In a surprising announcement, 51-year-old Iranian film director Mohammad Rasoulof will attend the premiere of “The Seed of the Sacred Fig” on Friday. The movie has one of the final competition slots and, unless it is an absolute dud, is a guarantee for one of the top awards considering the political statement it makes. As a direct result of making the movie, Rasoulof was sentenced to eight years in prison, had his property removed, and was due to receive a flogging. He fled the country on foot and is now somewhere in Europe.
Rasoulof, whose previous work includes “Manuscripts Don’t Burn,” “A Man of Integrity,” which won the top prize at Cannes’s Un Certain Regard sidebar, and “There Is No Evil,” which won the Golden Bear at the Berlin Film Festival. All of his films are critical of contemporary Iranian society, with “There Is No Evil,” about capital punishment,...
Rasoulof, whose previous work includes “Manuscripts Don’t Burn,” “A Man of Integrity,” which won the top prize at Cannes’s Un Certain Regard sidebar, and “There Is No Evil,” which won the Golden Bear at the Berlin Film Festival. All of his films are critical of contemporary Iranian society, with “There Is No Evil,” about capital punishment,...
- 5/22/2024
- by Jordan Hoffman
- Gold Derby
“Woman Life Freedom” is making its debut in Cannes, which is bustling with activity thanks to the Cannes Film Festival 2024. The photo exhibition created by Fedra Fateh aims to celebrate the creativity and courage of 15 Iranian artists.
They include artists who have faced censorship, bans, and imprisonment. The only fault of these people – the exhibition reminds us – was to fight for freedom of expression and equality.
Born in Iran after the murder of Mahsa Amini by the morality police, the Women Life Freedom movement bears witness to the indomitable spirit of Iranian women. Each participating artist has faced various forms of repression for daring to demand freedom and dignity for the Iranian people.
“The Woman Life Freedom movement emerged from a specific time and place, yet its message is timeless and universal,” says Fateh. “The struggle for women’s rights and human rights impacts each one of us. Only if...
They include artists who have faced censorship, bans, and imprisonment. The only fault of these people – the exhibition reminds us – was to fight for freedom of expression and equality.
Born in Iran after the murder of Mahsa Amini by the morality police, the Women Life Freedom movement bears witness to the indomitable spirit of Iranian women. Each participating artist has faced various forms of repression for daring to demand freedom and dignity for the Iranian people.
“The Woman Life Freedom movement emerged from a specific time and place, yet its message is timeless and universal,” says Fateh. “The struggle for women’s rights and human rights impacts each one of us. Only if...
- 5/19/2024
- by Chiara Scipiotti
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
It’s that time of year again. While some directors annually share their favorite films of the year, Steven Soderbergh lists everything he consumed, media-wise. For 2023––another year in which he not only Magic Mike’s Last Dance Review: Steven Soderbergh and Channing Tatum Take a Familiar, Gentle Bow”>released a new film, but dropped two TV series (Full Circle and Command Z“>Command Z) and shot another film (the Sundance-bound Presence)––he still got plenty of watching in.
Along with catching up on 2023’s new releases, Ferrari, Anatomy of a Fall, How to Blow Up a Pipeline, Air, Reality, Dead Reckoning, among others), he took in plenty of classics, including Eyes Wide Shut, Kind Hearts and Coronets, Casablanca, Out of the Past, The Shining, the epic War and Peace, Raiders of the Lost Ark, and, following Tom Wilkinson’s passing, Michael Clayton. He also got an early look at Pussy Island,...
Along with catching up on 2023’s new releases, Ferrari, Anatomy of a Fall, How to Blow Up a Pipeline, Air, Reality, Dead Reckoning, among others), he took in plenty of classics, including Eyes Wide Shut, Kind Hearts and Coronets, Casablanca, Out of the Past, The Shining, the epic War and Peace, Raiders of the Lost Ark, and, following Tom Wilkinson’s passing, Michael Clayton. He also got an early look at Pussy Island,...
- 1/4/2024
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
Nader Saeivar’s Iranian drama No End has been dropped from the official selection of the Hainan Island International Film Festival in what filmmakers say was an act of censorship by Chinese authorities.
ArtHood Entertainment, which is handling world sales for No End, told The Hollywood Reporter it received a confirmation from the Hainan Island festival on Nov. 19 that the Iranian drama had been picked to run in the main competition at the event. The 2023 Hainan festival runs Dec. 16-22 in the tropical resort city of Sanya in China’s southernmost province.
But this week, the festival has pulled the film, citing “political pressure and censorship laws of the Chinese government,” said ArtHood.
The Hainan festival is backed by the state-run China Media Group and the People’s Government of Hainan Province, under the guidance of the China Film Administration. The event’s competition jury this year includes international figures like...
ArtHood Entertainment, which is handling world sales for No End, told The Hollywood Reporter it received a confirmation from the Hainan Island festival on Nov. 19 that the Iranian drama had been picked to run in the main competition at the event. The 2023 Hainan festival runs Dec. 16-22 in the tropical resort city of Sanya in China’s southernmost province.
But this week, the festival has pulled the film, citing “political pressure and censorship laws of the Chinese government,” said ArtHood.
The Hainan festival is backed by the state-run China Media Group and the People’s Government of Hainan Province, under the guidance of the China Film Administration. The event’s competition jury this year includes international figures like...
- 12/15/2023
- by Scott Roxborough
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Did the news of No Bears deservingly bagging the Special Jury Prize at the 2022 Venice Film Festival slightly brighten the cell Jafar Panahi is locked up? I doubt it would mean a whole lot to one of the greatest filmmakers of all time, whose voice has been reaching us secretly ever since the Iranian government banned him from pursuing his art in 2010. A cake to hide “This Is Not A Movie” and the covert, lionhearted efforts that went into making and sharing No Bears with the world are simply not the kind of harrowing ordeals a director like Panahi should be going through. Yet, for someone whose self-reflectively bold and politically charged artistic endeavors are perceived as a critical threat by the government, Panahi’s proved himself to be a warrior of sorts by never allowing the regime to muffle his voice. What I’ve never felt dampens the experience...
- 11/19/2023
- by Lopamudra Mukherjee
- Film Fugitives
The pioneering French-Iranian producer and sales agent leaves behind a long-lasting legacy
Pioneering producer and celebrated Celluloid Dreams founder Hengameh Panahi died on November 5 following a long illness, sending shockwaves of sadness throughout the international film community and leaving a long-lasting legacy of both championing auteur cinema and shaking up the status quo in her wake.
The revered French-Iranian industry executive was known for finding and following emerging directors and accompanying their films to festival glory and international acclaim. Her career spanned four decades and more than 800 films.
She worked alongside iconic directors from across the globe including Jacques Audiard,...
Pioneering producer and celebrated Celluloid Dreams founder Hengameh Panahi died on November 5 following a long illness, sending shockwaves of sadness throughout the international film community and leaving a long-lasting legacy of both championing auteur cinema and shaking up the status quo in her wake.
The revered French-Iranian industry executive was known for finding and following emerging directors and accompanying their films to festival glory and international acclaim. Her career spanned four decades and more than 800 films.
She worked alongside iconic directors from across the globe including Jacques Audiard,...
- 11/10/2023
- by Rebecca Leffler
- ScreenDaily
Hengameh Panahi, the French-Iranian producer and sales agent who founded Celluloid Dreams and was a pivotal figure in bringing works from such auteurs as Jacques Audiard, Jafar Panahi (no relation), François Ozon, Marjane Satrapi and Todd Haynes to the world, has died. She was 67.
Viviana Andriani, a press attaché who had worked with Panahi for many years, confirmed Thursday that Panahi died on November 5 after battling a long illness.
Celluloid Dreams, which Panahi launched in 1985, was a groundbreaking sales and production company that helped build the global market for international arthouse films. Over the course of three decades, Paris-based Celluloid helped package and sell more than 800 films, including the first works from François Ozon (See The Sea), Gaspar Noé (I Stand Alone), Marjane Satrapi (Persepolis) and Bruno Dumont (The Life of Jesus), among many others.
Alongside many European talents, Panahi, who was born in Iran but moved to Europe aged...
Viviana Andriani, a press attaché who had worked with Panahi for many years, confirmed Thursday that Panahi died on November 5 after battling a long illness.
Celluloid Dreams, which Panahi launched in 1985, was a groundbreaking sales and production company that helped build the global market for international arthouse films. Over the course of three decades, Paris-based Celluloid helped package and sell more than 800 films, including the first works from François Ozon (See The Sea), Gaspar Noé (I Stand Alone), Marjane Satrapi (Persepolis) and Bruno Dumont (The Life of Jesus), among many others.
