Opening the 2022 Melbourne International Film Festival, Niasari ‘s debut film Shayda was selected by Australia to enter the Best International Feature Film Oscar race in 2023. Iranian-Australian born writer and director Noora Niasari tells the personally inspired story of a young Iranian mother and her 6-year-old daughter who find refuge in an Australian women’s shelter during the two weeks of an Iranian New Year. Set in the 1990s in Melbourne, its central theme is that of defining one’s own path; a theme deeply rooted in the Australian psyche. Under the protective wing of the refuge’s no-nonsense Joyce (Leah Purcell), Shayda puts on a brave face for young daughter Mona and experiences small pockets of sanity and self-worth in her life. Madman. Australia, 2023, 117 min. Dir Noora Niasari. Stars Cannes Best Actress winner Zar Amir Ebrahimi (Holy Spider), Osamah Sami, Leah Purcell, and Jillian Nguyen. Executive producer: Cate Blanchett.