Iran continues to be a site of unrest among dissident filmmakers protesting leadership and government under the country’s current president, Ebrahim Raisi. In 2022, Iranian filmmakers such as Jafar Panahi, Mohammad Rasoulof, and Mostafa Al-Ahmad were arrested over their responses to Iran’s censorship of events including a building collapse that killed at least 41, and later the death of Mahsa Amini, killed by Islamic police for allegedly not wearing her hijab.
The only Iranian film to premiere at Cannes 2023, the omnibus satire “Terrestrial Verses” also saw one of its directors, Ali Asgari, banned from leaving his country. You can understand why after you see this probing film about life under the eye of a controlling government.
IndieWire understands the travel ban on Asgari has since been lifted, though freedom of expression remains an issue in Iran for filmmakers querying the status quo. “Terrestrial Verses,” the film Asgari co-directed with Alireza Khatami,...
The only Iranian film to premiere at Cannes 2023, the omnibus satire “Terrestrial Verses” also saw one of its directors, Ali Asgari, banned from leaving his country. You can understand why after you see this probing film about life under the eye of a controlling government.
IndieWire understands the travel ban on Asgari has since been lifted, though freedom of expression remains an issue in Iran for filmmakers querying the status quo. “Terrestrial Verses,” the film Asgari co-directed with Alireza Khatami,...
- 3/28/2024
- by Ryan Lattanzio
- Indiewire
The awards ceremony for the 74th Berlin International Film Festival kicks off Saturday night, where this year’s jury, headed by 12 Years a Slave and Black Panther actress Lupita Nyong’o, will hand out the coveted Gold and Silver Bears.
Maryam Moghaddam and Behtash Sanaeeha’s Iranian drama My Favourite Cake is being given good odds for an award this year. The drama, about a 70-year-old widow and her tentative attempts at romance with an age-appropriate taxi driver, was a critical fave. A win for the film would also send a political message after the Iranian government banned the directors from attending Berlin. If the jury picks out Cake for the Golden Bear it would be the third time in 10 years —following Jafar Panahi’s Taxi (2015) and There Is No Evil (2020) from Mohammad Rasoulof —that Berlin has given its top honor to Iranian directors in absentia. World sales for My...
Maryam Moghaddam and Behtash Sanaeeha’s Iranian drama My Favourite Cake is being given good odds for an award this year. The drama, about a 70-year-old widow and her tentative attempts at romance with an age-appropriate taxi driver, was a critical fave. A win for the film would also send a political message after the Iranian government banned the directors from attending Berlin. If the jury picks out Cake for the Golden Bear it would be the third time in 10 years —following Jafar Panahi’s Taxi (2015) and There Is No Evil (2020) from Mohammad Rasoulof —that Berlin has given its top honor to Iranian directors in absentia. World sales for My...
- 2/23/2024
- by Scott Roxborough
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The Berlin Film Festival has called on Iran to allow directors Maryam Moghaddam and Behtash Sanaeeha to leave the country to attend the world premiere of their new film My Favorite Cake, which has been selected to screen in competition at the 74th Berlinale.
In a statement Thursday, the festival said that they have learned that Moghaddam and Sanaeeha have been banned from traveling, have had their passports confiscated by Iranian authorities, and face a court trial connected to their work as artists and filmmakers.
Maryam Moghaddam and Behtash Sanaeeha on the set of ‘My Favourite Cake’
“The Berlinale is a festival fundamentally committed to freedom of speech, freedom of expression and freedom of the arts, for all people around the world and the festival is shocked and dismayed to learn that Moghaddam and Sanaeeha could be prevented from traveling to the festival to present their film and meet their audience in Berlin,...
In a statement Thursday, the festival said that they have learned that Moghaddam and Sanaeeha have been banned from traveling, have had their passports confiscated by Iranian authorities, and face a court trial connected to their work as artists and filmmakers.
Maryam Moghaddam and Behtash Sanaeeha on the set of ‘My Favourite Cake’
“The Berlinale is a festival fundamentally committed to freedom of speech, freedom of expression and freedom of the arts, for all people around the world and the festival is shocked and dismayed to learn that Moghaddam and Sanaeeha could be prevented from traveling to the festival to present their film and meet their audience in Berlin,...
- 2/1/2024
- by Scott Roxborough
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Totem Films, the Paris-based sales and production company known for arthouse breakouts such as “Compartment No. 6” and “Blackbird Blackbird Blackberry,” has boarded sales on “My Favourite Cake” by Maryam Moghaddam and Behtash Sanaeeha. The Iranian writing-directing duo’s latest feature was just announced in competition at the upcoming Berlinale.
The film stars newcomer Lily Farhadpour as Mahin and renowned Iranian actor Esmail Mehrabi as Faramarz.
Seventy-year-old Mahin lives alone, until she decides to break her solitary routine and revitalize her love life. But as she opens up to romance, an unexpected encounter quickly evolves into an unforgettable evening.
Moghaddam and Sanaeeha said: “’My Favourite Cake’ is based on the reality of the everyday lives of middle-class women in Iran. The realities of women’s lives in Iran have hardly ever been told, yet this is a playful tale about hope and joy in life, as well as the absurdity of death.
The film stars newcomer Lily Farhadpour as Mahin and renowned Iranian actor Esmail Mehrabi as Faramarz.
Seventy-year-old Mahin lives alone, until she decides to break her solitary routine and revitalize her love life. But as she opens up to romance, an unexpected encounter quickly evolves into an unforgettable evening.
Moghaddam and Sanaeeha said: “’My Favourite Cake’ is based on the reality of the everyday lives of middle-class women in Iran. The realities of women’s lives in Iran have hardly ever been told, yet this is a playful tale about hope and joy in life, as well as the absurdity of death.
- 1/24/2024
- by Leo Barraclough
- Variety Film + TV
Following The Film Stage’s collective top 50 films of 2023, as part of our year-end coverage, our contributors are sharing their personal top 10 lists.