Alongside many European talents, Panahi, who was born in Iran but moved to Europe aged...
- 11/9/2023
- by Scott Roxborough
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Hengameh Panahi, the celebrated French-Iranian producer who founded Celluloid Dreams and forged long-standing bonds with auteurs around the world, has died. She was 67.
Panahi, who worked with the likes of Jafar Panahi, Jacques Audiard, Hirokazu Kore-eda and Jia Zhangke, died on Nov. 5 after battling a long illness, according to a statement sent by a film publicist who worked with Panahi for many years.
Panahi was born in Iran and lived in Belgium from the age of 12 before moving to France in 1993. That’s where she founded the sales company Celluloid Dreams and played a major role in co-producing, co-financing and selling international rights to a number of politically minded films, such as Panahi’s Berlinale Golden Bear-winning “Taxi Tehran”; Audiard’s “A Prophet” and his Palme d’Or winning “Dheepan”; Ramin Mohseni’s ”From Afar”; Marjane Satrapi’s “Persepolis” and “Chicken With Plums”; and Iranian master Abbas Kiarostami’s “Where...
Panahi, who worked with the likes of Jafar Panahi, Jacques Audiard, Hirokazu Kore-eda and Jia Zhangke, died on Nov. 5 after battling a long illness, according to a statement sent by a film publicist who worked with Panahi for many years.
Panahi was born in Iran and lived in Belgium from the age of 12 before moving to France in 1993. That’s where she founded the sales company Celluloid Dreams and played a major role in co-producing, co-financing and selling international rights to a number of politically minded films, such as Panahi’s Berlinale Golden Bear-winning “Taxi Tehran”; Audiard’s “A Prophet” and his Palme d’Or winning “Dheepan”; Ramin Mohseni’s ”From Afar”; Marjane Satrapi’s “Persepolis” and “Chicken With Plums”; and Iranian master Abbas Kiarostami’s “Where...
- 11/9/2023
- by Elsa Keslassy
- Variety Film + TV
Dissident Iranian director Jafar Panahi has launched an impassioned appeal for production designer Leila Naghdipari to be released from jail following her recent arrest during demonstrations marking the one year anniversary of Mahsa Amini’s death.
Naghdipari was one of hundreds of Iranians arrested on Sept. 16 during widespread protests marking the anniversary of Amini’s death while being detained for allegedly violating the country’s hijab law that mandates covered hair.
“Today, Iranian independent cinema is more that ever struggling to breathe under the boots of the security forces,” Panahi said in his appeal.
Panahi added that it’s been more than 10 days since the arrest of Naghdipari, who was the production designer on his 2018 film “Three Faces,” a road trip through the repressive territory of patriarchal rural Iran. Panahi shot the film, which screened at the Cannes Film Festival, in violation of his 20-year filmmaking ban.
“All the efforts of her husband Majid Barzegar,...
Naghdipari was one of hundreds of Iranians arrested on Sept. 16 during widespread protests marking the anniversary of Amini’s death while being detained for allegedly violating the country’s hijab law that mandates covered hair.
“Today, Iranian independent cinema is more that ever struggling to breathe under the boots of the security forces,” Panahi said in his appeal.
Panahi added that it’s been more than 10 days since the arrest of Naghdipari, who was the production designer on his 2018 film “Three Faces,” a road trip through the repressive territory of patriarchal rural Iran. Panahi shot the film, which screened at the Cannes Film Festival, in violation of his 20-year filmmaking ban.
“All the efforts of her husband Majid Barzegar,...
- 9/27/2023
- by Nick Vivarelli
- Variety Film + TV
The ongoing plights of Iranian filmmakers Jafar Panahi and Mohammad Rasoulof — who were both released from prison earlier this year after months of detainment for crimes relating to their criticisms of the nation’s government — prompted renewed concerns about Iran’s authoritarian policies from the global film community. But the larger philosophical and geopolitical concerns about censoring filmmakers can make it tempting to view these men as mere symbols, ignoring the spiritual price they end up paying for their work.
Panahi’s latest film, “No Bears,” made the rounds on the international festival circuit in 2022, and he used the platform to issue frequent statements about the dangers faced by Iranian filmmakers who try to express themselves freely. Panahi and his many supporters often spoke about the paradoxical reasoning that allowed filmmakers to keep focusing on the very art that was putting their freedom in jeopardy. Being creative in an environment...
Panahi’s latest film, “No Bears,” made the rounds on the international festival circuit in 2022, and he used the platform to issue frequent statements about the dangers faced by Iranian filmmakers who try to express themselves freely. Panahi and his many supporters often spoke about the paradoxical reasoning that allowed filmmakers to keep focusing on the very art that was putting their freedom in jeopardy. Being creative in an environment...
- 9/15/2023
- by Christian Zilko
- Indiewire
The 2022 cohort included several US-financed titles that would go on to become major awards contenders.
As this year’s Venice Film Festival prepares to kick off on August 30, Screen International looks at how 2022’s Competition titles fared at the global box office.
Scroll down for box office figures
The 2022 cohort included several US-financed titles that would go on to become major awards contenders, with Oscar best actor-winner The Whale the highest-grossing competition title with global takings of $54m. Its biggest international territory outside of North America was Mexico with $8.3m.
Next was nine-time Oscar nominee The Banshees Of Inisherin on $49m,...
As this year’s Venice Film Festival prepares to kick off on August 30, Screen International looks at how 2022’s Competition titles fared at the global box office.
Scroll down for box office figures
The 2022 cohort included several US-financed titles that would go on to become major awards contenders, with Oscar best actor-winner The Whale the highest-grossing competition title with global takings of $54m. Its biggest international territory outside of North America was Mexico with $8.3m.
Next was nine-time Oscar nominee The Banshees Of Inisherin on $49m,...
- 8/23/2023
- by Orlando Parfitt
- ScreenDaily
Kohn’s Corner is a weekly column about the challenges and opportunities of sustaining American film culture.
Cinema is a global industry, but Hollywood struggles to see beyond its own reflection. This past week, much was made about the international impact of “Barbie,” a mass-market takedown of the patriarchy that somehow has been able to screen in Saudi Arabia but not in Kuwait, and got banned in Algeria for “homosexuality and other Western deviances” a month after its release, presumably because censors decided to see “Oppenheimer” first.
Yet far less attention in the West has been paid to Iran, which did not screen “Barbie” or any other American movie this month, and shows no sign of doing that anytime soon. The Middle Eastern country banned the theatrical release of most foreign films years ago, which means that most Iranian audiences for Hollywood blockbusters come from the industry’s greatest foe: piracy sites.
Cinema is a global industry, but Hollywood struggles to see beyond its own reflection. This past week, much was made about the international impact of “Barbie,” a mass-market takedown of the patriarchy that somehow has been able to screen in Saudi Arabia but not in Kuwait, and got banned in Algeria for “homosexuality and other Western deviances” a month after its release, presumably because censors decided to see “Oppenheimer” first.
Yet far less attention in the West has been paid to Iran, which did not screen “Barbie” or any other American movie this month, and shows no sign of doing that anytime soon. The Middle Eastern country banned the theatrical release of most foreign films years ago, which means that most Iranian audiences for Hollywood blockbusters come from the industry’s greatest foe: piracy sites.
- 8/19/2023
- by Eric Kohn
- Indiewire
The 6th Malaysia International Film Festival (MIFFest) held a press conference today to unveil the complete lineup of programmes for its upcoming edition, featuring 42 films from 15 countries. The festival also announced the distinguished presence of acclaimed filmmaker Johnnie To as the Jury President of the competition section. In addition, MIFFest bestowed the Lifetime Achievement Award on renowned actress Sylvia Chang for her exceptional contributions to the world of cinema. The event also revealed the top 10 finalists and nominations for the BMW Shorties 2023.
Over 300 record-breaking submissions were received for the 6th MIFFest
With over 300 record-breaking submissions received for the 6th MIFFest, the festival continues to attract talented filmmakers from around the world. The high number of submissions is a testament to MIFFest's growing prominence and its commitment to recognising outstanding talents in the film industry.
“This year, we had the pleasure of receiving and watching over 300 films. This is an impressive...
Over 300 record-breaking submissions were received for the 6th MIFFest
With over 300 record-breaking submissions received for the 6th MIFFest, the festival continues to attract talented filmmakers from around the world. The high number of submissions is a testament to MIFFest's growing prominence and its commitment to recognising outstanding talents in the film industry.
“This year, we had the pleasure of receiving and watching over 300 films. This is an impressive...
- 6/16/2023
- by Adam Symchuk
- AsianMoviePulse
Paris-based distributor Arp Sélection has snapped up the timely Sudanese drama “Goodbye Julia” for French distribution ahead of its Cannes Un Certain Regard premiere next week.
