YALDA, A NIGHT FOR FORGIVENESS Opens in Virtual Cinema Dec. 11

YALDA, A NIGHT FOR FORGIVENESS, Iranian Director Massoud Bakhshi's second dramatic effort, is set almost entirely within the studio of Iran's most popular reality TV show, "Joy of Forgiveness".

Maryam (Sadaf Asgari) is a young woman who has been sentenced to death for murdering her husband, Nasser. Iranian law allows for the victim's family to forgive her and spare her life, so Maryam's fate will be decided by Nasser's daughter, Mona (Benaz Jafari), who has always been like a big sister to her. Live, in front of the cameras and millions of viewers during Yalda, a Persian celebration of the winter solstice, Maryam and Mona discover that forgiveness can be difficult as they relive the past.

YALDA, A NIGHT FOR FORGIVENESS captured the World Cinema Grand Jury Prize for Drama at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival and was also nominated for a Generation 14plus Crystal Bear at the Berlin International Film Festival.

Wilson Kwong of Film Inquiry says, "With [Bakhshi's] latest effort, he's crafted a socially conscious film while making some truly bold cinematic choices." Of YALDA, A NIGHT FOR FORGIVENESS, Nicholas Bell of ION Cinema writes that it's "timely, terrifying" and is an "excellent showcase for the limited instances of potential female agency." And Film Threat's Hanna B. called the award-winning drama "an impressive feature. The intensity is almost non-stop...it is surprisingly universal as well, delving into concepts of forgiveness and compassion versus revenge".