In all honesty, the films of 2023 should take a backseat to the images we are seeing every day in Gaza, where journalists and average citizens have been recording and documenting a daily assault on their homes and livelihoods by the Idf. Whatever fakery we watched and enjoyed in the cinema this year should always be kept in perspective in importance with images that are real and actually happening right now. The Palestinians who have documented these important images have been targeted and killed with intent and purpose to silence what their photos and videos are showing and saying.
List of journalists who have been killed.
The below is of lesser note:
Best First Watches:
Angel’s Egg La belle noiseuse Centipede Horror Charley Varrick Coffy Crimson Gold...
In all honesty, the films of 2023 should take a backseat to the images we are seeing every day in Gaza, where journalists and average citizens have been recording and documenting a daily assault on their homes and livelihoods by the Idf. Whatever fakery we watched and enjoyed in the cinema this year should always be kept in perspective in importance with images that are real and actually happening right now. The Palestinians who have documented these important images have been targeted and killed with intent and purpose to silence what their photos and videos are showing and saying.
List of journalists who have been killed.
The below is of lesser note:
Best First Watches:
Angel’s Egg La belle noiseuse Centipede Horror Charley Varrick Coffy Crimson Gold...
- 1/3/2024
- by Soham Gadre
- The Film Stage
by Cláudio Alves
Superstar is my favorite new-to-me film of 2023. What's yours?
As the year draws to a close, it's time for reflection and hopes for the year to come. All over film publications, lists dominate, cataloging the best pictures of 2023, rushing to proclaim their champions before the ball drops. Here, however, let's do another exercise. Looking back at the past twelve months, I like to think about my favorite first-time watches of years gone by, classics and other sorts that were new to me, even if they were well known to everybody else.
I think of Brian De Palma's Body Double, a perverse predilection I discovered on my travails through Erotic Thrillers. Then, there was Labyrinth of Cinema, Nobuhiko Obayashi's swan song, and a wild counterpoint to Nolan's Oppenheimer. While I wrote about those two, I have yet to mention my affection for Jafar Panahi's rebellious...
Superstar is my favorite new-to-me film of 2023. What's yours?
As the year draws to a close, it's time for reflection and hopes for the year to come. All over film publications, lists dominate, cataloging the best pictures of 2023, rushing to proclaim their champions before the ball drops. Here, however, let's do another exercise. Looking back at the past twelve months, I like to think about my favorite first-time watches of years gone by, classics and other sorts that were new to me, even if they were well known to everybody else.
I think of Brian De Palma's Body Double, a perverse predilection I discovered on my travails through Erotic Thrillers. Then, there was Labyrinth of Cinema, Nobuhiko Obayashi's swan song, and a wild counterpoint to Nolan's Oppenheimer. While I wrote about those two, I have yet to mention my affection for Jafar Panahi's rebellious...
- 12/31/2023
- by Cláudio Alves
- FilmExperience
Some 30 film organizations, festivals and professionals as well as freedom of speech NGOs have signed an open letter calling on Iranian authorities to immediately drop all charges against directors Maryam Moghadam and Behtash Sanaeeha as well as lift a travel ban.
The signatories include the Berlinale, the Amsterdam-based International Coalition for Filmmakers at Risk, and Pen America in New York.
The filmmakers, whose last collaboration Ballad Of A White Cow made waves on the festival circuit, have become caught in the crosshairs of their country’s hardline Islamist regime in relation to their upcoming film My Favourite Cake.
The pair were due to fly to Paris in September to complete post-production on the feature, exploring “life behind closed doors of an aging woman who dares to live her desires in a country where women’s rights are heavily restricted.”
Their passports were confiscated at Tehran airport, however, and they were...
The signatories include the Berlinale, the Amsterdam-based International Coalition for Filmmakers at Risk, and Pen America in New York.
The filmmakers, whose last collaboration Ballad Of A White Cow made waves on the festival circuit, have become caught in the crosshairs of their country’s hardline Islamist regime in relation to their upcoming film My Favourite Cake.
The pair were due to fly to Paris in September to complete post-production on the feature, exploring “life behind closed doors of an aging woman who dares to live her desires in a country where women’s rights are heavily restricted.”
Their passports were confiscated at Tehran airport, however, and they were...
- 12/20/2023
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- Deadline Film + TV
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
Iranian directors Behtash Sanaeeha and Maryam Moghadam, whose last collaboration Ballad Of A White Cow made waves on the festival circuit, have been banned from travel and face a trial in relation to their upcoming film My Favourite Cake.
The pair discovered they were subject to a travel ban at Tehran airport at the end of September after their passports were confiscated as they went to catch a flight to Paris to work on post-production of the new film.
They were subsequently told that they faced a trial related to the production.
Local media reported that Iranian security forces had raided the house of the film’s editor, seizing rushes and other materials related to the production.
The country’s hard-line Islamist authorities are believed to have been angered by the work, which according to the official logline, revolves around the “life behind closed doors of an aging woman who...
The pair discovered they were subject to a travel ban at Tehran airport at the end of September after their passports were confiscated as they went to catch a flight to Paris to work on post-production of the new film.
They were subsequently told that they faced a trial related to the production.
Local media reported that Iranian security forces had raided the house of the film’s editor, seizing rushes and other materials related to the production.
The country’s hard-line Islamist authorities are believed to have been angered by the work, which according to the official logline, revolves around the “life behind closed doors of an aging woman who...
- 11/27/2023
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- Deadline Film + TV
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
News of the death of Celluloid Dreams CEO Hengameh Panahi has sparked an outpouring of admiration and tributes from the independent film community.
Panahi, a pivotal figure in the global art house scene, died Nov. 5, aged 67. In her decades in the business — as a producer, co-financier and sales agent — Panahi introduced the world to international auteurs from Iran (Jafar Panahi, Marjane Satrapi), Europe (Jacques Audiard, François Ozon, Gaspar Noé, Marco Bellocchio, Aleksandr Sokurov, the Dardenne brothers) and across Asia (Takeshi Kitano, Naomi Kawase, Jia Zanghke, Hirokazu Kore-eda).