The film, which is Sudanese director Mohamed Kordofani’s feature debut, marks the first feature from Sudan to bow from the Croisette and takes place just before the 2011 secession of South Sudan. In “Goodbye Julia,” two women — one from the North, the other from the South — are brought together by fate in a complex relationship that attempts to reconcile differences between northern and southern Sudanese communities.
in an interview with Variety, Kordofani expressed the hope that his film “Can be the start of a movement for reconciliation between all the Sudanese people” in the war-ravaged country.
The two central roles are played respectively by Eiman Yousif and Sudanese supermodel Siran Riak (pictured above), making her big-screen acting debut. The cast also includes Nazar Goma and Ger Duany,...
The film, which is Sudanese director Mohamed Kordofani’s feature debut, marks the first feature from Sudan to bow from the Croisette and takes place just before the 2011 secession of South Sudan. In “Goodbye Julia,” two women — one from the North, the other from the South — are brought together by fate in a complex relationship that attempts to reconcile differences between northern and southern Sudanese communities.
in an interview with Variety, Kordofani expressed the hope that his film “Can be the start of a movement for reconciliation between all the Sudanese people” in the war-ravaged country.
The two central roles are played respectively by Eiman Yousif and Sudanese supermodel Siran Riak (pictured above), making her big-screen acting debut. The cast also includes Nazar Goma and Ger Duany,...
- 5/11/2023
- by Nick Vivarelli
- Variety Film + TV
Warwick Thornton’s “The New Boy” has been set as the opening title of next month’s Sydney Film Festival, which will celebrate its 70th edition, June 7-18. The film, a tale of sprituality and survival in 1940s Australia, starring Cate Blanchett, Deborah Mailman, Wayne Blair and Aswan Reid, will also play in the festival’s competition section.
Other titles in competition include: the world premiere of Australian documentary feature “The Dark Emu Story,” directed by Allan Clarke; Christian Petzold’s previously announced “Afire”; Charlotte Regan’s Sundance Grand Jury Prize winner “Scrapper”; Kore-eda Hirokazu’s “Monster”; Aki Kaurismäki’s compassionate comedy “Fallen Leaves”; Kim Jee-woon’s “Cobweb”; Asmae El Moudir’s “The Mother of All Lies”; Alice Englert’s directorial debut “Bad Behaviour”; Celine Song’s Sundance and Berlinale 2023 selected romance “Past Lives”; Liu Jian’s 2023 Berlinale-selected animation “Art College 1994”; Devashish Makhija’s “Joram,” a thriller about an...
Other titles in competition include: the world premiere of Australian documentary feature “The Dark Emu Story,” directed by Allan Clarke; Christian Petzold’s previously announced “Afire”; Charlotte Regan’s Sundance Grand Jury Prize winner “Scrapper”; Kore-eda Hirokazu’s “Monster”; Aki Kaurismäki’s compassionate comedy “Fallen Leaves”; Kim Jee-woon’s “Cobweb”; Asmae El Moudir’s “The Mother of All Lies”; Alice Englert’s directorial debut “Bad Behaviour”; Celine Song’s Sundance and Berlinale 2023 selected romance “Past Lives”; Liu Jian’s 2023 Berlinale-selected animation “Art College 1994”; Devashish Makhija’s “Joram,” a thriller about an...
- 5/10/2023
- by Patrick Frater
- Variety Film + TV
The film was shot in Italy and is now in post-production.
London-based WestEnd Films has boarded Eran Riklis’ Reading Lolita In Tehran starring Golshifteh Farahani and Zar Amir-Ebrahimi, and will introduce the film to buyers in Cannes.
The film was shot in Italy and is now in post-production.
Adapted from Azar Nafisi’s autobiographical novel, the story centres around a teacher in Iran who secretly gathers a group of female students to read forbidden western classics. Marjorie David wrote the screenplay.
It is an Italy-Israel co-production between United King Films, Topia Communications, Eran Riklis Productions, Minerva Pictures and Rosamont with Rai Cinema.
London-based WestEnd Films has boarded Eran Riklis’ Reading Lolita In Tehran starring Golshifteh Farahani and Zar Amir-Ebrahimi, and will introduce the film to buyers in Cannes.
The film was shot in Italy and is now in post-production.
Adapted from Azar Nafisi’s autobiographical novel, the story centres around a teacher in Iran who secretly gathers a group of female students to read forbidden western classics. Marjorie David wrote the screenplay.
It is an Italy-Israel co-production between United King Films, Topia Communications, Eran Riklis Productions, Minerva Pictures and Rosamont with Rai Cinema.
- 5/5/2023
- by Ellie Calnan
- ScreenDaily
Golshifteh Farahani (Pirates of the Caribbean, About Elly, Paterson) and Zar Amir-Ebrahami (Palme d’Or-winner in 2022 for Holy Spider) — two of most recognized and in-demand Iranian stars working outside of Iran today — have teamed for the feature adaptation of Azar Nafisi’s bestselling Iranian novel Reading Lolita in Tehran.
The two lead an ensemble cast in the the drama — from award-winning director Eran Riklis (Lemon Tree, The Syrian Bride, Dancing Arabs) and written by Marjorie David — alongside Mina Kavani (Red Rose, No Bears). WestEnd Films are launching sales of the film in Cannes.
Translated into 32 languages across the world and set after the revolution in Iran as extremism took hold, Reading Lolita in Tehran tells the autobiographical story of a bold and inspired teacher, who secretly gathered seven of her most committed female students to read forbidden western classics while their world as they knew it closed in around them.
The two lead an ensemble cast in the the drama — from award-winning director Eran Riklis (Lemon Tree, The Syrian Bride, Dancing Arabs) and written by Marjorie David — alongside Mina Kavani (Red Rose, No Bears). WestEnd Films are launching sales of the film in Cannes.
Translated into 32 languages across the world and set after the revolution in Iran as extremism took hold, Reading Lolita in Tehran tells the autobiographical story of a bold and inspired teacher, who secretly gathered seven of her most committed female students to read forbidden western classics while their world as they knew it closed in around them.
- 5/5/2023
- by Alex Ritman
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
(Welcome to Under the Radar, a column where we spotlight specific movies, shows, trends, performances, or scenes that caught our eye and deserved more attention ... but otherwise flew under the radar. In this edition: Iranian filmmaker Jafar Panahi's latest "No Bears" is another personal triumph, "Joyland" tackles painfully relatable South Asian shortcomings, and "Sisu" puts the hurt on some deeply unlucky Nazis.)
Goodbye April, hello May, and welcome to the unofficial start of the summer movie season. If it seems like the yearly schedule for big-screen releases is weirdly compressed, well, that's because it is. We essentially go from the doldrums of the early winter months of the year to a blockbuster-heavy "summer" slate that extends from May all the way to September or even October, before pivoting right back to awards season mayhem. Traditionally, Memorial Day weekend is the point at which it feels a little more socially...
Goodbye April, hello May, and welcome to the unofficial start of the summer movie season. If it seems like the yearly schedule for big-screen releases is weirdly compressed, well, that's because it is. We essentially go from the doldrums of the early winter months of the year to a blockbuster-heavy "summer" slate that extends from May all the way to September or even October, before pivoting right back to awards season mayhem. Traditionally, Memorial Day weekend is the point at which it feels a little more socially...
- 5/4/2023
- by Jeremy Mathai
- Slash Film
The award-winning auteur was released from prison in February.
Iranian auteur Jafar Panahi has reportedly left Iran for the first time since 2009 after his travel ban was lifted, according to his wife Tahereh Saeedi.
A post by Saeedi on Instagram appeared to show her and Panahi at an undisclosed airport with a stack of suitcases. The caption read: “After 14 years, Jafar’s ban was cancelled and finally we are going to travel together for a few days.”
Observers on social media speculate that he is in France, based on the background of the image.
View this post on Instagram
A...
Iranian auteur Jafar Panahi has reportedly left Iran for the first time since 2009 after his travel ban was lifted, according to his wife Tahereh Saeedi.
A post by Saeedi on Instagram appeared to show her and Panahi at an undisclosed airport with a stack of suitcases. The caption read: “After 14 years, Jafar’s ban was cancelled and finally we are going to travel together for a few days.”
Observers on social media speculate that he is in France, based on the background of the image.
View this post on Instagram
A...
- 4/26/2023
- by Michael Rosser
- ScreenDaily
Jafar Panahi has left Iran for the first time in 14 years after the heralded Iranian filmmaker’s longstanding travel was apparently lifted.
