The final night of Locarno Film Festival, on Saturday, August 12th 2023, will be the European premiere of Iranian-Australian director Noora Niasari’s debut film Shayda. The film, which won the Audience Award at Sundance 2023, will close out the final evening of the Festival, alongside a free second screening of a surprise title that touches on the history of cinema and the Locarno Film Festival, chosen by President Marco Solari. Cate Blanchett is an executive producer of the movie through Dirty Films, the production company she runs alongside Andrew Upton and Coco Francini. Zar Amir Ebrahimi, who stars in the film, is the 2022 Cannes Best Actress Winner for Holy Spider. Both will also attend the special event together with director Noora Niasari.

On the afternoon of August 12th, a conversation between director Noora Niasari and actress Zar Amir Ebrahimi, moderated by Cate Blanchett, will take place on the theme of “Iranian women and Iranian cinema” at the GranRex Cinema in Locarno at 5:15pm.

Depicting personal stories that delve into the political realm is a challenge that more and more directors are turning to in order to offer different perspectives on some of today’s most pressing issues. This powerful debut from first time director Niasari is no different, telling the inspiring story of an Iranian woman’s journey to freedom as she finds refuge in a women’s shelter after immigrating to Australia.

Drawn from her own experiences, Niasari’s film is a beautifully crafted, poetic vérité portrayal of courage and compassion, anchored by a heart-rending performance by Zar Amir Ebrahimi. It will be a powerful closing night film in the Piazza Grande as we will bid farewell to the audience alongside Blanchett, Niasari and Ebrahimi with one of the most remarkable directorial debuts of the year.

Source: Locarno Film Festival