Javad Daraei (Persian:جواد دارایی, born 1992) is an Iranian film director, screenwriter, and filmmaker of cinema and cinematography.

His films give voice to marginalized groups, including LGBTQ and queer individuals, people with disabilities, and women, portraying their struggles with a Kafkaesque intensity.

The cinematic style of Daraei, particularly in his critically acclaimed work Metamorphosis in the Slaughterhouse, is marked by minimalistic movements and arid shots that focus on solitary figures, evoking a wealth of emotions.

His cinematography, characterized by restrained shots punctuated with subtle explosions of color and erratic camera movements, creates a powerful atmosphere of powerlessness and control.

This not only reflects in his films but also mirrors the Kafkaesque themes of his own life, where each arrest and act of torture becomes a source of profound inspiration for his art.