Shirin Raban is an independent documentary maker who teaches graphic design courses at CSUN and UCLA Extension. Shirin received her MA in Visual Anthropology from USC. She created the promotional short film, "VAPAE: The Making of a Teaching Artist" for the UCLA Arts and Architecture Art Teaching Minor program. Her ethnographic documentary, “The Fifth Question,” on the evolving cultural identity of first generation immigrants in postmodern Los Angeles won the Hollywood International Independent Documentary Award and was screened at USC School of Cinematic Arts. Shirin is currently working on a documentary about an artist who lived through WWII, the Islamic Revolution in Iran and migration to the United States.