The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences on 24 January announced the nominations for this year’s Oscars, with Everything Everywhere All at Once leading the nominations and Ireland’s The Banshees of Inishering bagging a record number of nods for the country.

Luxembourg’s Cyrus Neshvad directed and produced The Red Suitcase, which is nominated in the best live action short category. The film was shot over six days at the airport in Findel in 2021 and produced by Neshvad’s production company Cynefilms.

The 18-minute film sees a 16-year-old girl from Iran arrive at an airport with a red suitcase, terrified of what comes next.

Shot in Persian, English, Luxembourg and French, the film will be screened at the upcoming Luxembourg City Film Festival in March.

“My thoughts are with Iranian women who are currently fighting for their rights and freedom. I hope my short film can help raise awareness around the world for their cause,” the film’s creator said in a statement.

Neshvad was born in Tehran. His family fled the country when he was five years old. He completed his secondary school education at the Lycée Michel Rodange in Luxembourg and studied film in Montpellier and Paris.

The filmmaker is currently working on his first feature-length film, which will begin shooting in the near future.

No nomination for Corsage

A Luxembourg co-produced favourite to be nominated for an Oscar, period drama Corsage, meanwhile was snubbed by the academy.

Austria had entered the film in the best international feature category and even as lead actor Florian Teichtmeister faces two years in prison on charges of possession of child pornography.

Teichtmeister stars opposite Luxembourg’s Vicky Krieps in the film about the life of Austrian Empress Elisabeth. Krieps won the best actress prize at the European Film Awards for her role.

Corsage last week was nominated for a Bafta, the UK’s Oscars equivalent.