“She took films that were challenging, that were difficult to make, to sell, to promote, and she fought for them,” says Oscar-winning producer Jeremy Thomas (The Last Emperor) who knew and worked with Panahi for more than 30 years. “She was a unique part of the film ecosystem. She was really inspirational, with the films that she enabled to be made, and seen.”
Celluloid Dreams,...
Panahi, a pivotal figure in the global art house scene, died Nov. 5, aged 67. In her decades in the business — as a producer, co-financier and sales agent — Panahi introduced the world to international auteurs from Iran (Jafar Panahi, Marjane Satrapi), Europe (Jacques Audiard, François Ozon, Gaspar Noé, Marco Bellocchio, Aleksandr Sokurov, the Dardenne brothers) and across Asia (Takeshi Kitano, Naomi Kawase, Jia Zanghke, Hirokazu Kore-eda).
“She took films that were challenging, that were difficult to make, to sell, to promote, and she fought for them,” says Oscar-winning producer Jeremy Thomas (The Last Emperor) who knew and worked with Panahi for more than 30 years. “She was a unique part of the film ecosystem. She was really inspirational, with the films that she enabled to be made, and seen.”
Celluloid Dreams,...
- 11/10/2023
- by Scott Roxborough
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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
Panahi founded international sales company Celluloid Dreams in 1993.
Hengameh Panahi, a leading light of the international film sales industry over the past three decades, has died aged 67.
French-Iranian Panahi died on November 5 after a long illness, according to press agent Viviana Andriani, who handled campaigns for several films sold by Panahi.
Iranian-born executive Panahi attended the Jeanne D’Arc French School in Tehran prior to the 1979 revolution. She moved to Belgium aged 12, where she studied journalism, and founded Celluloid Dealers in 1985.
The company was relaunched as Celluloid Dreams upon Panahi’s move to Paris in 1993. Over the following three decades...
Hengameh Panahi, a leading light of the international film sales industry over the past three decades, has died aged 67.
French-Iranian Panahi died on November 5 after a long illness, according to press agent Viviana Andriani, who handled campaigns for several films sold by Panahi.
Iranian-born executive Panahi attended the Jeanne D’Arc French School in Tehran prior to the 1979 revolution. She moved to Belgium aged 12, where she studied journalism, and founded Celluloid Dealers in 1985.
The company was relaunched as Celluloid Dreams upon Panahi’s move to Paris in 1993. Over the following three decades...
- 11/9/2023
- by Ben Dalton
- ScreenDaily
Groundbreaking French-Iranian sales agent and producer Hengameh Panahi, who represented a myriad of renowned Cannes and Venice prize-winning auteur directors, has died at the age of 67.
Paris-based press attaché Viviana Andriani, who handled press campaigns for a number of Panahi’s films, announced the news in a short communiqué.
She said Panahi had died on November 5 after bravely battling a long illness.
Panahi was a force to be reckoned with on the international film industry circuit, who launched dozens of renowned arthouse directors at the beginning of their careers and accompanied them as they won awards and fame.
Born in Iran, Panahi was sent to Belgium to complete her education as teenager.
She got her first big break in the film industry as head of international at Brussels-based animation studio Graphoui.
In an early sign of her flare for scouting promising talent, Panahi connected with John Lasseter and Tim Burton...
Paris-based press attaché Viviana Andriani, who handled press campaigns for a number of Panahi’s films, announced the news in a short communiqué.
She said Panahi had died on November 5 after bravely battling a long illness.
Panahi was a force to be reckoned with on the international film industry circuit, who launched dozens of renowned arthouse directors at the beginning of their careers and accompanied them as they won awards and fame.
Born in Iran, Panahi was sent to Belgium to complete her education as teenager.
She got her first big break in the film industry as head of international at Brussels-based animation studio Graphoui.
In an early sign of her flare for scouting promising talent, Panahi connected with John Lasseter and Tim Burton...
- 11/9/2023
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- Deadline Film + TV
Tree-lined alleys, autumn leaves enveloping the ground beneath, underground gatherings resounding with music and singing, a lone woman protester being pushed by the police. But what remains constant in this collage of Iran, is poetry haunting and evocative. With words, with silence.
Filmmaker Sreemoyee Singh’s documentary ‘And, Towards Happy Alleys’ screened to a full house during the ongoing Dharamshala International Film Festival (Diff), one of India’s finest festivals, goes beyond the young filmmaker’s fascination with Iranian cinema and poet Forugh Farrokhzad, and takes a deep dive into contemporary the Iranian society much divorced from the western gaze at the country.
Created as part of a Ph.D thesis about Iranian new wave cinema, the movie sees the Kolkata-based Singh, who learned Farsi at Tehran University in conversation and singing with master filmmakers like Jafar Panahi and Mohammad Shirvani.
“I am a literature student who fell in love with Iranian poetry,...
Filmmaker Sreemoyee Singh’s documentary ‘And, Towards Happy Alleys’ screened to a full house during the ongoing Dharamshala International Film Festival (Diff), one of India’s finest festivals, goes beyond the young filmmaker’s fascination with Iranian cinema and poet Forugh Farrokhzad, and takes a deep dive into contemporary the Iranian society much divorced from the western gaze at the country.
Created as part of a Ph.D thesis about Iranian new wave cinema, the movie sees the Kolkata-based Singh, who learned Farsi at Tehran University in conversation and singing with master filmmakers like Jafar Panahi and Mohammad Shirvani.
“I am a literature student who fell in love with Iranian poetry,...
- 11/7/2023
- by Agency News Desk
- GlamSham
Tree-lined alleys, autumn leaves enveloping the ground beneath, underground gatherings resounding with music and singing, a lone woman protester being pushed by the police. But what remains constant in this collage of Iran, is poetry haunting and evocative. With words, with silence.
Filmmaker Sreemoyee Singh’s documentary ‘And, Towards Happy Alleys’ screened to a full house during the ongoing Dharamshala International Film Festival (Diff), one of India’s finest festivals, goes beyond the young filmmaker’s fascination with Iranian cinema and poet Forugh Farrokhzad, and takes a deep dive into contemporary the Iranian society much divorced from the western gaze at the country.
