Leeds filmmakers hope new film could be in running for Oscars 2025 after shoot at First Direct Arena

Hamdardi, which was filmed at the First Direct Arena, tells the story of a bereaved immigration officer and the 2017 US travel ban.

It was not an easy shoot, as the production team had to convince audiences that the city centre venue was a bustling American airport.

Leeds-born actor and filmmaker Ashley Tabatabai, who is half Iranian, was inspired to work on the self-funded production after seeing the effect that the travel ban had on his family.

It was shown at the 35th Girona Film Festival in November last year, and was selected to compete in the best cinematography category at the Vienna International Film Awards last Christmas.

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Now, the crew are hoping to get it seen by members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. There are 180 short films that are eligible for the Oscars, before these are whittled down to a shortlist of 15 in a vote. Then in January, the nominees are announced.

The team are working with publicists to raise awareness of the film and encourage academy members to view it. The film is also available to watch online for free over a limited period.

Hamdardi involved a crew of around 60 people and extras totalling another 40 many of whom are Leeds or Northern Film School graduates.

Ashley began his acting journey at secondary school in Madrid and plays the immigration officer in Hamdardi. He said: “We’re all really excited.

“Most of us are based in Leeds, so there’s a real local element to it.”

He added: “Hamdardi was supposed to be a period piece, but because of the current political climate, it feels more relevant. I hope it’s not a foreshadowing, but there could be another ban of this type in the pipeline - which does marginalise people. We wanted to explore the human side of that.”