His wife, Tahereh Saeidi, shared a photo of them entering an undisclosed airport to her Instagram Tuesday night, writing, “After 14 years, Jafar’s ban was canceled and finally we are going to travel together for a few days…”
View this post on Instagram
A post shared by Tahereh saeedi (@taherehsaidii)
The image indicates the first time the director and political figure behind “The White Balloon,” “The Circle,” “Taxi” and most recently “No Bears” has left Iran since he was sentenced to a 20-year travel and filmmaking ban in 2010 for “making propaganda against the system” — a directive that to this point has not slowed his directing career but has held him to the nation’s borders.
In July 2022, Panahi was arrested and imprisoned after he protested the arrest of...
His wife, Tahereh Saeidi, shared a photo of them entering an undisclosed airport to her Instagram Tuesday night, writing, “After 14 years, Jafar’s ban was canceled and finally we are going to travel together for a few days…”
View this post on Instagram
A post shared by Tahereh saeedi (@taherehsaidii)
The image indicates the first time the director and political figure behind “The White Balloon,” “The Circle,” “Taxi” and most recently “No Bears” has left Iran since he was sentenced to a 20-year travel and filmmaking ban in 2010 for “making propaganda against the system” — a directive that to this point has not slowed his directing career but has held him to the nation’s borders.
In July 2022, Panahi was arrested and imprisoned after he protested the arrest of...
- 4/26/2023
- by Benjamin Lindsay
- The Wrap
Dissident Iranian director Jafar Panahi’s travel ban has suddenly been lifted after 14 years, allowing the acclaimed auteur and his wife Tahereh Saeedi to reportedly leave Iran for an undisclosed location.
Saeedi on Tuesday night posted a picture on Instagram showing her arriving with her husband at an undisclosed airport.
View this post on Instagram
A post shared by Tahereh saeedi (@taherehsaidii)
It is captioned: “After 14 years, Jafar’s ban was cancelled and finally we are going to travel together for a few days…”
Panahi, 62, was temporarily released from prison last month after going on a hunger strike to protest “the illegal and inhumane behavior” of Iran’s judiciary. He was out on bail.
The director was arrested last July in Tehran in the wake of the country’s conservative government crackdown. Panahi had gone to the Tehran’s prosecutor’s office to follow up on the situation of fellow dissident filmmaker Mohammad Rasoulov,...
Saeedi on Tuesday night posted a picture on Instagram showing her arriving with her husband at an undisclosed airport.
View this post on Instagram
A post shared by Tahereh saeedi (@taherehsaidii)
It is captioned: “After 14 years, Jafar’s ban was cancelled and finally we are going to travel together for a few days…”
Panahi, 62, was temporarily released from prison last month after going on a hunger strike to protest “the illegal and inhumane behavior” of Iran’s judiciary. He was out on bail.
The director was arrested last July in Tehran in the wake of the country’s conservative government crackdown. Panahi had gone to the Tehran’s prosecutor’s office to follow up on the situation of fellow dissident filmmaker Mohammad Rasoulov,...
- 4/26/2023
- by Nick Vivarelli
- Variety Film + TV
The long travel ban against dissident Iranian director Jafar Panahi, in place for the past 14 years, has apparently been lifted.
Panahi’s wife Tahereh Saeedi, in a post on Instagram late Tuesday night, said the Iranian government has “canceled” the travel ban, first imposed in 2009. Accompanying the post was a posted of Saeedi and Panahi arriving at an unidentified airport.
“After 14 years, Jafar’s ban was canceled and finally we are going to travel together for a few days…” she wrote.
View this post on Instagram
A post shared by Tahereh saeedi (@taherehsaidii)
The photo shows Panahi smiling, waving, and pushing a baggage cart piled high with three large suitcases. There is not information on where the photo was taken, though online speculation has pointed to signage in the background that suggests it could be at a French airport.
The award-winning director of Taxi, The White Ballon, The Circle, and...
Panahi’s wife Tahereh Saeedi, in a post on Instagram late Tuesday night, said the Iranian government has “canceled” the travel ban, first imposed in 2009. Accompanying the post was a posted of Saeedi and Panahi arriving at an unidentified airport.
“After 14 years, Jafar’s ban was canceled and finally we are going to travel together for a few days…” she wrote.
View this post on Instagram
A post shared by Tahereh saeedi (@taherehsaidii)
The photo shows Panahi smiling, waving, and pushing a baggage cart piled high with three large suitcases. There is not information on where the photo was taken, though online speculation has pointed to signage in the background that suggests it could be at a French airport.
The award-winning director of Taxi, The White Ballon, The Circle, and...
- 4/26/2023
- by Scott Roxborough
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Dissident Iranian director Jafar Panahi is reported to have left Iran for the first time in 14 years following the lifting of a travel ban imposed on him in 2009.
Panahi’s wife Tahereh Saeedi posted a picture on Instagram on Tuesday night showing her arriving with her husband at an undisclosed airport.
It was cryptically captioned: “After 14 years, Jafar’s ban was cancelled and finally we are going to travel together for a few days…”
Panahi is seen waving and pushing a luggage trolley laden with three large suitcases.
View this post on Instagram
A post shared by Tahereh saeedi (@taherehsaidii)
There is no information on where the picture was taken although there have been suggestions on social media that the backdrop is a French airport.
Panahi – whose credits include The White Balloon, The Circle and Taxi – has spent most of his filmmaking career in the crosshairs of Iran’s authoritarian Islamic Republic government.
Panahi’s wife Tahereh Saeedi posted a picture on Instagram on Tuesday night showing her arriving with her husband at an undisclosed airport.
It was cryptically captioned: “After 14 years, Jafar’s ban was cancelled and finally we are going to travel together for a few days…”
Panahi is seen waving and pushing a luggage trolley laden with three large suitcases.
View this post on Instagram
A post shared by Tahereh saeedi (@taherehsaidii)
There is no information on where the picture was taken although there have been suggestions on social media that the backdrop is a French airport.
Panahi – whose credits include The White Balloon, The Circle and Taxi – has spent most of his filmmaking career in the crosshairs of Iran’s authoritarian Islamic Republic government.
- 4/26/2023
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- Deadline Film + TV
A couple months after spotlighting the world’s greatest actress, the Criterion Channel have taken a logical next step towards America’s greatest actress. May (or: next week) will bring an eleven-film celebration of Jennifer Jason Leigh, highlights including Verhoeven’s Flesh + Blood, Miami Blues, Alan Rudolph’s Mrs. Parker, her directorial debut The Anniversary Party, and Synecdoche, New York, and a special introduction from Leigh. Another actor’s showcase localizes directorial collaborations: Jimmy Stewart’s time with Anthony Mann, an eight-title series boasting the likes of Winchester ’73 and The Man from Laramie. Two more: a survey of ’80s Asian-American cinema (Chan Is Missing being the best-known) and 14 movies by Seijun Suzuki.
That would be enough for one month (or two), but No Bears and Cette maison will have their streaming premieres, while Criterion Editions offers the Infernal Affairs trilogy (plus its packed set), Days of Heaven, and the aforementioned Chan Is Missing.
That would be enough for one month (or two), but No Bears and Cette maison will have their streaming premieres, while Criterion Editions offers the Infernal Affairs trilogy (plus its packed set), Days of Heaven, and the aforementioned Chan Is Missing.
- 4/20/2023
- by Nick Newman
- The Film Stage
Two very different bears — one going berserk on drugs and another a mere superstition — hit streaming this week. It’s a slow month for digital premieres, but the best of this week’s offerings span a variety of moods and genres. You’ll also find a pair of documentaries about beloved cultural figures worth watching.
The contender to watch this week: “Cocaine Bear“
Elizabeth Banks paraded her movie’s eponymous terrorizer onto this year’s Oscar stage, so who’s to say she couldn’t do it again in 2024? Maybe “Cocaine Bear” can ride its box-office success to a Best Visual Effects nomination. It worked for “The Revenant,” but that had Leo and a huge awards-friendly pedigree. Either way, you can watch the likes of Keri Russell and Alden Ehrenreich stave off this hopped-up villain on Peacock.
Other contenders:
“No Bears”: New Yorker critic Richard Brody and Los Angeles...
The contender to watch this week: “Cocaine Bear“
Elizabeth Banks paraded her movie’s eponymous terrorizer onto this year’s Oscar stage, so who’s to say she couldn’t do it again in 2024? Maybe “Cocaine Bear” can ride its box-office success to a Best Visual Effects nomination. It worked for “The Revenant,” but that had Leo and a huge awards-friendly pedigree. Either way, you can watch the likes of Keri Russell and Alden Ehrenreich stave off this hopped-up villain on Peacock.
Other contenders:
“No Bears”: New Yorker critic Richard Brody and Los Angeles...
