Professional

I am Trevor Milani (سپهر میلانی) — a filmmaker based in New York City.

I directed my debut documentary in Hong Kong when I was 18. Days Before the Dawn screened at eight film festivals (Portland, Black Hills, Anthem) and won seven awards — including the Anthem Audience Choice Award.

I consulted on marketing campaigns for The White Lotus, Dune: Part Two, Wicked, and Anora — winner of five Academy Awards.

I am currently in production on a documentary feature — Hotel Belgrade.

Personal

“Milani” is my grandmother’s last name. I was born “Trevor Klein” in Los Angeles, California.

I spent the first seven years of my life in Westwood, which my mother called “Tehrangeles” (تهرانجلس). Then, my family moved to Irvine — the city with the second largest Iranian population in California.

My father, Robert Klein, was born and raised in New Orleans, Louisiana. My great-grandfather — Oakie Klein — was a conductor for the Southern Pacific Railroad. He told my dad that the Klein family immigrated from Alsace–Lorraine, France — a province in the mountains near the German border.

“Klein” means “little” in German. By some miracle, I grew to be 6’ 5”.

My mother, Bita (بیتا) Klein, was born and raised in Tehran, Iran (تهران، ایران). My grandfather — Habib Tootoonchi (حبیب توتونچی) — worked as an engineer for the National Iran Oil Company. My grandmother — Mahin Milani (ماهین میلانی) — worked as a pharmacist.

In Farsi, “Milani” means “a person from Milan.” “Tootoonchi” means “tobacco farmer.” Milan, Iran (میلان، ایران) is a tobacco-farming village in the mountains near the Turkish border.