Holy Spider

It premiered at Cannes in official competition where Zar Amir-Ebrahimi picked up the award for best actress. The Persian-language drama was also nominated for ...

The country has had three other wins and nine nominations. It premiered at Cannes in official competition where Zar Amir-Ebrahimi picked up the award for best actress. The Persian-language drama was also nominated for best international film at Jerusalem Film Festival.

Ali Abbasi's Iran-set thriller is inspired by the true crime case of a serial killer devoted to "cleansing" the streets of sex workers. By Scott Roxborough.

The 95th Academy Awards will take place on March 12, 2023. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences will announce the 15 shortlist contenders for the 2023 international feature Oscar on Dec. Abassi’s film follows the case through the eyes of a female journalist, played by Zar Amir Ebrahimi, who descends into the dark underworld of Mashhad to investigate the murders. The film is inspired by the true story of a serial killer who murdered sex workers in the streets of Mashhad, Iran’s holiest city, from 2000-2001. The five nominees will be announced Jan. [Awards](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/t/awards/) in the best [international](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/t/international/) feature category. [Subscribe Sign Up](https://cloud.email.hollywoodreporter.com/signup/) Given the current global outcry over Iran’s crackdown on nationwide human rights protests, Tehran’s opposition to Holy Spider is likely to help the film in the awards race. Utopia picked up the film following its Cannes debut and is planning a U.S. [Cannes](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/cannes-2022-ali-abassi-interview-holy-spider-1235151604/amp/) this year, where Ebrahimi won best actress honors. Denmark has selected Ali Abbasi’s Iran-set serial killer thriller Holy Spider as its official contender for the 2023 Academy [Share this article on Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?u=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/denmark-holy-spider-oscars-international-feature-1235227966/&title=Oscars:%20Denmark%20Picks%20‘Holy%20Spider’%20as%20International%20Feature%20Submission&sdk=joey&display=popup&ref=plugin&src=share_button&app_id=352999048212581) [Share this article on Twitter](https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/denmark-holy-spider-oscars-international-feature-1235227966/&text=Oscars%3A%20Denmark%20Picks%20%E2%80%98Holy%20Spider%E2%80%99%20as%20International%20Feature%20Submission&via=thr) [Share this article on Email](mailto:?subject=thr%20:%20Oscars:%20Denmark%20Picks%20‘Holy%20Spider’%20as%20International%20Feature%20Submission&body=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/denmark-holy-spider-oscars-international-feature-1235227966/%20-%20Oscars:%20Denmark%20Picks%20‘Holy%20Spider’%20as%20International%20Feature%20Submission) [Show additional share options](#) [Share this article on Print]() [Share this article on Comment](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/denmark-holy-spider-oscars-international-feature-1235227966/#respond) [Share this article on Whatsapp](whatsapp://send?text=Oscars:%20Denmark%20Picks%20‘Holy%20Spider’%20as%20International%20Feature%20Submission%20-%20https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/denmark-holy-spider-oscars-international-feature-1235227966/) [Share this article on Linkedin](https://www.linkedin.com/shareArticle?mini=1&url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/denmark-holy-spider-oscars-international-feature-1235227966/&title=Oscars:%20Denmark%20Picks%20‘Holy%20Spider’%20as%20International%20Feature%20Submission&summary&source=thr) [Share this article on Reddit](https://www.reddit.com/submit?url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/denmark-holy-spider-oscars-international-feature-1235227966/&title=Oscars:%20Denmark%20Picks%20‘Holy%20Spider’%20as%20International%20Feature%20Submission) [Share this article on Pinit](https://pinterest.com/pin/create/link/?url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/denmark-holy-spider-oscars-international-feature-1235227966/&description=Oscars:%20Denmark%20Picks%20‘Holy%20Spider’%20as%20International%20Feature%20Submission) [Share this article on Tumblr](https://www.tumblr.com/widgets/share/tool/preview?shareSource=legacy&canonicalUrl&url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/denmark-holy-spider-oscars-international-feature-1235227966/&posttype=link&title=Oscars:%20Denmark%20Picks%20‘Holy%20Spider’%20as%20International%20Feature%20Submission)

HOLY SPIDER (Ali Abassi) / BOY FROM HEAVEN (Tarik Saleh) · ARGENTINA, 1985 · SAINT OMER (Alice Diop) · WHERE THE WIND BLOWS (Philip Yung)