Created as part of a Ph.D thesis about Iranian new wave cinema, the movie sees the Kolkata-based Singh, who learned Farsi at Tehran University in conversation and singing with master filmmakers like Jafar Panahi and Mohammad Shirvani.
“I am a literature student who fell in love with Iranian poetry,...
Filmmaker Sreemoyee Singh’s documentary ‘And, Towards Happy Alleys’ screened to a full house during the ongoing Dharamshala International Film Festival (Diff), one of India’s finest festivals, goes beyond the young filmmaker’s fascination with Iranian cinema and poet Forugh Farrokhzad, and takes a deep dive into contemporary the Iranian society much divorced from the western gaze at the country.
Created as part of a Ph.D thesis about Iranian new wave cinema, the movie sees the Kolkata-based Singh, who learned Farsi at Tehran University in conversation and singing with master filmmakers like Jafar Panahi and Mohammad Shirvani.
“I am a literature student who fell in love with Iranian poetry,...
- 11/7/2023
- by Agency News Desk
Documentary director Jeff Kaufman has given an update on the situation for detained award-winning Iranian human rights lawyer Nasrin Sotoudeh following an in-depth call with her husband Reza Khandan.
Kaufman and his casting director and producer wife Marcia Ross became close with Khandan while making their 2020 Olivia Colman-narrated documentary Nasrin.
The immersive work follows Sotoudeh’s battle to defend human rights in the face of abuses by Iran’s hardline Islamic Republic regime.
“This morning we had an in-depth conversation with Nasrin’s indefatigable husband Reza Khandan. He authorized us to release this update,” wrote Kaufman in a note sent out on Monday evening.
Sotoudeh was among a number of women arrested at the funeral on October 29 of tragic Tehran teenager Armita Geravand, who went into a coma and died after allegedly being assaulted by the country’s morality police for not wearing Iran’s obligatory veil.
The detainees...
Kaufman and his casting director and producer wife Marcia Ross became close with Khandan while making their 2020 Olivia Colman-narrated documentary Nasrin.
The immersive work follows Sotoudeh’s battle to defend human rights in the face of abuses by Iran’s hardline Islamic Republic regime.
“This morning we had an in-depth conversation with Nasrin’s indefatigable husband Reza Khandan. He authorized us to release this update,” wrote Kaufman in a note sent out on Monday evening.
Sotoudeh was among a number of women arrested at the funeral on October 29 of tragic Tehran teenager Armita Geravand, who went into a coma and died after allegedly being assaulted by the country’s morality police for not wearing Iran’s obligatory veil.
The detainees...
- 11/6/2023
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- Deadline Film + TV
Explore where to stream the best films of 2023.
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.
Drylongso (Cauleen Smith)
Writer-director Cauleen Smith made Drylongso when she was in college, 25 years ago, premiering at Sundance in 1998. She has gone on to create dozens of short films, art installations, and more experimental work, focused on similar themes of feminism, racial violence, and Black communities. The low-key hangout movie should have been a stepping stone for Smith, but, as with many other works by Black female filmmaking of the last half-century, it fell out of circulation. – Michael F. (full interview)
Where to Stream: The Criterion Channel
Fingernails (Christos Nikou)
Is love quantifiable? No, but that doesn’t stop Greek filmmaker Christos Nikou from exploring that question over two dull, excruciating hours in Fingernails,...
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.
Drylongso (Cauleen Smith)
Writer-director Cauleen Smith made Drylongso when she was in college, 25 years ago, premiering at Sundance in 1998. She has gone on to create dozens of short films, art installations, and more experimental work, focused on similar themes of feminism, racial violence, and Black communities. The low-key hangout movie should have been a stepping stone for Smith, but, as with many other works by Black female filmmaking of the last half-century, it fell out of circulation. – Michael F. (full interview)
Where to Stream: The Criterion Channel
Fingernails (Christos Nikou)
Is love quantifiable? No, but that doesn’t stop Greek filmmaker Christos Nikou from exploring that question over two dull, excruciating hours in Fingernails,...
- 11/3/2023
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
Updated November 2… Fears are growing for the health of detained Iranian human rights lawyer Nasrin Sotoudeh following fresh details of the violent circumstances of her arrest and current physical condition.
Sotoudeh was among several women who were arrested at the funeral in Tehran on Sunday of teenager Armita Geravand, who died after allegedly being assaulted as they arrested her for not wearing Iran’s obligatory veil.
Sotoudeh’s husband, Reza Khandan has revealed that a group of some 50 police and security personnel charged at the mourners gathered at the funeral, beating some and dragging others across gravestones as they were arrested.
Following a subsequent prison visit, Khandan reported that Sotoudeh had said that she was covered in bruises, that the back of her head remained swollen, and that she was experiencing a prolonged headache.
New York-based freedom of expression champion Pen called on the Iranian authorities to transfer Sotoudeh access to hospital withou delay.
Sotoudeh was among several women who were arrested at the funeral in Tehran on Sunday of teenager Armita Geravand, who died after allegedly being assaulted as they arrested her for not wearing Iran’s obligatory veil.
Sotoudeh’s husband, Reza Khandan has revealed that a group of some 50 police and security personnel charged at the mourners gathered at the funeral, beating some and dragging others across gravestones as they were arrested.
Following a subsequent prison visit, Khandan reported that Sotoudeh had said that she was covered in bruises, that the back of her head remained swollen, and that she was experiencing a prolonged headache.
New York-based freedom of expression champion Pen called on the Iranian authorities to transfer Sotoudeh access to hospital withou delay.
- 11/2/2023
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- Deadline Film + TV
Film geeks, rejoice. Leading indie label Kino Lorber is entering the world of streaming. The company has launched Kino Film Collection, a new subscription video service available in the U.S. via’s Amazon’s Prime Video Channels. The Collection will feature new Kino releases fresh from theaters, along with hundreds of films from its expansive library of more than 4,000 titles, many now streaming for the first time. It will cost users $5.99 per month.
