Sundance winner ‘Shayda’ will close the Locarno Film Festival

The thingIranian-Australian director Noora Niasari’s Sundance audience winner will close this year’s Locarno International Film Festival.

Executive produced by Cate Blanchett, The thing stars Holy Spider actress Tsar Amir Ebrahimi. The thing will be screened on the closing evening of the Locarno Film Festival on Saturday 12 August in what will be its European premiere. Locarno will also screen a second surprise title that touches on the history of cinema, personally selected by the president of the Locarno Film Festival, Marco Solari.

Niasari’s powerful debut, based on the director’s own life, tells the inspiring story of an Iranian woman’s journey to freedom as she finds refuge in a women’s shelter after migrating to Australia.

Blanchett is an executive producer on the film through Dirty Films, the production company she runs alongside Andrew Upton and Coco Francini. She and Ebrahimi will participate in Locarno together with Niasari.

On August 12, Blanchett will also moderate a conversation between Niasari and Ebrahimi on the theme “Iranian women and Iranian cinema” at the GranRex Cinema in Locarno.

The 76th Locarno International Film Festival will take place from 2 to 12 August 2023.