EXCLUSIVE: Coming off her SXSW US feature debut, and TIFF 2023 world premiere, The Queen of My Dreams, Fawzia Mirza has signed on to direct the Australian feature film, Written in the Stars.
Penned by and starring Menik Gooneratne, Written in the Stars is an adaptation of the bestselling novel The Wedding Season by Su Dharmapala. Set in and around the Sri Lankan diaspora in Melbourne, the film centers on a woman (Gooneratne) who, when modern dating attempts fail, turns to Vedic Astrology and horoscope matching in the hopes of finding her true love.
Gooneratne’s screenplay received industry attention after making the 2021 CAPE x Blacklist. The actor is best known for her work on the Peter Jackson sci-fi epic Mortal Engines and Oscar nominated Lion.
“Written in the Stars is a love letter to my hometown and community, and I am thrilled to have someone who brings such vibrancy and nuance to their work at the helm. I’m so excited to collaborate with Fawzia and shine a spotlight on the incredible South Asian talent we have here in Australia” Gooneratne says.
The film will be produced by Leanne Tonkes (The Second, My Mistress) of man, alongside Jake Casey (And Just Like That…) and Danielle Benedict (Hell Is Empty, Aloo) of The Dazey Phase. Gooneratne is repped by The Rosenzweig Group, Global Artists Agency, LGNAFC and AAM in Australia. Mirza is repped by IAG, Strange Animal Entertainment and Granderson Des Rochers.