Films available at launch include award-winning theatrical releases and critically acclaimed festival favorites and classics from around the globe, such as The Conformist (Bernardo Bertolucci), Dogtooth (Yorgos Lanthimos), Taxi (Jafar Panahi), Poison (Todd Haynes), Ganja & Hess (Bill Gunn), The Scent of Green Papaya (Tran Anh Hung), A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night (Ana Lily Amirpour), Computer Chess (Andrew Bujalski), Portrait of Jason (Shirley Clarke), and A Touch of Sin (Jia Zhangke).
Joining them are entries...
Films available at launch include award-winning theatrical releases and critically acclaimed festival favorites and classics from around the globe, such as The Conformist (Bernardo Bertolucci), Dogtooth (Yorgos Lanthimos), Taxi (Jafar Panahi), Poison (Todd Haynes), Ganja & Hess (Bill Gunn), The Scent of Green Papaya (Tran Anh Hung), A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night (Ana Lily Amirpour), Computer Chess (Andrew Bujalski), Portrait of Jason (Shirley Clarke), and A Touch of Sin (Jia Zhangke).
Joining them are entries...
- 11/2/2023
- by Patrick Brzeski
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Kino Lorber, a leading name in the indie film scene for over 45 years, just launched the Kino Film Collection. This new streaming service is available in the U.S. on Amazon via Prime Video Channels for $5.99 per month. The platform will feature new Kino films fresh from their theatrical release along with hundreds of catalog titles. Many of these films will be available to stream for the first time.
Among the films available will be a new 4K restoration of Bernardo Bertolucci’s “The Conformist” and key titles like Yorgos Lanthimos’ “Dogtooth,” Jafar Panahi’s “Taxi,” Todd Haynes’ “Poison,” and Ana Lily Amirpour’s “A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night.”
Among the older titles available to stream will be classics like Fritz Lang’s “Metropolis,” F.W. Murnau’s “Nosferatu,” Robert Wiene’s “The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari,” and Sergei Eisenstein’s “Battleship Potemkin.” The Kino Film Collection will be...
Among the films available will be a new 4K restoration of Bernardo Bertolucci’s “The Conformist” and key titles like Yorgos Lanthimos’ “Dogtooth,” Jafar Panahi’s “Taxi,” Todd Haynes’ “Poison,” and Ana Lily Amirpour’s “A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night.”
Among the older titles available to stream will be classics like Fritz Lang’s “Metropolis,” F.W. Murnau’s “Nosferatu,” Robert Wiene’s “The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari,” and Sergei Eisenstein’s “Battleship Potemkin.” The Kino Film Collection will be...
- 11/1/2023
- by Scott Mendelson
- The Wrap
Kino Lorber has launched a new subscription streaming outlet, Kino Film Collection.
The $6-a-month destination for recent theatrical releases and hundreds of other films drawn from the company’s vast library will be available in the U.S. on Prime Video Channels.
Kino Lorber also operates Kino Now, a platform for rentals and purchases of arthouse and specialty films. The company has made several streaming moves of late. In 2022, it acquired MHz Choice and installed AMC Networks veteran Ed Carroll and former IFC Films head Lisa Schwartz in key management roles. Schwartz, Kino Lorber’s Chief Revenue Officer, will oversee Kino Film Collection. Last spring, Kino Lorber also formed a joint venture with First Look Media to operate both MHz Choice and First Look’s streaming service Topic.
Films available on Kino Film Collection at launch include new 4K restorations of The Conformist as well as key works by contemporary...
The $6-a-month destination for recent theatrical releases and hundreds of other films drawn from the company’s vast library will be available in the U.S. on Prime Video Channels.
Kino Lorber also operates Kino Now, a platform for rentals and purchases of arthouse and specialty films. The company has made several streaming moves of late. In 2022, it acquired MHz Choice and installed AMC Networks veteran Ed Carroll and former IFC Films head Lisa Schwartz in key management roles. Schwartz, Kino Lorber’s Chief Revenue Officer, will oversee Kino Film Collection. Last spring, Kino Lorber also formed a joint venture with First Look Media to operate both MHz Choice and First Look’s streaming service Topic.
Films available on Kino Film Collection at launch include new 4K restorations of The Conformist as well as key works by contemporary...
- 11/1/2023
- by Dade Hayes
- Deadline Film + TV
Independent film distributor Kino Lorber has officially unveiled streaming service Kino Film Collection, available via Prime Video here.
The Kino Film Collection will be launched in the U.S. on the Amazon Service via Prime Video Channels for $5.99 per month. The Collection will feature new Kino releases fresh from theaters, along with hundreds of films from its expansive library of more than 4,000 titles, with many now streaming for the first time.
New 4K restorations of films like Bernardo Bertolucci’s “The Conformist,” Yorgos Lanthimos’ “Dogtooth,” Jafar Panahi’s “Taxi,” Todd Haynes’ “Poison,” Tran Anh Hung’s “The Scent of Green Papaya,” Ana Lily Amirpour’s “A Girl Walks Home Alone At Night,” and Jia Zhangke’s “A Touch of Sin” are among highlights of the first offerings from Kino Film Collection.
Kino canon films like Fritz Lang’s historic “Metropolis,” F.W. Murnau’s “Nosferatu,” Robert Wiene’s “The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari,...
The Kino Film Collection will be launched in the U.S. on the Amazon Service via Prime Video Channels for $5.99 per month. The Collection will feature new Kino releases fresh from theaters, along with hundreds of films from its expansive library of more than 4,000 titles, with many now streaming for the first time.
New 4K restorations of films like Bernardo Bertolucci’s “The Conformist,” Yorgos Lanthimos’ “Dogtooth,” Jafar Panahi’s “Taxi,” Todd Haynes’ “Poison,” Tran Anh Hung’s “The Scent of Green Papaya,” Ana Lily Amirpour’s “A Girl Walks Home Alone At Night,” and Jia Zhangke’s “A Touch of Sin” are among highlights of the first offerings from Kino Film Collection.
Kino canon films like Fritz Lang’s historic “Metropolis,” F.W. Murnau’s “Nosferatu,” Robert Wiene’s “The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari,...
