Taika Waititi & Oscar-Winning Producer Odessa Rae Back Ali Asgari's 'A Bit of Light' for Venice

Taika Waititi—the dude behind the Oscar-winning screenplay for Jojo Rabbit—and Odessa Rae, the producer behind Oscar winner Navalny and the nominated The Voice of Hind Rajab, are stepping in as executive producers on A Bit of Light. The move signals serious institutional backing for Ali Asgari's drama as it gears up for its world premiere in competition at Venice.

When producers of that caliber attach themselves to a project at this stage, it usually means two things: one, the film's already got heat, and two, somebody's betting on its Oscar-season legs. Waititi and Rae aren't the type to sign on just for a vanity credit—they know what resonates at festivals and beyond.

A Bit of Light is headed into Venice's competitive slate, which means it's already passed the gatekeepers. Now it's got the pedigree to match. This is the kind of momentum that can carry a film through the fall circuit if the work holds up.

Venice kicks off in about a minute. Time to see if all that star power translates on screen.

Read the full story at Variety → https://variety.com/2026/film/global/taika-waititi-odessa-rae-a-bit-of-light-venice-1236858533/