Noora Niasari’s 'Shayda' may soon get another chance to represent Australia on the world stage, after being submitted for the Best International Feature category at next year's Academy Awards.
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.
An award-winning Sundance selection and a documentary portrait of an Australian music icon will screen as gala films at this year's Melbourne International Film Festival.
Noora Niasari's debut feature 'Shayda' took home the Audience Award in Sundance Film Festival's World Cinema Dramatic Competition over the weekend.
Writer-director Noora Niasari's 'Shayda' has been hailed by reviewers at the Sundance Film Festival as a powerful, gripping and affecting debut.
A quartet of Australian films has made it into the line-up for next year's Sundance Film Festival, with Robert Connolly's 'Blueback', Noora Niasari's 'Shayda', Daina Reid's 'Run Rabbit Run' and Danny Philippou and Michael Philippou's 'Talk To Me' all set to screen.
Mojean Aria recently returned to Australia to star in Noora Niasari’s debut feature, 'Shayda', acting alongside recent Cannes best actress winner Zar Amir-Ebrahimi. He'll also be seen soon in the Richard Hughes-directed 'The Enforcer', alongside Antonio Banderas, and 'The Last Manhunt' with his 'See' co-star, Jason Momoa.