- 11/1/2023
- by Samantha Bergeson
- Indiewire
Iranian producer Elaheh Nobakht, whose credits include “Dream’s Gate,” the doc depicting an all-female Kurdish militia that launched earlier this year from Berlin, has been banned by Iranian authorities from traveling outside the country.
Nobakht – who is a board member of the Iranian Producers Association (Ipa) and of the Iranian Documentary Producer Association (Aoidp) – was stopped by security guards in early August upon re-entering Iran from a film presentation in Portugal at Tehran’s Imam Khomeini airport. The guards confiscated her passport, laptop and mobile phone, according to a knowledgeable source. No reason has been given for this action.
Due to the travel ban Nobakht has been unable to travel from Iran to Armenia’s Apricot Tree Film Festival, where she had been selected to serve as a member of the jury, and to Spain’s San Sebastian fest. Nobakht, who is a fixture on the international film festival circuit,...
Nobakht – who is a board member of the Iranian Producers Association (Ipa) and of the Iranian Documentary Producer Association (Aoidp) – was stopped by security guards in early August upon re-entering Iran from a film presentation in Portugal at Tehran’s Imam Khomeini airport. The guards confiscated her passport, laptop and mobile phone, according to a knowledgeable source. No reason has been given for this action.
Due to the travel ban Nobakht has been unable to travel from Iran to Armenia’s Apricot Tree Film Festival, where she had been selected to serve as a member of the jury, and to Spain’s San Sebastian fest. Nobakht, who is a fixture on the international film festival circuit,...
- 10/6/2023
- by Nick Vivarelli
- Variety Film + TV
The film is inspired by one of Turkey’s most bloody political massacres, which took place in 1978.
Turkish filmmaker and Berlinale regular Burak Cevik has completed shooting his nextt film Nothing In Its Place, a drama that focuses on one of Turkey’s most bloody political massacres.
Cevik’s The Pillar Of Salt (2018), Belonging (2019) and Forms Of Forgetting (2023) each premiered in the Berlinale Forum.
Inspired by a true story, Nothing In Its Place follows a group of five leftist youths in 1978 who believed in an unarmed socialist revolution. In the middle of the night, two right-wing youths raid their meeting and decide to kill them.
Turkish filmmaker and Berlinale regular Burak Cevik has completed shooting his nextt film Nothing In Its Place, a drama that focuses on one of Turkey’s most bloody political massacres.
Cevik’s The Pillar Of Salt (2018), Belonging (2019) and Forms Of Forgetting (2023) each premiered in the Berlinale Forum.
Inspired by a true story, Nothing In Its Place follows a group of five leftist youths in 1978 who believed in an unarmed socialist revolution. In the middle of the night, two right-wing youths raid their meeting and decide to kill them.
- 9/28/2023
- by Michael Rosser
- ScreenDaily
Naghdipari was detained during street protests marking the anniversary of Mahsa Amini’s death in police custody.
The International Coalition for Filmmakers and at Risk (Icfr) and leading Iranian director Jafar Panahi have demanded the release of Iranian set and costume designer Leila Naghdipari.
Naghdipari was one of hundreds of Iranians detained earlier this month amid street protests in the country marking the anniversary of Mahsa Amini’s death in police custody.
Her credits include Panahi’s Cannes competition film 3 Faces and Abbas Amini’s Valderrama.
The Ifcr and its founding institutions, the International Film Festival Rotterdam, International Documentary...
The International Coalition for Filmmakers and at Risk (Icfr) and leading Iranian director Jafar Panahi have demanded the release of Iranian set and costume designer Leila Naghdipari.
Naghdipari was one of hundreds of Iranians detained earlier this month amid street protests in the country marking the anniversary of Mahsa Amini’s death in police custody.
Her credits include Panahi’s Cannes competition film 3 Faces and Abbas Amini’s Valderrama.
The Ifcr and its founding institutions, the International Film Festival Rotterdam, International Documentary...
- 9/27/2023
- by Tim Dams
- ScreenDaily
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
Executive most recently was VP of production at Impact Partners.
Amplify Pictures has appointed veteran documentary producer and recent VP of production at Impact Partners Lauren Haber to the new role of head of documentary.
Haber is based in New York and reports to Amsterdam-based Rachel Eggebeen, who announced the hire on Wednesday and is Amplify Pictures’ chief content officer overseeing the scripted and unscripted slate, including the eight-time Emmy-nominated HBO docuseries 100 Foot Wave.
In her new role Haber will oversee Amplify’s slate of documentary projects and expand the portfolio through universally appealing commercial projects with an emphasis...
Amplify Pictures has appointed veteran documentary producer and recent VP of production at Impact Partners Lauren Haber to the new role of head of documentary.
Haber is based in New York and reports to Amsterdam-based Rachel Eggebeen, who announced the hire on Wednesday and is Amplify Pictures’ chief content officer overseeing the scripted and unscripted slate, including the eight-time Emmy-nominated HBO docuseries 100 Foot Wave.
In her new role Haber will oversee Amplify’s slate of documentary projects and expand the portfolio through universally appealing commercial projects with an emphasis...
- 9/20/2023
- by Jeremy Kay
- ScreenDaily
Dissident Iranian film professionals are calling on the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to consider an alternative film to represent Iran in 2024 Oscars’ Best International Feature Film category rather than the one submitted this week as the country’s official entry.
Iran’s government-controlled Farabi Cinema Foundation said Tuesday that it had selected Reza Mirkarimi’s The Night Guardian as the country’s submission to the 96th Academy Awards.
The announcement comes just days after the first anniversary of the beginning of the Woman Life Freedom protests, provoked by the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini on September 16, 2022, after her police detention for not wearing her veil correctly.
More than 500 protestors have been killed by Iranian security forces over the past year and thousands have been injured. A number of directors including Jafar Panahi, Mohammad Rasoulof and most recently Saeed Roustayi have wound up in jail in a related...
