Alec Cartio

Alireza Sabahi better known as Alec Cartio (also known as Alexander Cartio), is an Iranian-Swedish-American music video and commercial and film director. He is best known for his innovative music video work that improved and changed the Iranian music video business internationally. This has made him the most successful and famous Iranian music video director worldwide. He has also directed music videos for many artists from Sweden, Denmark, continental Europe, the United States and internationally. He currently resides and works in Los Angeles. In the beginning of his musical career, he was also member of the Swedish boy band Get Wet / Caymen.

In 2011, Alexander Cartio directed his debut long feature film Convincing Clooney.

EARLY LIFE

Alec Cartio was born Alireza Sabahi in Tehran, Iran to Iranian/Turkish parents on September 14 1976. His Father was an electrical engineer involved in Airplanes and his mother was a hairstylist. His Great grandfather was a Russian Immigrant who fled the communist Soviet Union to Iran and settled down in Tehran in the early 1930's. He Married and Iranian woman and the couple gave birth to their first child, Alec's grandmother.

He spent his childhood in Tehran where he witnessed the 1978 Islamic revolution and the Iran/Iraq war which forced his family to leave the country in 1986 and immgrate to Sweden as political refugees. It was in Sweden where Cartio first got introduced to music which led the path to a 22-year career in the entertainment business that still continues to present time.

In mid 1999, he joined two close friends, the Spantman brothers, on a journey to Los Angeles. He searched for opportunities and registered for theatre arts classes at Santa Monica College which led him to take part in a small student short movie. This encouraged him to take on filmmaking and shooting of videos. Alec Cartio graduated from the Stockholm School of Media and Arts in 2001, followed by a BFA from Columbia College Hollywood in Los Angeles.

Before he became a filmmaker, during the time he spent as a musician, he tried his luck with various occupations such as being a fireman, cab driver, restaurant waiter, book store sales rep and materials manager at a high-end surgery center.

Cartio's younger brother, Cameron Cartio is a well known Iranian-Swedish international recording artist who has taken part in Melodifestivalen, has released an album Borderless and has a number of hits including "Roma", "Henna", "Barone", "Ni Na Nay", "Mi Chica", "Electric" and "Bia Nazdiktar".