The Locarno Film Festival is to close with the European premiere of Iranian-Australian director Noora Niasari’s debut film Shayda. Locarno runs from August 2-12.
The film, which won the Audience Award at Sundance 2023, is executive produced by Cate Blanchett 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 screening together with director Noora Niasari.
Shayda tells the story of an Iranian woman’s journey to freedom as she finds refuge in a women’s shelter after immigrating to Australia. International sales are handled by HanWay Films. Sony Pictures Classics has rights to the film in North America, Latin America, Benelux, Eastern Europe, Portugal, the Middle East and Turkey.
On August 12, a conversation between Niasari and Ebrahimi, moderated by Blanchett, will take place on the theme of “Iranian women and Iranian cinema” at the GranRex Cinema in Locarno.
The final evening of the festival will also feature a surprise screening in the Piazza Grande. Locarno says it will be a “true cinematic masterpiece from the annals of film history” chosen by President Marco Solari, to mark the conclusion of his 20-year presidency of the festival. The screening is offered free of charge.
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