- 4/15/2023
- by Matthew Jacobs
- Gold Derby
Each week we highlight the noteworthy titles that have recently hit streaming platforms in the United States. Check out this week’s selections below and past round-ups here.
Country Gold (Mickey Reece)
The cost of fame sits in the living room wondering aloud whether dad will be home for Christmas. Why these two young boys’ voices have been deepened to sound like they’re 40-year-old drunks slurring through a bender is beyond me (an assumption of it being a dream or game is squashed once mom enters without the effect being called out), but their words have meaning. Troyal’s (Mickey Reece channeling Garth Brooks) star has risen to unimaginable heights and he’s embraced it to the point where his “good ol’ boy” demeanor can’t quite hide the growing ego beneath a cowboy hat. While Jamie (Leah N.H. Philpott) tries toeing the line of admiring his accomplishments and...
Country Gold (Mickey Reece)
The cost of fame sits in the living room wondering aloud whether dad will be home for Christmas. Why these two young boys’ voices have been deepened to sound like they’re 40-year-old drunks slurring through a bender is beyond me (an assumption of it being a dream or game is squashed once mom enters without the effect being called out), but their words have meaning. Troyal’s (Mickey Reece channeling Garth Brooks) star has risen to unimaginable heights and he’s embraced it to the point where his “good ol’ boy” demeanor can’t quite hide the growing ego beneath a cowboy hat. While Jamie (Leah N.H. Philpott) tries toeing the line of admiring his accomplishments and...
- 4/14/2023
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
by Cláudio Alves
One of 2022's most essential films, a title that will probably continue to accrue power in retrospect, is now available on VOD. It's none other than No Bears, Jafar Panahi's latest feat of illicitly-made cinema, premiered in Venice just as the director faced another period behind bars. He's since been released after announcing a hunger strike in protest. As with all of Panahi's creations since the 2010 sentence that resulted in a 20-year ban on moviemaking as decreed by the Islamic Revolutionary Court, it's challenging to approach No Bears as just another film. Well, that's logical since it's not just another film...
One of 2022's most essential films, a title that will probably continue to accrue power in retrospect, is now available on VOD. It's none other than No Bears, Jafar Panahi's latest feat of illicitly-made cinema, premiered in Venice just as the director faced another period behind bars. He's since been released after announcing a hunger strike in protest. As with all of Panahi's creations since the 2010 sentence that resulted in a 20-year ban on moviemaking as decreed by the Islamic Revolutionary Court, it's challenging to approach No Bears as just another film. Well, that's logical since it's not just another film...
- 4/12/2023
- by Cláudio Alves
- FilmExperience
The Sydney Film Festival, which this year will celebrate its 70th edition, has unveiled its first dozen selections. Seven are feature films, five are documentaries.
“The 2023 program will expand on this legacy, promising to ignite stimulating dialogues and present powerful ideas that will broaden audience perspectives,” said festival director Nashen Moodley. He noted that over the previous 69 editions the Sydney festival has showcased more than 10,000 films.
Highlights among the documentaries are two Australian titles. “Rachel’s Farm” follows actor-director Rachel Ward as she revitalizes her beef farm using sustainable farming practices. In “The Last Daughter” Wiradjuri woman Brenda Matthews documents her search to uncover the truth about her government-ordered abduction as a child and to find her white foster family. Both Matthews and Ward will attend the festival in person.
“Red, White and Brass” – presented as a feature, rather than a documentary – is a fact-based tale of a group of...
“The 2023 program will expand on this legacy, promising to ignite stimulating dialogues and present powerful ideas that will broaden audience perspectives,” said festival director Nashen Moodley. He noted that over the previous 69 editions the Sydney festival has showcased more than 10,000 films.
Highlights among the documentaries are two Australian titles. “Rachel’s Farm” follows actor-director Rachel Ward as she revitalizes her beef farm using sustainable farming practices. In “The Last Daughter” Wiradjuri woman Brenda Matthews documents her search to uncover the truth about her government-ordered abduction as a child and to find her white foster family. Both Matthews and Ward will attend the festival in person.
“Red, White and Brass” – presented as a feature, rather than a documentary – is a fact-based tale of a group of...
- 4/5/2023
- by Patrick Frater
- Variety Film + TV
Iranian cinema got a rare bit of good news recently. Earlier this month, two of the country’s most famous dissident directors —Jafar Panahi (Taxi, No Bears) and Mohammad Rasoulof (Berlin Golden Bear winner There Is No Evil) were released from prison after months behind bars.
The elation surrounding their release was short lived: Rasoulof was soon served with new, dubious, charges that could land him in back in jail. And Panahi is still banned from making movies or from leaving the country. And given the continued, and brutal, suppression of protesters in the country by the Tehran regime, there is little cause for celebration.
“Releasing some individuals among thousands who have been arrested during a few past months, doesn’t lead me to optimism,” notes Iranian documentary filmmaker Farahnaz Sharifi (Profession: Documentarist). “Considering all these issues and censorship and restrictions we are facing with, there is a long process...
The elation surrounding their release was short lived: Rasoulof was soon served with new, dubious, charges that could land him in back in jail. And Panahi is still banned from making movies or from leaving the country. And given the continued, and brutal, suppression of protesters in the country by the Tehran regime, there is little cause for celebration.
“Releasing some individuals among thousands who have been arrested during a few past months, doesn’t lead me to optimism,” notes Iranian documentary filmmaker Farahnaz Sharifi (Profession: Documentarist). “Considering all these issues and censorship and restrictions we are facing with, there is a long process...
- 2/18/2023
- by Scott Roxborough
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The wave of protests sparked across Iran by the death of Mahsa Amini by Iranian morality police in September came amid a banner year for Iranian cinema.
But as 2023 kicks off, more than 500 people who have protested her death and called for justice have been killed while prominent members of the Iranian film industry were either arrested, put on trial or banned from making movies. The result being that the country’s cinematic community has largely ground to a halt.
Which raises the question: unless something changes, how many films actually shot in Iran will be surfacing on the international festival circuit going forward?
In 2022, Iran-based directors landed slots in all major international film festivals and won major awards. Revered auteur Jafar Panahi took the Venice Special Jury Prize for “No Bears” and Houman Seyyedi’s tragicomedy “World War III,” which was Iran’s candidate for the international Oscar, scooped two statuettes on the Lido.
But as 2023 kicks off, more than 500 people who have protested her death and called for justice have been killed while prominent members of the Iranian film industry were either arrested, put on trial or banned from making movies. The result being that the country’s cinematic community has largely ground to a halt.
Which raises the question: unless something changes, how many films actually shot in Iran will be surfacing on the international festival circuit going forward?
In 2022, Iran-based directors landed slots in all major international film festivals and won major awards. Revered auteur Jafar Panahi took the Venice Special Jury Prize for “No Bears” and Houman Seyyedi’s tragicomedy “World War III,” which was Iran’s candidate for the international Oscar, scooped two statuettes on the Lido.
- 2/18/2023
- by Nick Vivarelli
- Variety Film + TV
Jafar Panahi Photo: Diyarenoon
Almost seven months after being detained in Iran's notorious Evin prison, film director Jafar Panahi is tonight a free man. He has been obliged to put up bail and the Iranian authorities are describing the arrangement as temporary, but no clear plans for further criminal proceedings have been revealed.
The No Bears director was arrested on 11 July and subsequently given a six year sentence for propaganda against the state, a charge which was filed after he showed support for previously detained filmmakers Mohammad Rasoulof, who was released early last month, and Mostafa Al-Ahmad, who remains in detention. Panahi won an appeal in the Supreme Court on 15 October but had still not been released. On 1 February he began refusing to consume food or water, and it is believed to be this which prompted the authorities to give way.
Panahi's lawyer, Saleh Nikbakht, said that he welcomed the release,...
Almost seven months after being detained in Iran's notorious Evin prison, film director Jafar Panahi is tonight a free man. He has been obliged to put up bail and the Iranian authorities are describing the arrangement as temporary, but no clear plans for further criminal proceedings have been revealed.
The No Bears director was arrested on 11 July and subsequently given a six year sentence for propaganda against the state, a charge which was filed after he showed support for previously detained filmmakers Mohammad Rasoulof, who was released early last month, and Mostafa Al-Ahmad, who remains in detention. Panahi won an appeal in the Supreme Court on 15 October but had still not been released. On 1 February he began refusing to consume food or water, and it is believed to be this which prompted the authorities to give way.
Panahi's lawyer, Saleh Nikbakht, said that he welcomed the release,...