Iran’s government-controlled Farabi Cinema Foundation said Tuesday that it had selected Reza Mirkarimi’s The Night Guardian as the country’s submission to the 96th Academy Awards.
The announcement comes just days after the first anniversary of the beginning of the Woman Life Freedom protests, provoked by the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini on September 16, 2022, after her police detention for not wearing her veil correctly.
More than 500 protestors have been killed by Iranian security forces over the past year and thousands have been injured. A number of directors including Jafar Panahi, Mohammad Rasoulof and most recently Saeed Roustayi have wound up in jail in a related...
- 9/20/2023
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- Deadline Film + TV
Tatsuya Fuji, Mirai Moriyama star.
Gaga Corporation has acquired international sales rights excluding Japan on Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) Platform entry Great Absence ahead of its European premiere in San Sebastian later this month.
Tatsuya Fuji and dance artist Mirai Moriyama star in the recent TIFF world premiere, which marks director Kei Chika-ura’s second feature after Complicity premiered at 2018 TIFF.
Great Absence is inspired by Chika-ura’s own experiences and centres on Takashi, a man who has been estranged from his father Yohji for 20 years and returns home with his wife after receiving a call from the police...
Gaga Corporation has acquired international sales rights excluding Japan on Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) Platform entry Great Absence ahead of its European premiere in San Sebastian later this month.
Tatsuya Fuji and dance artist Mirai Moriyama star in the recent TIFF world premiere, which marks director Kei Chika-ura’s second feature after Complicity premiered at 2018 TIFF.
Great Absence is inspired by Chika-ura’s own experiences and centres on Takashi, a man who has been estranged from his father Yohji for 20 years and returns home with his wife after receiving a call from the police...
- 9/20/2023
- by Jeremy Kay
- ScreenDaily
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
Venice Film Festival’s red carpet swapped glamour for politics on Saturday, hosting a flash mob in solidarity with the Iranian people, fighting against repression, as well as filmmakers who are being oppressed – and arrested – because of their work.
Such as “Leila’s Brothers” director Saeed Roustaee, recently sentenced to six months in prison for showing the film in Cannes. He has also been banned from making movies.
“Born in 1989, Roustaee represents a new generation of Iranian auteurs, and one who’s sly enough to embed his complex social critiques so deep into the fabric of sprawling modern stories that he hasn’t upset the regime. Not yet, at least,” ominously wrote Variety’s Peter Debruge following its premiere at the French fest.
Roustaee also made “Life and a Day” and thriller “Just 6.5,” which was shown in Venice.
Elham Erfani, Zahra Amir Ebrahimi and guests attend the Flash Mob in Solidarity With Iranian People.
Such as “Leila’s Brothers” director Saeed Roustaee, recently sentenced to six months in prison for showing the film in Cannes. He has also been banned from making movies.
“Born in 1989, Roustaee represents a new generation of Iranian auteurs, and one who’s sly enough to embed his complex social critiques so deep into the fabric of sprawling modern stories that he hasn’t upset the regime. Not yet, at least,” ominously wrote Variety’s Peter Debruge following its premiere at the French fest.
Roustaee also made “Life and a Day” and thriller “Just 6.5,” which was shown in Venice.
Elham Erfani, Zahra Amir Ebrahimi and guests attend the Flash Mob in Solidarity With Iranian People.
- 9/2/2023
- by Marta Balaga
- Variety Film + TV
The upcoming Venice Film Festival has announced it will hold a flash mob on the red carpet in solidarity with the women and men of Iran “who are fighting for their freedom and against the ongoing repression” and also “the filmmakers and artists who have been arrested or imprisoned,” the fest said in a statement on Friday.
Festival organizers specified that the flash mob is partly in reaction to the conviction earlier this month in Iran of director Saeed Roustaee (pictured), who was sentenced to six months in prison for showing his latest film “Leila’s Brothers” at last year’s Cannes Film Festival and banned from making movies. Roustaee had been in the Venice Horizons section in 2019 with the film “Just 6.5.”
Venice also held a red carpet flash mob last year in solidarity with then incarcerated auteur Jafar Panahi.
Directors, artists and other personalities present at the Lido on Sept.
Festival organizers specified that the flash mob is partly in reaction to the conviction earlier this month in Iran of director Saeed Roustaee (pictured), who was sentenced to six months in prison for showing his latest film “Leila’s Brothers” at last year’s Cannes Film Festival and banned from making movies. Roustaee had been in the Venice Horizons section in 2019 with the film “Just 6.5.”
Venice also held a red carpet flash mob last year in solidarity with then incarcerated auteur Jafar Panahi.
Directors, artists and other personalities present at the Lido on Sept.
- 8/25/2023
- by Nick Vivarelli
- Variety Film + TV
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
Updated, 8:47 Am: Following the arrest in Iran of Leila’s Brothers filmmakers Saeed Roustayi and Javad Noruzbegi, who screened their family drama at Cannes last year without government approval, Martin Scorsese has shared a petition on social with hopes to “bring justice” to the duo.
“Please sign and share the petition in my bio seeking justice for Roustayi and Noruzbegi, so they can continue to be a force of good in the world,” said the Killers of the Flower Moon helmer. “Their voices needs to be heard.” Read more about the circumstances surrounding the pair’s arrest below.
View this post on Instagram
A post shared by Martin Scorsese (@martinscorsese_)
Previous, August 16: Saeed Roustayi and Javad Noruzbegi, the director-producer duo behind family drama Leila’s Brothers, will see jail time in Iran after premiering the film at last year’s Cannes Film Festival without government approval, according to local media reports.
“Please sign and share the petition in my bio seeking justice for Roustayi and Noruzbegi, so they can continue to be a force of good in the world,” said the Killers of the Flower Moon helmer. “Their voices needs to be heard.” Read more about the circumstances surrounding the pair’s arrest below.
View this post on Instagram
A post shared by Martin Scorsese (@martinscorsese_)
Previous, August 16: Saeed Roustayi and Javad Noruzbegi, the director-producer duo behind family drama Leila’s Brothers, will see jail time in Iran after premiering the film at last year’s Cannes Film Festival without government approval, according to local media reports.
