Sundance debut amid travel restrictions on film leads and crew members

The two female leads in "The Friends House is Here" will not be attending the festival due to a US travel ban. Photo: “The Friends House is Here”

Leads and crew members have been restricted by US travel ban from attending Sundance as “The Friend’s House is Here” premieres on January 24.

PARK CITY, Utah — A film premiering at the Sundance Film Festival this month is drawing attention not only for its artistic ambition, but for U.S. travel restrictions preventing its creators from attending the festival in person.

The Friend’s House is Here was shot entirely in secret in Tehran and completed as active bombing unfolded during the summer. According to the filmmakers, production continued despite mounting risks, resulting in what they describe as an urgent and unfiltered portrayal of Iranian youth — passionate, creative and defiant.

As the film prepares to debut in Park City, its two female leads and members of the crew are unable to attend the festival due to a U.S. travel ban, according to those involved with the production.

The film is directed by Hossein Keshavarz, with co-direction from Maryam Ataei, and is executive produced by award-winning filmmaker Maryam Keshavarz, a Sundance veteran. The New York–based team continued production over the summer despite escalating conflict in the region, including active bombing during filming.

The story follows two young women immersed in Tehran’s underground art scene who carve out a private world of freedom and sisterhood. When their creative community is exposed, they must fight to protect one another — a storyline that now mirrors the real-world circumstances surrounding the film’s premiere.

While the filmmakers will not be fully represented in Park City, the film’s inclusion in Sundance places international attention on both the story onscreen and the broader conditions under which it was made.