Iranian Cinema
Jafar Panahi dedicates Gotham screenplay award to at-risk filmmakers
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Iranian director Jafar Panahi won Best Original Screenplay at the 2025 Gotham Awards for his film It Was Just An Accident, dedicating the honor to independent filmmakers worldwide amid his recent sentencing in Iran. The same day, he received a one-year prison sentence in absentia and a two-year travel ban from a Tehran court. The film also secured Best International Feature at the New York City ceremony.
Turkish director Nuri Bilge Ceylan is drawing criticism from Iranian filmmakers for his reported involvement in Iran's state-sponsored Fajr Film Festival. The event, running in Shiraz from November 26 to December 3, has sparked concerns about legitimizing government censorship. The Iranian Independent Filmmakers Association has urged him to withdraw.
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The International Documentary Festival Amsterdam (IDFA) announced its 2025 award winners on November 20, with top honors going to two films by Iranian directors. 'A Fox Under a Pink Moon' by Mehrdad Oskouei won Best Film in the International Competition, while 'Past Future Continuous' by Morteza Ahmadvand and Firouzeh Khosrovani took the Best Film prize in the Envision Competition. Both awards include a €15,000 prize and highlight themes of exile and personal resilience.