EXCLUSIVE: Iranian American writer-director Michael Younesi has wrapped production on Loose Ends, an indie dark comedy produced by Zero Gravity Management (The Accountant 2, Ozark) and LB Entertainment (The Apprentice, May December).
The film marks the Hollywood debut of acclaimed Iranian actress Vishka Asayesh, who was recently convicted and sentenced in absentia for her political support of the “Woman, Life, Freedom” protests. The actress plays a key role alongside newcomer Amir Afshari, who stars as Jamsheed “Jerry” Shahbazi, a down-and-out Persian billboard lawyer who, desperate for cash, joins an insurance scam that spirals out of control. Soon, he must escape a deadly triangle involving the feds, the Armenian mob, and his own chaotic Persian family.
Specifics as to Asayesh’s role weren’t disclosed. The cast also includes hip-hop icon DJ Quik, actor-bodybuilder Mike O’Hearn (Magazine Dreams), and Latin TikTok star Llanteros503. Pic is set and shot in Los Angeles, the city with the largest Iranian community outside of Iran.
Now exiled and barred from returning to her home country, Asayesh has become a symbol of artistic resistance for her outspoken stance on human rights. Her most recent film, Ali Samadi Ahadi’s drama Seven Days, premiered to acclaim at the 2024 Toronto Film Festival, spotlighting the rising tide of Iranian cinema in exile. First rising to national prominence in the mid-1990s with her breakthrough television role in the historical drama Imam Ali, she’s over the years built an extensive filmography with additional roles in Visitor of Rey, Ice Flower, No Men Allowed, and more.
Younesi executive produced and directed Netflix’s series Project MC² and directed episodes of the Apple TV+ show Hello Jack!. He went on to write and direct the feature Adventure Force 5 and has also helmed award-winning campaigns for brands including Old Spice, Disneyland and Walmart. He is repped by Verve and Zero Gravity.
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