NOORA NIASARI Writer/Director/Producer
Born in Tehran and raised in Australia, Noora Niasari is a filmmaker whose work explores displacement and identity through a poetic lens. A graduate of architecture and cinema, she started in documentary, directing CASA ANTÚNEZ in post-earthquake Chile, which earned a New Talent Award nomination at the 2017 Sheffield Doc/Fest.
Her award-winning short films THE PHOENIX (SIMORGH) and WATERFALL examined Iranian diaspora experiences, paving the way for her breakthrough narrative feature, SHAYDA. Starring Zar Amir Ebrahimi, SHAYDA premiered at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival, winning the Audience Award before becoming Australia’s submission for the 96th Academy Awards.
Based in Castlemaine, Noora co-founded Parandeh Pictures to champion cross-cultural and regional narratives. She is currently developing her next feature film projects whilst mentoring emerging filmmakers and raising her puppy, Maude.
KEIRAN WATSON-BONNICE Writer/Director/Producer
Keiran grew up in the United States to Australian parents. A love of film led him to work as a cinematographer in San Francisco, multi-camera array operator in LA, and film editor in New York City before returning to Melbourne to pursue directing.
In 2015, his narrative short CARAVAN premiered at Clermont-Ferrand, played at over 30 international festivals and was selected for the MIFF Accelerator Lab. In 2019, he wrote and directed AND THEN SOMETHING CHANGED, a TV special for ABC Me. A MIPCOM diversity award winner, it has been used in the public school system in Australia and abroad.
Filming has begun on his debut feature, an observational documentary about the World Dwarf Games.
NOA SCHAERF-TRAUNER Script & Production Assistant
The arts and cinema have been a cornerstone of Noa’s life for as long as she can remember. Raised on a diet of literature, music and curiosity, her early experiences in film-making and theatre cemented her love of storytelling.
Guided by a drive to create in concert with others, her passion for the arts has seen her become a committee member and stage manager for several local theatre companies in Castlemaine. An avid networker, in 2024, her community-centric focus led to an internship at the production company, Parandeh Pictures, where she now occupies the role of script and production assistant.