
Shayda
Synopsis
Shayda, a brave Iranian mother, has fled her husband, finding refuge in an Australian women’s shelter with her six-year-old daughter. Over the Persian New Year, they struggle to find normalcy in Nowruz rituals and new beginnings. But when her estranged husband re-enters their lives, Shayda’s path to freedom is jeopardized.
Drawn from personal experiences, Iranian-Australian filmmaker Noora Niasari’s powerful debut feature is a poetic, beautifully crafted vérité portrayal of courage and compassion, anchored by a heart-rending performance by Zar Amir Ebrahimi (Holy Spider). Ebrahimi captures the vulnerability and conflict, but also the radiant soul, of an Iranian woman who boldly reclaims her human rights: to divorce her husband, dress as she chooses, and keep her child no matter the cost.
Screenings & Events
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Film Credits
- Vincent Sheehan, Noora Niasari
- Noora Niasari
- Elika Rezaee
- Sherwin Akbarzadeh
- Zar Amir Ebrahimi, Osamah Sami, Leah Purcell, Jillian Nguyen, Mojean Aria, Rina Mousavi, Selina Zahednia
- Cate Blanchett, Andrew Upton, Coco Francini, Caitlin Gold, Lindsay Lanzillotta, Lois Scott, Naomi McDougall Jones, Nivedita Kulkarni
- Origma 45, Dirty Films, The 51 Fund

Late Night With the Devil
Synopsis
Jack Delroy, a fictional ’70s talk show host played by rising horror star (and Chicago native) David Dastmalchian (The Suicide Squad, Oppenheimer), is in trouble. Jack and his show Night Owls were once the biggest names in late night. But now, with his personal life marred by tragedy and his ratings in free fall, he’s struggling to keep up. So Jack and his producers cook up a controversial plan for their 1977 Halloween special: A live possession, as performed by parapsychologist Dr. June Ross-Mitchell (Laura Gordon) and 13-year-old Lilly (Ingrid Torelli), the sole survivor of a Satanic mass suicide. What could possibly go wrong?
Told in a found-footage style that purports to cobble together rediscovered master tapes with dailies from a French documentary crew, Late Night with the Devil harnesses the anything-goes excitement of live television and combines it with the sinister aura of ’70s exorcism movies to unleash a demon into the airwaves.
Actor Spotlight
We chatted with actor David Dastmalchian about Late Night With the Devil, making indie projects, his roots as a Chicago-based actor, and more.
Screenings & Events
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Film Credits
- Derek Dauchy, Mat Govini, Steven Schneider, Roy Lee, Adam White, John Molloy
- Colin Cairnes, Cameron Cairnes
- Colin Cairnes, Cameron Cairnes
- Matthew Temple
- David Dastmalchian, Ian Bliss, Ingrid Torelli, Fayssal Bazzi, Rhys Auteri
- Glenn Richards
- Ben Ross, Rami Yasin, David Dastmalchian, Joel Anderson, Julie Ryan
- Image Nation Abu Dhabi, Spooky Pictures
Sponsors
Film Supporter

Limbo
Synopsis
Detective Travis Hurley (Simon Baker) arrives in a small mining town in the Australian outback to investigate the unsolved murder of an Indigenous girl twenty years in the past. Armed with little evidence, he must attempt to gain the trust of the reclusive community. But the girl’s jaded family is reluctant to talk to any cop — especially a white one. Traversing the bleak stretches of road between the town’s opal caves and caravans, Hurley’s own demons combine with the traumas of the community to forge an unlikely and intimate bond.
In Limbo, Indigenous Australian filmmaker Ivan Sen exhibits a masterful eye for stunning black-and-white cinematography, illuminating the vast and unforgiving landscape and setting an eerie and desolate tone. This remote outback noir is both a detective story and a nuanced study of the prejudices faced by Australia’s Indigenous communities.

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Film Credits
- David Jowsey, Rachel Higgins, Greer Simpkin, Ivan Sen
- Ivan Sen
- Ivan Sen
- Ivan Sen
- Simon Baker, Rob Collins, Natasha Wanganeen, Nicholas Hope, Mark Coe, Joshua Warrior
- Ivan Sen
- Bunya Productions
Sponsors
Film Supporters
Sara and James Star

Because We Have Each Other
Synopsis
In this wondrous and warm-hearted portrait, director Sari Braithwaite (ChicagoIFF winner [Censored]) follows a very unique Australian family. Middle-aged and deeply in love, thoughtful and witty couple “Buddha” Barnes and Janet Sharrock live in a dusty working-class Melbourne suburb, still caring for their five adult kids from separate marriages. Adding to the complexities of a mixed family is the fact that they are all neurodivergent, living with a range of conditions from autism to depression to extreme dyslexia.
Sharing their deepest thoughts, fears, and dreams, we get to know each of the family members as they confront their vulnerabilities. And of course life, in all of its joys, misfortunes, and traumas, gets in the way. Blending the mundane with the universal through intimate verité footage and poetic shots of starry nighttime skies, Because We Have Each Other is a tender chronicle of the most normal, extraordinary lives.

Screenings & Events
Virtual Screening
This film will be available to stream from October 16 at 12:00pm CT to October 22 at 11:59pm CDT, available only in Illinois, Indiana, and Wisconsin. Learn more about streaming…
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Media



Film Credits
- Chloé Brugalé
- Patrick McCabe
- Jeremy Virag
- Janet Barnes, Buddha Barnes, Rebecca Sharrock, Jessica Sharrock, Kylie Barnes, Brendan Barnes, Dylan Barnes
- Munro Melano
- Robert Connolly, Robert Patterson
- Arenamedia
- https://becausewehaveeachother.com/
Sponsors
Documentary Program Sponsors
Cynthia Stone Raskin
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Keep Stepping
Synopsis
In Sydney, Gabi and Patricia train to compete in Destructive Steps, Australia’s largest street dance competition. Both are pushing themselves mentally and physically in hopes that winning the contest will open new doors and possibilities for a better life. The film spans seven years and provides viewers with intimate access to the breathtaking artform of street dancing. Keep Stepping illuminates the multicultural, passion-filled subculture and tells a moving story about love, obsession, and the transformative power of dance.