Ismāʻīl Kūshān (1917–1981) was a film director, screenwriter, producer and cameraman. Koushan studied economics and cinema in Germany, and after returning to Iran in 1946, he founded two film studios, Mitra Film and Pars Film Studios, in 1951. He was also the head of the magazine ‛Ālam-i Hunar (1950-51) and was the chairman of the National Film Industry Union of Iran in 1968. He pioneered the development of Iranian cinema, introducing the studio system and dubbing foreign movies into Persian for Iranian audiences. Koushan’s 1950 film Sharmsār (Ashamed) was the first successful Fīlmfārsī in Iran. Its success at the box office led to the country-wide rapid development of Fīlmfārsī production. He wrote 22, directed 27, and produced 92 films throughout his career. Koushan was not only a filmmaker but also a talent scout credited with discovering Mohammad Ali Fardin, one of the most famous Iranian actors of all time. Koushan died in Tehran in 1981.