‘Everybody Knows’ to vie in Austin Film Festival

Iranian director Asghar Farhadi's ‘Everybody Knows’ has been selected to compete at the 25th edition of the Austin Film Festival (AFF) in the US.

The latest film made by the Iranian acclaimed director will compete with 17 other movies from around the world.

Celebrity couple, Penélope Cruz and Javier Bardem, has starred in the flick which was premiered at the latest edition of the Cannes Film Festival in France. The film has been shot entirely in Spanish on the Iberian Peninsula.

It is about Laura who lives with her husband and children in Buenos Aires. When they return together at her native village in Spain for a family celebration, an unexpected event changes the course of their lives.

'Everybody Knows' is Farhadi’s second film shot outside Iran. In 2012, he directed 'The Past' in French language in Paris. 'The Past' brought its star, Berenice Bejo, the Palme d’Or for best actress in 2013.

The film has so far experienced several global film events, including the 71st Cannes Film Festival in France, the 36th Munich International Film festival in Germany, the 2018 Golden Apricot Film Festival in Armenia, the 2018 Toronto Film Festival in Canada, the 66th Melbourne International Film Festival in Australia, and the 55th Antalya Film Festival in Turkey.

Other notable films competing at the Austin event include 'Shoplifters' by Hirokazu Koreeda, 'The Front Runner' by Jason Reitman and 'The Favorite' by Yorgos Lanthimos.

Founded in 1994, the AFF focuses on writers’ creative contributions to film.

Initially, it was called the Heart of Film Screenwriters Conference and functioned to launch the careers of screenwriters, who historically have been underrepresented within the film industry.

Since then, the AFF has grown to serve all filmmakers and has added to Austin’s arts community by creating year-round programming that recognizes the art and value of storytelling through film.

The 25th AFF is slated for October 25-November 1, 2018, in Texas, the US.

MG/MG