Shayda (film)
Shayda is a 2023 Australian drama film written, directed and co-produced by Noora Niasari. The film stars Zar Amir Ebrahimi, Osamah Sami, Mojean Aria, Jillian Nguyen, Rina Mousavi, Selina Zahednia, and Leah Purcell. Inspired by Niasari's childhood experiences, the story follows an Iranian immigrant woman in Australia who is raising her young daughter as the two live in a women's shelter, while also attempting to divorce from her abusive husband from Iran. The film had its world premiere at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival on 19 January 2023, and was released in Australia on 5 October 2023. It was selected as Australian entry in the Best International Feature Film category for the 96th Academy Awards on 30 August 2023. Cast 
The cast includes:
 Zar Amir Ebrahimi as Shayda
 Selina Zahednia as Mona
 Osamah Sami as Hossein
 Leah Purcell as Joyce
 Mojean Aria as Farhad
 Jillian Nguyen as Vi
 Rina Mousavi as Elly
 Eve Morey as Lara
 Lucinda Armstrong Hall as Renee
 Bev Killick as Cathy
 Jerome Meyer as Pierre

Release
Shayda had its World Premiere at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival on 19 January 2023, where it won the Audience Award in the World Cinema Dramatic competition. In August 2023, it was screened as the opening film in the Melbourne International Film Festival for its Australian premiere, and it closed the Locarno Film Festival in Switzerland. It is also scheduled for screening at the Toronto International Film Festival in September. It was also invited at the 28th Busan International Film Festival in 'Flash Forward' section and was screened on 8 October 2023. It was scheduled to be released in cinemas in Australia by Madman Films on 28 September 2023, before it was released by a week later on 5 October 2023. Reception and accolades

Shayda was submitted for the Best International Feature category in the 2024 Academy Awards. Awards and nominations 
Shayda  won the CinefestOZ Film Prize Western Australia in September 2023, worth . The prize is the largest cash film prize in Australia, and one of the largest in the world. See also 
 List of submissions to the 96th Academy Awards for Best International Feature Film
 List of Australian submissions for the Academy Award for Best International Feature Film

References

External links 
 
 

2023 films
Australian drama films
2023 drama films
2020s Persian-language films
2020s English-language films
2020s Australian films
Sundance Film Festival award-winning films