- 2/3/2023
- by Jennie Kermode
- eyeforfilm.co.uk
A tragic saga rife with human rights violations and government overreach has narrowly avoided the worst possible outcome. Critically acclaimed Iranian director Jafar Panahi has been released from prison after his unjust arrest in early July of 2022, which occurred in the midst of widespread protests centered on freedom of expression throughout the country. The filmmaker's wife Tahereh Saeedi revealed the good news on social media and other outlets (via Deadline) alongside her attorney Saleh Nikbakht, who said in a terse but vindicating statement:
"Although I am happy about Mr. Panahi's release, it must be said that his release should have taken place three months ago, following the acceptance of our objection to his previous court decision."
The court decision in question refers to the circumstances surrounding Panahi's original arrest in 2010, in which the director was handed a six-year prison sentence of "propaganda against the system" in retribution for attending the...
"Although I am happy about Mr. Panahi's release, it must be said that his release should have taken place three months ago, following the acceptance of our objection to his previous court decision."
The court decision in question refers to the circumstances surrounding Panahi's original arrest in 2010, in which the director was handed a six-year prison sentence of "propaganda against the system" in retribution for attending the...
- 2/3/2023
- by Jeremy Mathai
- Slash Film
Jafar Panahi has been released on bail from Tehran’s Evin Prison, 48 hours after he went on a hunger strike in protest of his unlawful imprisonment.
The filmmaker’s wife Tahereh Saeidi and her lawyers Saleh Nikbakht and Yusef Moulai announced the news in a phone call to independent international cinema reporter Mansour Jahani, and on social media.
“Although I am happy about Mr. Panahi’s release; But it must be said that his release should have taken place three months ago, following the acceptance of our objection to his previous court decision,” Nikbakht said via press statement. “I am surprised by these ‘sledgehammer encounters’ with Mr. Panahi and other artists, writers, intellectuals and journalists and generally protestors of the status quo. As they even neglect to implement the decision of the highest judicial authority.”
Also Read:
Director Jafar Panahi on Hunger Strike Protest of ‘Illegal and Inhumane’ Imprisonment in...
The filmmaker’s wife Tahereh Saeidi and her lawyers Saleh Nikbakht and Yusef Moulai announced the news in a phone call to independent international cinema reporter Mansour Jahani, and on social media.
“Although I am happy about Mr. Panahi’s release; But it must be said that his release should have taken place three months ago, following the acceptance of our objection to his previous court decision,” Nikbakht said via press statement. “I am surprised by these ‘sledgehammer encounters’ with Mr. Panahi and other artists, writers, intellectuals and journalists and generally protestors of the status quo. As they even neglect to implement the decision of the highest judicial authority.”
Also Read:
Director Jafar Panahi on Hunger Strike Protest of ‘Illegal and Inhumane’ Imprisonment in...
- 2/3/2023
- by Harper Lambert
- The Wrap
Acclaimed Iran filmmaker and political dissident Jafar Panahi was released from prison Friday after months behind bars.
News of Panahi’s release, first reported by Iranian independent journalist Mansour Jahani, comes shortly after Panahi, director of The Circle, Taxi and No Bears, announced he had begun a hunger strike to protest his continued incarceration.
Panahi’s imprisonment had drawn the attention of international film festivals and activists, as it shone a light on repression of the national cinema industry and continuing demonstrations around women’s rights in Iran.
The Berlin Film Festival, which gave Panahi’s Taxi drama a Golden Bear prize in 2015, offered relief over the director’s release from prison after expressing concern for other arrested filmmakers in Iran. “We were very concerned for the health of Jafar Panahi and are now very glad that he has finally been released,” Berlinale directors Mariëtte Rissenbeek and Carlo Chatrian said...
News of Panahi’s release, first reported by Iranian independent journalist Mansour Jahani, comes shortly after Panahi, director of The Circle, Taxi and No Bears, announced he had begun a hunger strike to protest his continued incarceration.
Panahi’s imprisonment had drawn the attention of international film festivals and activists, as it shone a light on repression of the national cinema industry and continuing demonstrations around women’s rights in Iran.
The Berlin Film Festival, which gave Panahi’s Taxi drama a Golden Bear prize in 2015, offered relief over the director’s release from prison after expressing concern for other arrested filmmakers in Iran. “We were very concerned for the health of Jafar Panahi and are now very glad that he has finally been released,” Berlinale directors Mariëtte Rissenbeek and Carlo Chatrian said...
- 2/3/2023
- by Scott Roxborough
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
“No Bears” director Jafar Panahi has successfully been released from prison after being detained since July 2022.
Panahi, who recently announced a hunger strike in protest of his incarceration, was detained after inquiring about the arrests of filmmakers Mohammad Rasoulof and Mostafa Al-Ahmad following this social media protest against how the Iranian government responded to a building collapse that killed 40 people.
As previously reported, Panahi’s inquiry reactivated a six-year sentence from 2010 along with a 20-year-long filmmaking and travel ban after Panahi attended a 2009 funeral for a student killed in the Green movement, where Iranian citizens demanded the removal of then-president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Panahi has remained in incarceration since his inquiries in July 2022.
IndieWire can confirm that Panahi’s wife Tahereh Saeidi announced in a phone call to Mansour Jahani, an independent and international cinema reporter, that with the efforts of her lawyers Saleh Nikbakht and Yusef Moulai, Panahi was released from Tehran’s Evin prison.
Panahi, who recently announced a hunger strike in protest of his incarceration, was detained after inquiring about the arrests of filmmakers Mohammad Rasoulof and Mostafa Al-Ahmad following this social media protest against how the Iranian government responded to a building collapse that killed 40 people.
As previously reported, Panahi’s inquiry reactivated a six-year sentence from 2010 along with a 20-year-long filmmaking and travel ban after Panahi attended a 2009 funeral for a student killed in the Green movement, where Iranian citizens demanded the removal of then-president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Panahi has remained in incarceration since his inquiries in July 2022.
IndieWire can confirm that Panahi’s wife Tahereh Saeidi announced in a phone call to Mansour Jahani, an independent and international cinema reporter, that with the efforts of her lawyers Saleh Nikbakht and Yusef Moulai, Panahi was released from Tehran’s Evin prison.
- 2/3/2023
- by Samantha Bergeson
- Indiewire
Dissident Iranian director Jafar Panahi has been released from Tehran’s Evin prison, his wife Tahereh Saeidi has announced in an Instagram post.
The director was released on Friday two days after announcing he was going on a hunger strike to protest still being incarcerated after Iran’s supreme court last October had overturned a six-year sentence issued against the director in 2010 for “propaganda against the system.” That sentence had become obsolete due to the country’s 10-year statute of limitations. But the directors’ wife and lawyers said that Iranian security services were forcing the judiciary to keep him behind bars.
“Although I am happy about Mr. Panahi’s release, it must be said that it should have taken place three months ago,” the director’s lawyer Saleh Nikbakht said in a statement on Friday. He noted that Panahi should have been released on bail last Oct. 18, the day his sentence was overturned.
The director was released on Friday two days after announcing he was going on a hunger strike to protest still being incarcerated after Iran’s supreme court last October had overturned a six-year sentence issued against the director in 2010 for “propaganda against the system.” That sentence had become obsolete due to the country’s 10-year statute of limitations. But the directors’ wife and lawyers said that Iranian security services were forcing the judiciary to keep him behind bars.
“Although I am happy about Mr. Panahi’s release, it must be said that it should have taken place three months ago,” the director’s lawyer Saleh Nikbakht said in a statement on Friday. He noted that Panahi should have been released on bail last Oct. 18, the day his sentence was overturned.
- 2/3/2023
- by Nick Vivarelli
- Variety Film + TV
Jafar Panahi has gone on a hunger strike to protest being still held in Tehran’s Evin prison even though Iran’s supreme court has overturned the conviction that led to the dissident director’s detention.
Panani has issued a statement from prison saying that to protest against the “illegal and inhumane” treatment by the Islamic Republic’s judiciary and security forces and their “hostage-taking” he will stop eating, drinking, and taking his medications until “maybe my lifeless body would be released from this prison.”
The statement announcing Panahi’s decision to go on a hunger strike was posted by Panahi’s wife Tahereh Saeedi and son Panah Panahi on their Instagram accounts.
Panahi, 62, is known globally for prizewinning works such as “The Circle,” “Offside,” “This is Not a Film,” “Taxi,” and most recently “No Bears,” winner of last year’s Venice’s Special Jury Prize. He was arrested last...
Panani has issued a statement from prison saying that to protest against the “illegal and inhumane” treatment by the Islamic Republic’s judiciary and security forces and their “hostage-taking” he will stop eating, drinking, and taking his medications until “maybe my lifeless body would be released from this prison.”
The statement announcing Panahi’s decision to go on a hunger strike was posted by Panahi’s wife Tahereh Saeedi and son Panah Panahi on their Instagram accounts.
