EXCLUSIVE: Two-time Oscar winner Cate Blanchett, who is an executive producer on Noora Niasari’s debut film Shayda, will not be attending the pic’s Aug.
12 closing night at the Locarno Film Festival out of support for the SAG-AFTRA Strike. Niasari and the movie’s star Zar Amir Ebrahimi will still attend the movie’s play at Locarno. “As executive producer I couldn’t be more proud of Shayda, the remarkable debut feature from Iranian/Australian Noora Niasari, starring the extraordinary Zar Amir Ebrahimi,” Blanchett said in a statement to Deadline. “I celebrate the work of the whole filmmaking team and am thrilled that the film can be seen at the closing night of the glorious Locarno Festival next week,” she continued. “As a dedicated member of the SAG-AFTRA Foundation Actors’ Council I have made the difficult but necessary decision not to attend at this crucial time,” she added, “Dirty Films wholeheartedly supports Noora Niasari’s resonant, heartbreaking film and with our fellow producers we are thrilled that the Piazza Grande audience will have the opportunity to connect with its humanity.” Blanchett on the afternoon of Aug.
12 was previously scheduled to moderate a conversation between Niasari and Ebrahimi on “Iranian women and Iranian cinema” ahead of the Shayda screening in Locarno’s 8k-seat Piazza Grande.
Shayda made its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival’s World Cinema Dramatic Competition where it won the Audience Award.
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