I first discovered Naz Riahi’s work through her essays at Longreads, about growing up in Iran and moving to the United States. In 2020, with her consulting work on hold due to COVID-19, she decided to pursue her dream by writing and directing a short film. “Sincerely, Erik” is a beautiful love letter to New York City, about a bookseller seeking connection with his customers while his store was closed. The film was chosen as a Staff Pick at Vimeo and was a winner at its Best of the Year Awards. Riahi has followed up with another short film, “Andros in the City,” and she’s currently fundraising to make her third film. (If you want to support her work, she asks that you share her films with your friends. You can also find her on Venmo: @nazriahi.)

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