When Tehran-born writer-director Noora Niasari told producer Vincent Sheehan about the time she spent living in a women's shelter during her childhood, on which her film 'Shayda' was to be based, he realised he was being told a "distinctly Australian" story, but one he had never seen on the screen before.
Australian film buffs will be able to watch this year's AACTA International Awards on Foxtel's dedicated Arts channel on Sunday.
Noora Niasari talks to IF about the making of her debut feature, the Sundance Audience Award-winning 'Shayda', which is screening in competition at MIFF and will close Locarno later this month.
Noora Niasari’s 'Shayda' follows a young Iranian mother (Amir-Ebrahimi) who finds refuge with her six-year-old daughter Mona (Selina Zahednia) in an Australian women’s shelter during the two weeks of Iranian New Year (Nowrooz) in 1995.
Newcomer Aswan Reid will make his screen debut alongside Cate Blanchett, Deborah Mailman and Wayne Blair in Warwick Thornton's 'The New Boy', which wraps this week in South Australia.
Audiences can now get their first look at Tim Winton's The Turning following the release of a teaser trailer and official poster ahead of the film’s upcoming World Premiere and cinema release.
Baz Luhrmann's 'Elvis' and Frances O'Connor's 'Emily', produced by Arenamedia, have received a BAFTA boost, with both biopics well represented in the longlist for the annual film awards.
Australian writer/director Andrew Dominik's 'Blonde' will premiere in competition at the Venice Film Festival in September, alongside Florian Zeller's The Son, produced by See-Saw Films and starring Hugh Jackman. Australian short 'Love Forever', directed by Clare Young and EP'd by Jane Campion, has been selected for Orizzonti.