gender equity. She is a Sundance Film Festival Grand Jury Award winner (World Cinema Documentary) and Visions Du Reél Audience Award winner for her feature documentary Cutting Through Rocks, which follows the first elected councilwoman of a rural Iranian village. The film has been called “a deftly shaped work of cinematic nonfiction” by IndieWire and “one of those profound vérité documentaries that are only possible through the patience and perseverance of the filmmakers” by POV Magazine. Sara’s short film Our Iranian Lockdown (2020) is now streaming on The Guardian and received an IDA Awards nomination. Her co-directed Netflix Original Convergence: Courage in a Crisis (2021) was nominated for an Emmy for Outstanding Current Affairs Film. Sara graduated from the University of Maryland with a BFA in cinematic arts and from New York’s School of Visual Arts with an MFA in social documentary filmmaking. A grantee of the Sundance Film Institute, Chicken & Egg Films and Firelight Media, her work continues to amplify change on gender equity through the cinéma vérité form.

MOHAMMADREZA EYNI - Director, Producer, Director of Cinematography, Editor

Mohammadreza Eyni is a director, producer and cinematographer whose career and cinematic approach aims to bridge boundaries, elevate underrepresented voices and connect diverse perspectives globally. He is a 2025 Sundance Film Festival Grand Jury Award winner in the World Cinema Documentary competition for his feature documentary Cutting Through Rocks, which has become an audience favorite at Sydney, Hot Docs and the Visions Du Reél film festivals, among others. His cinematic approach has been heralded as “uniquely propulsive”and “practically magical” (Variety) and “precisely lensed” (IndieWire) as well as “delivering simple moments into cinematic poetry” (Hammer to Nail). He was named by Pure Nonfiction as one of the top five cinematographers to watch at Sundance in 2025. Mohammadreza’s intimate short film Our Iranian Lockdown, streaming on The Guardian, received an IDA Awards nomination. His co-directed Netflix Original Convergence: Courage in a Crisis was nominated for an Emmy for Outstanding Current Affairs Film. Mohammadreza has been supported by Sundance Institute, IDFA Bertha Foundation and Hot Docs Cross Current Doc Fund, among others. He is a Tribeca Film Institute alumnus and graduated with an MFA in cinema from Tehran University of Fine Arts.

About Outside the Box [Office]

Outside the Box [Office] is a weekly showcase for upcoming releases highlighting world cinema, documentary and independent film titles. The series draws from around the globe to present movies that may challenge, inspire or simply entertain.

To view the calendar of screenings, click here

To SUBSCRIBE to our MAILING LIST for upcoming free screenings and events, e-mail the word "Subscribe" to: aago@cinema.usc.edu
 

Check-In & Reservations

The USC School of Cinematic Arts operates all of its programs and activities consistent with the University’s Notice of Non-Discrimination. Eligibility is not determined based on race, sex, ethnicity, sexual orientation, or any other prohibited factor.

This screening is free of charge and open to the public. A reservation confirmation will automatically be sent to your e-mail account upon successfully making an RSVP through this website. Doors will open at 1:30 P.M.

All SCA screenings are OVERBOOKED to ensure seating capacity in the theater, therefore seating is not guaranteed based on RSVPs. The RSVP list will be checked in on a first-come, first-served basis until the theater is full. Once the theater has reached capacity, we will no longer be able to admit guests, regardless of RSVP status.

Accessibility Needs

Individuals with disabilities who need accommodations to attend this event may contact Alessandro Ago, Assistant Dean, Programming and Special Events, at aago@cinema.usc.edu or 213-740-2330. It is requested that individuals requiring accommodations or auxiliary aids such as sign language interpreters and alternative format materials notify us at least seven days prior to the event. Every reasonable effort will be made to provide reasonable accommodations in an effective and timely manner.

Parking

NO STUDENT, STAFF, FACULTY OR THEATER PARKING IS AVAILABLE AT THE ROBERT ZEMECKIS CENTER.

We recommend Parking in the USC Shrine Parking Structure, located 686 W 32nd St. Parking passes may be purchased at the gate. Metered street parking is also available along 32nd street.

The USC Robert Zemeckis Center is located at 3131 South Figueroa St., Los Angeles, CA 90007, one block north of Parking Structure D, on the North side of the Shrine Auditorium. The RZC entrance is located at the rear of the building, behind the red fence on 32nd St.

Contact Information

Name: Alessandro Ago
Email: aago@cinema.usc.edu