Panahi, 62, is known globally for prizewinning works such as “The Circle,” “Offside,” “This is Not a Film,” “Taxi,” and most recently “No Bears,” winner of last year’s Venice’s Special Jury Prize. He was arrested last...
- 2/2/2023
- by Nick Vivarelli
- Variety Film + TV
Iranian director Jafar Panahi, whose film “No Bears,” opened in the U.S. in December, has begun a hunger strike to protest to protest his continued detention at the notoriously harsh Evin Prison in Tehran, Iran, despite an Iranian Supreme Court ruling that overturned his conviction in January.
His wife, Tahereh Saeedi, and son, Panah Panahi, both shared his statement in Instagram posts on Wednesday.
“I firmly declare that in protest against the illegal and inhumane behavior of the judicial and security apparatus and their hostage-taking, I have started a hunger strike since the morning of the 12th of Bahman (February 1),” the statement shared with media outlets read.
“I will refuse to eat and drink any food and medicine until the time of my release. I will remain in this state until perhaps my lifeless body is freed from prison.”
Also Read:
‘No Bears’ Review: Jafar Panahi Continues to Create Powerful Art,...
His wife, Tahereh Saeedi, and son, Panah Panahi, both shared his statement in Instagram posts on Wednesday.
“I firmly declare that in protest against the illegal and inhumane behavior of the judicial and security apparatus and their hostage-taking, I have started a hunger strike since the morning of the 12th of Bahman (February 1),” the statement shared with media outlets read.
“I will refuse to eat and drink any food and medicine until the time of my release. I will remain in this state until perhaps my lifeless body is freed from prison.”
Also Read:
‘No Bears’ Review: Jafar Panahi Continues to Create Powerful Art,...
- 2/2/2023
- by Sharon Knolle
- The Wrap
Jailed Iranian film director Jafar Panahi has begun a hunger strike in Evin prison.
The filmmaker’s wife, Tahereh Saeidi, announced the protest action on her Instagram page. In a statement issued from his prison cell and sent to The Hollywood Reporter by the director’s publicist, who translated the message, Panahi recounted his recent imprisonment by Iran’s judiciary to complete a six-year prison sentence imposed over a decade ago.
Panahi, a former Golden Bear winner whose social-issue films have drawn retribution from the Islamic Republic, recounted joining other Iranian filmmakers July 20 to protest the arrest of two colleagues, only to find himself in Evin prison after being resentenced by a judge.
“This arrest was more like banditry and hostage-taking than the execution of a judicial sentence,” Panahi writes. The defiant director, whose most recent film, No Bears, premiered in Venice, adds he will refuse all food, drink and...
The filmmaker’s wife, Tahereh Saeidi, announced the protest action on her Instagram page. In a statement issued from his prison cell and sent to The Hollywood Reporter by the director’s publicist, who translated the message, Panahi recounted his recent imprisonment by Iran’s judiciary to complete a six-year prison sentence imposed over a decade ago.
Panahi, a former Golden Bear winner whose social-issue films have drawn retribution from the Islamic Republic, recounted joining other Iranian filmmakers July 20 to protest the arrest of two colleagues, only to find himself in Evin prison after being resentenced by a judge.
“This arrest was more like banditry and hostage-taking than the execution of a judicial sentence,” Panahi writes. The defiant director, whose most recent film, No Bears, premiered in Venice, adds he will refuse all food, drink and...
- 2/1/2023
- by Etan Vlessing
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Iranian “No Bears” filmmaker Jafar Panahi has announced a hunger strike to protest his continued incarceration in Iran’s Evin prison, even after the country’s courts voided his sentence last week.
In July of last year, Panahi went to the Evin prison to inquire about the arrests of fellow filmmakers Mohammad Rasoulof and Mostafa Al-Ahmad, who were detained for their social media protest over the government response to a building collapse that killed more than 40 people.
Panahi’s inquiry reactivated a six-year sentence the director was originally handed in 2010 along with a 20-year-long filmmaking and travel ban, and he’s remained in incarceration since his inquiries.
The reactivated sentencing originated from Panahi’s attendance of a 2009 funeral for a student killed in the Green movement, where Iranian citizens demanded the removal of then-president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.
The award-winning director’s films have regularly challenged Iranian systems and traditions, and his most recent film “No Bears,...
In July of last year, Panahi went to the Evin prison to inquire about the arrests of fellow filmmakers Mohammad Rasoulof and Mostafa Al-Ahmad, who were detained for their social media protest over the government response to a building collapse that killed more than 40 people.
Panahi’s inquiry reactivated a six-year sentence the director was originally handed in 2010 along with a 20-year-long filmmaking and travel ban, and he’s remained in incarceration since his inquiries.
The reactivated sentencing originated from Panahi’s attendance of a 2009 funeral for a student killed in the Green movement, where Iranian citizens demanded the removal of then-president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.
The award-winning director’s films have regularly challenged Iranian systems and traditions, and his most recent film “No Bears,...
- 2/1/2023
- by Ryan Lattanzio
- Indiewire
Jafar Panahi continues to sit in an Iranian prison, serving a six-year sentence due to his inquiries about arrests of fellow filmmakers Mohammad Rasoulof and Mostafa Al-Ahmad. The international film community overwhelmingly denounced his imprisonment as unjust, and the director was able to speak to the world through statements as his latest film, “No Bears,” made the rounds during the 2022 fall festival circuit.
With “No Bears” no longer making headlines, updates on Panahi’s imprisonment have become few and far between. But his wife Tahereh Saeedi recently took to her private Instagram account to explain that her lawyers believe his imprisonment is a violation of Iranian law, as the statute of limitations on his charges has expired.
“One year ago, the verdict of 6 years prison of Jafar was 10 years old and we thought Jafar wouldn’t go back to prison,” Saeedi wrote. “According to the same law that he was judged by,...
With “No Bears” no longer making headlines, updates on Panahi’s imprisonment have become few and far between. But his wife Tahereh Saeedi recently took to her private Instagram account to explain that her lawyers believe his imprisonment is a violation of Iranian law, as the statute of limitations on his charges has expired.
“One year ago, the verdict of 6 years prison of Jafar was 10 years old and we thought Jafar wouldn’t go back to prison,” Saeedi wrote. “According to the same law that he was judged by,...
- 1/28/2023
- by Christian Zilko
- Indiewire
A ruling on Jafar Panahi’s release from Tehran’s Evin prison is deemed imminent now that Iran’s supreme court has overturned the conviction that led to the incarceration last year of the auteur who is considered one of Iranian cinema’s greatest living masters.
Panahi’s wife, Tahereh Saeedi, has launched an appeal on Instagram stating that his lawyers have managed to successfully overturn the six-year sentence issued against the director in 2010 for “propaganda against the system.” That sentence has become obsolete due to the country’s 10-year statute of limitations. Panahi’s case has now been sent to an Iranian court of appeals.
“Last week we were informed that Jafar will be out in a week,” Saeedi said in the appeal posted on Instagram this week. However, “a week passed by and Jafar is still not with us,” she went on to lament.
Panahi’s lawyer, Saleh Nikhbakht,...
Panahi’s wife, Tahereh Saeedi, has launched an appeal on Instagram stating that his lawyers have managed to successfully overturn the six-year sentence issued against the director in 2010 for “propaganda against the system.” That sentence has become obsolete due to the country’s 10-year statute of limitations. Panahi’s case has now been sent to an Iranian court of appeals.
“Last week we were informed that Jafar will be out in a week,” Saeedi said in the appeal posted on Instagram this week. However, “a week passed by and Jafar is still not with us,” she went on to lament.
Panahi’s lawyer, Saleh Nikhbakht,...
- 1/28/2023
- by Nick Vivarelli
- Variety Film + TV
Jafar Panahi’s wife Tahereh Saeedi issued a fresh appeal for her imprisoned husband to be released as his period of captivity entered 200 days, in an Instagram post on Thursday.
Her statement follows the news at the weekend that Panahi was possibly on the verge of being released on bail after his lawyer Saleh Nikbakht successfully challenged his detention in the Supreme Court last October.
“Last week, the news came that Jafar will be released within the week. We were happy again and felt better. Today, a week has passed, and Jafar hasn’t come. Exactly 200 days have passed since Jafar was imprisoned. We are disappointed,” she wrote.
Panahi was arrested in early July amid a crackdown on freedom of expression, after going to a prosecutor’s office in Tehran to enquire the about whereabouts of filmmakers Mohammad Rasoulof and Mostafa Al-Ahmad following their detention a few days previously.
It...
