Vadim Perelman is a well-known Ukrainian-Canadian-American film director and producer. Perelman made his feature film directorial debut in 2003 with House of Sand and Fog, following a successful career as a commercial director. The film, nominated for three Academy Awards, also marks his first screenplay credit. Perelman was drawn to the story, having been shaped by his own immigrant experience. 

Persian Lessons (German: Persischstunden) is a 2020 Russian-Belarusian drama film directed by Vadim Perelman, was selected as the Belarusian entry for the Best International Feature Film at the 93rd Academy Awards.

I don’t want to spend a year of my life working on a film that does not resonate with me on an emotional level. Since great scripts are a rare commodity, I realized that I have to create my own opportunities and not wait for the right project to come along — for fate to smile upon me.”

With this in mind, Perelman began to option the film rights to literary works. He discovered House of Sand and Fog by Andre Dubus III before it was an acclaimed bestseller and an Oprahselection.

I closed that book after I finished it, and through the tears managed to call my agent to check into the rights.”

Perelman got Shawn Otto to adapt the novel for the screen, and went on to attach Ben Kingsley and Jennifer Connelly to the project, raised financing, and parked himself at the helm of his first feature film. DreamWorks acquired domestic distribution rights and released the film to great critical acclaim.

Perelman’s second feature film, The Life Before Her Eyes, was shot in 2006 in Connecticut. The film, independently financed by 2929 Productions, stars Uma Thurman and Evan Rachel Wood. It is based on the novel of the same name by Laura Kasischke. Emil Stern adapted the book for the screen. Perelman produced the film along with Aimee Peyronnet and Anthony Katagas.

In 2007, he was attached to the film adaptation of Ayn Rand’s Atlas Shrugged.