Edinburgh International Film Festival 2023 (EIFF, August 18-23) is to close with the UK premiere of Babak Jalali’s Fremont.
The darkly comic drama continues its festival run, with an international premiere set for Karlovy Vary, having previously been selected for Sundance and SXSW.
The film centres on troubled 20-something Donya, played in a debut performance by former TV journalist Anaita Wali Zada. Like her character in the film, Zada was forced to flee Afghanistan. Donya is an Afghan translator whose work for the US government has led to her becoming lost and adrift in the titular Californian town, until she takes a job writing fortunes at a fortune cookie factory.
UK-Iranian filmmaker Jalali’s credits include Frontier Blues, which premiered at EIFF in 2010, and sophomore feature, Radio Dreams, which premiered at International Film Festival Rotterdam and scopped the festival’s Tiger Award.
Further Fremont cast includes Jeremy Allen White, Gregg Turkington, Boots Riley and Bettina Devin. It is co-written by Carolina Cavalli, the Italian director of Venice premiere Amanda, for which Jalali received an editor credit.
Marjaneh Moghimi, Sudnya Shroff, Rachael Fung, George Rush, Chris Martin and Laura Wagner served as producers.
Fremont will be released in the UK this autumn by Modern Films. Memento International handles international sales.
As previously announced, Edinburgh will open with the world premiere of Scotland-shot drama Silent Roar, directed by Johnny Barrington. The full programme will be revealed on July 6.
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