Her statement follows the news at the weekend that Panahi was possibly on the verge of being released on bail after his lawyer Saleh Nikbakht successfully challenged his detention in the Supreme Court last October.
“Last week, the news came that Jafar will be released within the week. We were happy again and felt better. Today, a week has passed, and Jafar hasn’t come. Exactly 200 days have passed since Jafar was imprisoned. We are disappointed,” she wrote.
Panahi was arrested in early July amid a crackdown on freedom of expression, after going to a prosecutor’s office in Tehran to enquire the about whereabouts of filmmakers Mohammad Rasoulof and Mostafa Al-Ahmad following their detention a few days previously.
It...
- 1/26/2023
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- Deadline Film + TV
The rules for Academy Award consideration are byzantine and difficult to understand. Oscar eligible films have to be a certain length (a "feature" is anything over 40 minutes), have to have a certain type of theatrical run, and have to be advertised in a certain way, presumably in industry trade papers like Variety. A film can play at a festival and still be eligible for Oscar consideration, but the festival run itself does not qualify as a theatrical release. What counts as an animated film has also become nebulous, as a partially animated film like "Marcel the Shell with Shoes On" was nominated for Best Animated Feature, while an even more animated film like "Avatar: The Way of Water" was not.
The rules for what qualifies as an "International Feature" are even more convoluted. The Academy does not scour the whole Earth looking for great cinema, but accept submissions -- one...
The rules for what qualifies as an "International Feature" are even more convoluted. The Academy does not scour the whole Earth looking for great cinema, but accept submissions -- one...
- 1/24/2023
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
Get in touch to send in cinephile news and discoveries. For daily updates follow us @NotebookMUBI, and sign up for our weekly email newsletter by clicking here.NEWSSpencer Bell, Nobody Knows My Name.Sight & Sound have shared the eclectic results of their annual video essays poll. The top pieces from 2022 "range from exceptional TikTok content (which doesn’t even take the title for brevity—competing against a 30-second montage) to short or feature-length essay films, documentaries, as well as art museum/gallery installations and live performances in academic contexts."The Berlinale has announced their Forum lineup, including world premieres from Claire Simon, Burak Çevik, and more.Recommended VIEWINGA24 have shared a trailer for Ari Aster’s new film Beau is Afraid ahead of an April US release. Joaquin Phoenix will star as the neurotic lead of the surrealist horror comedy from the “ingeniously depraved” mind behind Hereditary (2018) and Midsommar (2019).Third...
- 1/18/2023
- MUBI
Following The Film Stage’s collective top 50 films of 2022, as part of our year-end coverage, our contributors are sharing their personal top 10 lists.
Perhaps I’m getting older and cranker or perhaps it’s just the movies, but if we’re being frank, 2022 will go down as a year where I admired films but not much really blew me away. It wasn’t a particular landmark year for cinema as the industry at all levels, from studios to regional festivals, remains in flux. We’ve heard a lot about “supply chains” being gunked for part of the year and perhaps that’s true as studios and indies pivot and figure out how to navigate the new landscape. Thankfully it looks as if theatrical has regained some ground with several titles slated for streaming now finding their way into movie theaters at least for a limited time. Now, if only Netflix,...
Perhaps I’m getting older and cranker or perhaps it’s just the movies, but if we’re being frank, 2022 will go down as a year where I admired films but not much really blew me away. It wasn’t a particular landmark year for cinema as the industry at all levels, from studios to regional festivals, remains in flux. We’ve heard a lot about “supply chains” being gunked for part of the year and perhaps that’s true as studios and indies pivot and figure out how to navigate the new landscape. Thankfully it looks as if theatrical has regained some ground with several titles slated for streaming now finding their way into movie theaters at least for a limited time. Now, if only Netflix,...
- 1/13/2023
- by John Fink
- The Film Stage
This review originally ran Sept. 9, 2022, in conjunction with the film’s world premiere at the Venice Film Festival.
Capping an already a stellar year, the Venice competition closed on a soaring note following the Friday premiere of “No Bears,” the latest from the masterful Iranian filmmaker Jafar Panahi. The director, of course, was not present; he is currently imprisoned and ordered to serve a six-year sentence.
And if those circumstances would no doubt cast a heavy pall over any film, no matter the subject, the fact that “No Bears” seemingly anticipates that outcome lends the film an additional haunting quality.
So if “No Bears” is a flat-out stunner, that’s not just because of the filmmaker’s current political prisoner status; for one thing, he’s lived with that threat for years. Formally banned from making movies since 2010, Panahi works on the fly, turning his camera on himself in playful...
Capping an already a stellar year, the Venice competition closed on a soaring note following the Friday premiere of “No Bears,” the latest from the masterful Iranian filmmaker Jafar Panahi. The director, of course, was not present; he is currently imprisoned and ordered to serve a six-year sentence.
And if those circumstances would no doubt cast a heavy pall over any film, no matter the subject, the fact that “No Bears” seemingly anticipates that outcome lends the film an additional haunting quality.
So if “No Bears” is a flat-out stunner, that’s not just because of the filmmaker’s current political prisoner status; for one thing, he’s lived with that threat for years. Formally banned from making movies since 2010, Panahi works on the fly, turning his camera on himself in playful...
- 1/12/2023
- by Ben Croll
- The Wrap
There’s the gig economy, and then there’s a homeless day laborer being asked to play Adolf Hitler in a Holocaust drama. Such is the plight of Shakib (Mohsen Tanabandeh) in Houman Seyedi’s “World War III,” Iran’s submission for the international feature Oscar. It wasn’t shortlisted, but probably would have been were the award given to the film with the greatest ability to keep you guessing as to what form its narrative will eventually take. For that premise, as odd and even zany as it may sound, gives approximately zero indication of how genuinely strange, unexpected and upsetting so much of what happens in “World War III” ultimately is.
Shakib has never acted before and doesn’t resemble Hitler in the slightest, but everyone’s journey to stardom is different. Initially hired to help build and guard the film’s sets — including one of a gas chamber,...
Shakib has never acted before and doesn’t resemble Hitler in the slightest, but everyone’s journey to stardom is different. Initially hired to help build and guard the film’s sets — including one of a gas chamber,...
- 1/12/2023
- by Michael Nordine
- Variety Film + TV
Karen Cooper, longtime director of New York City’s indie cinema gem Film Forum, says she’s stepping down at a good time, not just for her, but for the business. Despite all the naysayers and after slogging through Covid with the help of federal grants and weathering a slow recovery, Cooper said business is currently pretty lively at the lower Manhattan nonprofit cinema she’s run for the past 50 years.
She’s leaving her position this summer with Deputy Director Sonya Chung taking the reins July 1.
The Film Forum launched in 1970 on the Upper West Side with a 19,000 annual budget to show American independent films not playing in commercial cinemas. Cooper led it through three expansions, building it into a 6 million business with a range of programming and premieres from around the world. It’s been at its current location on West Houston Street since 1989. She counts New York...
She’s leaving her position this summer with Deputy Director Sonya Chung taking the reins July 1.
The Film Forum launched in 1970 on the Upper West Side with a 19,000 annual budget to show American independent films not playing in commercial cinemas. Cooper led it through three expansions, building it into a 6 million business with a range of programming and premieres from around the world. It’s been at its current location on West Houston Street since 1989. She counts New York...
- 1/10/2023
- by Jill Goldsmith
- Deadline Film + TV
Following The Film Stage’s collective top 50 films of 2022, as part of our year-end coverage, our contributors are sharing their personal top 10 lists.
Tempting though it is to use a year-end roundup as an opportunity to speculate about the future of cinema, the truth is I actually have no idea if it’s in its death throes or not. As with any other year in recent memory, 2022 saw an abundance of both terrific filmmaking and unimaginative slop (with plenty of shades between). I pray that the former ultimately prevails over the latter, especially as said slop becomes even more ubiquitous and less watchable. Until then, I can’t do much besides advocate for what I like.
So here’s what I like. My ten favorite films of 2022, plus five honorable mentions. There are several others I enjoyed that didn’t quite make the cut and others still that I omitted due to ineligibility.
Tempting though it is to use a year-end roundup as an opportunity to speculate about the future of cinema, the truth is I actually have no idea if it’s in its death throes or not. As with any other year in recent memory, 2022 saw an abundance of both terrific filmmaking and unimaginative slop (with plenty of shades between). I pray that the former ultimately prevails over the latter, especially as said slop becomes even more ubiquitous and less watchable. Until then, I can’t do much besides advocate for what I like.
So here’s what I like. My ten favorite films of 2022, plus five honorable mentions. There are several others I enjoyed that didn’t quite make the cut and others still that I omitted due to ineligibility.
- 1/10/2023
- by Cole Kronman
- The Film Stage
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