TEHRAN – Shahab Hosseini, the star of Asghar Farhadi’s Oscar-winning movies “A Separation” and “The Salesman”, will lead the cast in Finnish-Iranian director Hamy Ramezan’s new project “Oasis of Now”, Screen Daily announced on Thursday.

“Oasis of Now” follows a family seeking asylum in Finland, and won the best project award at the Finnish Film Affair, which ended on Thursday.

Hosseini was named best actor for his role in “The Salesman” at the Cannes Film Festival in 2016.

He is also scheduled to portray Shams-i Tabrizi, the wandering sage who later became the mentor of Rumi in the 13th century CE, in “Drunk on Love”, a co-production between Iran and Turkey that will be directed by Hassan Fat’hi, director of the popular Iranian TV series “The Tenth Night”, “Zero Degree Orbit” and “Shahrzad”.

“Oasis of Now” is the debut feature of Ramezan, the director the documentary “Refugee Unknown” (“Tuntematon pakolainen”) about the Finnish-Iranian Ali Jahangiri who wanted to personally experience the reality faced by refugees in Europe in the autumn of 2015.

The movie will be produced Jussi Rantamäki and Emilia Haukka of the Aamu Film Company.

Photo: Shahab Hosseini poses during a photocall after accepting the Palme d’Or for best actor for his role in “The Salesman” during the closing ceremony of the 69th Cannes Film Festival on May 22, 2016 in Cannes, France. (Cannes)

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