In Lauren Noll’s Same Same But Different, Rana (Medalion Rahimi) learns she won’t be getting her visa, prompting her to accept a marriage proposal from Adam (Logan Miller) as a way to stay in the United States. Her wedding weekend on Cape Cod brings her best friends Nadia (Dalia Rooni) and Setareh (Layla Mohammadi), along with their partners Ryan (Michael Baszler) and Pat (Richie Moriarty), and a whole host of opinions and revelations that come to light as they all spend time together.
Awards Buzz spoke with Rooni, who also wrote the script, about the chance to collaborate with Noll again and this film is really a crowd-pleaser, like another recent film starring Mohammadi:
“So often, when we see like stories about Persians or Middle Eastern people, the stories are coupled with very dark, dramatic themes, so I was just so excited to be able to screen something that was positive and uplifting and funny. I love The Persian Version and I love Maryam Keshavarz, who was the writer and director of that. I think one thing we have in common is that we’re both Iranian-American, so I think both films straddle two identities and that leads to a lot of comedy and a lot of awkward situations for sure.”
She explained where the three lead characters come from and how there’s a piece of her in each of them:
“The three girls are inspired by true friends of mine and a true weekend that I spent on Cape Cod But I think at some point, those girls in the movie became versions of me at different points of my life. Set is this version of me when I first moved back from living in the UAE for a decade. Rana is a version of me that feels like a longing and a connection to home. And Nadia, I think, is the most outward version of me, the one that I present the most. She’s kind of chaotic and wild and has no filter.”
Watch the video above to hear about the filming experience and how it was received during its SXSW premiere, plus what’s next for Rooni!
Same Same But Different made its world premiere in the Narrative Spotlight section at the 2026 SXSW Film & TV Festival.