Reviewed [at TIFF by Abe](http://thefilmexperience.net/blog/2022/9/19/tiff-a-mother-on-trial-in-saint-omer.html) and at Venice by Elisa. [Updated Predictions Here](/international-film/). [ which they were also considering](http://thefilmexperience.net/blog/2022/9/15/france-chooses-5-finalists-for-the-coveted-oscar-submission.html), instead. Boy From Heaven ( [reviewed at Cannes](http://thefilmexperience.net/blog/2022/5/22/cannes-diary-5-genies-spies-influencers-and-xenophobia.html)) is about a power struggle at an Islamic school. This is the 8th submission from Argentina that he's starred in including nominees Wild Tales (2014), Son of the Bride (2001) and winner The Secret in Their Eyes (2009). [reviewed at Cannes](http://thefilmexperience.net/blog/2022/5/23/cannes-diary-6-something-weird-this-way-comes.html)) is about a female journalist and a serial killer who is preying on sex workers in Iran. there might have been 2 one year (it's possible I forgot). Aaron Kwok and TFE's all time favourite Asian (male) movie star Tony Leung Chiu-Wai headline this true story crime drama about two corrupt cops in the 1960s. We once did a list that we're now trying to find in the archives about which actors have been in the most films submitted to this category from their home countries. You might remember that last year the Academy chucked their (very good and transparent) tradition of releasing the full official list of submissions in early October. If they continue that this year we won't have exact counts for awhile which is quite sad since those films need all the attention they can get and they only have a short window to get that since the all but 10 of them will be culled on December 21st when the shortlist is announced. What's more we thrive on statistics and factoids when getting obsessed with this niche window into global cinema and you cant do that without the exact list.

Zar Amir Ebrahimi (also known as Zahra) should be basking in the glow of her best actress win at Cannes for “Holy Spider.” Instead, she's in a reflective ...

On the day Ebrahimi’s court trial for participating in the sex tape was set to start, a second case against the actress was opened. And according to Ebrahimi, the authorities eventually found the man who leaked the tape, an actor in Iran she declines to name. distribution rights to “Holy Spider” and screened the suspense thriller at several festivals, including Telluride and Toronto. Ebrahimi denied her involvement at the time to the authorities and local media. However, Abbasi was struggling to find the right person to play Rahimi, a female journalist who descends into the dark underbelly of the Iranian holy city of Mashhad to investigate the murders. She signed on to be the casting director for director Ali Abbasi as he put together the ensemble for “Holy Spider,” which tells the true story of Saeed Hanaei, nicknamed the “Spider Killer,” who targeted sex workers in 2000 and 2001, believing he was cleansing the city of moral corruption.

Denmark has chosen Ali Abbasi's Cannes-winning title Holy Spider as an official entry to this year's International Feature Oscar race. Written by Afshin.

Holy Spider is produced by Jacob Jarek for Profile Pictures in co-production with German One Two Films by Sol Bondy. The film debuted in competition at this year’s Cannes Film Festival, where Zar Amir Ebrahimi won the Best Actress award for her leading role. Written by Afshin Kamran Bahrami, the film follows Rahimi, a young female journalist, who travels to the Iranian holy city of Mashhad to investigate a serial killer targeting sex workers.

The film follows a young female journalist who travels to the Iranian city of Mashhad to investigate a serial killer targeting sex workers.

The film’s music is composed by Martin Dirkov. Written by Abbasi and Afshin Kamran Bahrami, the film follows Rahimi, a young female journalist, who travels to the Iranian holy city of Mashhad to investigate a serial killer targeting sex workers. They deserve to be heard and taken seriously.

Iranian-Danish filmmaker Ali Abassi followed his one-of-a-kind, Oscar-nominated fantasy Border with Holy Spider, which earned lead actress Zar Amir Ebrahimi ...

Based on the horrific true story of serial killer Saeed Hanaei, acclaimed writer-director Ali Abbasi (Border) unveils a gripping crime thriller and a daring indictment of a society in which rough justice is routinely a fact of life. Per him, it bears “a determination to upset and freak people out” while “it seems Abbasi got caught between the social righteousness dictates of the ‘message movie’ and pure amorality of what, disturbingly so, often makes for great genre cinema.” Iranian-Danish filmmaker Ali Abassi followed his one-of-a-kind, Oscar-nominated fantasy Border with Holy Spider, which earned lead actress Zar Amir Ebrahimi honors at Cannes and opens October 28 courtesy Utopia.