Award Given to Zahra Amirabrahimi at Cannes Festival; Cate Blanchett Supports Iranian Women

Cate Blanchett, the renowned Australian actress, once again expressed her support for Iranian women at a joint party organized by Variety and the Golden Globe at the Cannes Film Festival. On Friday night, while wearing high heels is mandatory for women on the red carpet, she appeared barefoot at the ceremony as a symbolic gesture of solidarity with Iranian women. In recent years, not wearing high heels on the red carpet has become a form of protest by women at the Cannes Film Festival and has attracted media attention. This major cinema star, who attended the event to present the 'Emerging Artists' award to Zahra 'Zar' Amirabrahimi, an Iranian actress, stated on stage that 'this award is a dagger to anyone who stands against women's rights.' Zahra Amirabrahimi, who was emotional while receiving the award, referred to the 'execution of innocent people' in her country and added, 'I have always thought that being an actress is a paradox, serving my emotions, and being a flag or a mirror or a light. This award celebrates that paradox.' Cate Blanchett and Zahra Amirabrahimi share a warm and close relationship and recently collaborated on a film project. This Australian filmmaker produced the film 'Sheida' directed by Nora Niasari, an Iranian-Australian artist, in which Zahra Amirabrahimi was one of the main actors who shone at the Sundance Festival. Since the onset of widespread protests in Iran, Cate Blanchett has repeatedly supported protesters, especially Iranian women, and was one of the Hollywood stars who participated in an online campaign calling for a halt to the execution of imprisoned protesters. At the Friday party, in addition to Zahra Amirabrahimi, awards were presented to Charles Melton, Ty Sheridan, and Shant René Wilson, recognizing them as artists with significant achievements. This was the first party of the Cannes Film Festival organized in collaboration with Variety and the Golden Globe, supported by various sponsors. The event took place at the Majestic Hotel, attended by several famous stars, producers, studio executives, and Cannes Film Festival officials. Ramin Setoudeh, one of the editors of Variety, and Helen Hohen, the president of the Golden Globe, oversaw the ceremony, which lasted until 2 AM. This report was compiled using information from Variety.