- 8/17/2023
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
Ever since Abbas Kiarostami’s And Life Goes On premiered back in 1992, movies set in cars have become the modus operandi of some of Iranian cinema’s greatest works.
Kiarostami followed Life with Through the Olive Trees, where driving is also a major part of the narrative, and then made his masterly Palme d’Or winner Taste of Cherry, where the main character is at the wheel for nearly the entire film. Director Jafar Panahi, who was once Kiarostami’s assistant, won Berlin’s Golden Bear in 2015 for Taxi, in which he pretended to be a cab driver in order to scrutinize his country’s dire social situation. In 2021, Panahi’s son, Panah, made his debut with the exuberant and crowd-pleasing Hit the Road, about a family taking one last road trip together toward the Turkish border.
There are reasons for this phenomenon. First off, driving scenes are essentially cinematic,...
Kiarostami followed Life with Through the Olive Trees, where driving is also a major part of the narrative, and then made his masterly Palme d’Or winner Taste of Cherry, where the main character is at the wheel for nearly the entire film. Director Jafar Panahi, who was once Kiarostami’s assistant, won Berlin’s Golden Bear in 2015 for Taxi, in which he pretended to be a cab driver in order to scrutinize his country’s dire social situation. In 2021, Panahi’s son, Panah, made his debut with the exuberant and crowd-pleasing Hit the Road, about a family taking one last road trip together toward the Turkish border.
There are reasons for this phenomenon. First off, driving scenes are essentially cinematic,...
- 8/16/2023
- by Jordan Mintzer
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Iranian director and screenwriter Saeed Roustayi has been sentenced to six months in prison for screening his film Leila’s Brothers at the 2022 Cannes Film Festival without necessary authorization, according to local reports.
The filmmaker — alongside his producer Javad Noruzbegi — were on Tuesday found guilty of “contributing to propaganda of the opposition against the Islamic system” by Tehran’s Islamic Revolutionary Court, as per reports in the Iranian daily Etemad and Radio Free Europe.
The court ruled that the two will serve about nine days in jail, while the remainder of the sentence will be suspended over five years, during which time they have effectively been banned from making films. The requirements say that they “refrain from activities related to the committed crime or using tools effective in it,” “avoid contact and association with individuals active in the film industry” and “attend a filmmaking course at the Qom Sound and Vision Academy.
The filmmaker — alongside his producer Javad Noruzbegi — were on Tuesday found guilty of “contributing to propaganda of the opposition against the Islamic system” by Tehran’s Islamic Revolutionary Court, as per reports in the Iranian daily Etemad and Radio Free Europe.
The court ruled that the two will serve about nine days in jail, while the remainder of the sentence will be suspended over five years, during which time they have effectively been banned from making films. The requirements say that they “refrain from activities related to the committed crime or using tools effective in it,” “avoid contact and association with individuals active in the film industry” and “attend a filmmaking course at the Qom Sound and Vision Academy.
- 8/16/2023
- by Alex Ritman
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The Golden Leopard Winner
In case of emergency call the ambulance, for it might bring you a different type of medical aid in the time of need neatly packed in bags, even if it comes with side-effects. One of such ambulance cars is “tunneling” its way through the opening scene of Ali Ahmadzadeh’s shockingly daring adrenaline- & drug infused Locarno contender “Critical Zone”, one of this year’s strongest international competition titles. A good deal of the film’s narrative is happening in a moving car which is the formative model adopted from some of the finest works of Abbas Kiarostami or Jafar Panahi, but almost everything else in it, visually- and content-wise writes a new chapter in the Iranian cinema.
The making of this movie heavily loaded with taboo-breaking content, and likewise its way to the world premiere was made possible only through the meticulous planning: development of different...
In case of emergency call the ambulance, for it might bring you a different type of medical aid in the time of need neatly packed in bags, even if it comes with side-effects. One of such ambulance cars is “tunneling” its way through the opening scene of Ali Ahmadzadeh’s shockingly daring adrenaline- & drug infused Locarno contender “Critical Zone”, one of this year’s strongest international competition titles. A good deal of the film’s narrative is happening in a moving car which is the formative model adopted from some of the finest works of Abbas Kiarostami or Jafar Panahi, but almost everything else in it, visually- and content-wise writes a new chapter in the Iranian cinema.
The making of this movie heavily loaded with taboo-breaking content, and likewise its way to the world premiere was made possible only through the meticulous planning: development of different...
- 8/12/2023
- by Marina D. Richter
- AsianMoviePulse
Director was prevented from travelling to the festival in person by Iranian authorities.
Iranian director Ali Ahmadzadeh‘s Critical Zone has won the Locarno Film Festival top prize, the Golden Leopard.
The Iranian-German co-production, secretly shot on the streets of Tehran without official permission, follows a man driving through Tehran’s underworld with his dog, dealing drugs, healing troubled souls and discovering seeds of resistance.
Director Ahmadezadeh, who was prevented from travelling to Locarno to present his film in person, had faced pressure from the Iranian authorities ahead of the festival to withdraw his film from the competition and was...
Iranian director Ali Ahmadzadeh‘s Critical Zone has won the Locarno Film Festival top prize, the Golden Leopard.
The Iranian-German co-production, secretly shot on the streets of Tehran without official permission, follows a man driving through Tehran’s underworld with his dog, dealing drugs, healing troubled souls and discovering seeds of resistance.
Director Ahmadezadeh, who was prevented from travelling to Locarno to present his film in person, had faced pressure from the Iranian authorities ahead of the festival to withdraw his film from the competition and was...
- 8/12/2023
- by Martin Blaney
- ScreenDaily
There are a growing number of compelling, young Iranian filmmakers that are reinvigorating and rethinking Iranian cinema. It's exactly what Iranian cinema needs now, and I'm glad they're making such interesting films. They're also films that I'm happy to talk about and recommend, which is vital to their success outside of film festivals. One of the most well known is Panah Panahi, son of Jafar Panahi, who won over everyone with his feature debut Hit the Road (from Cannes 2021). One of the next new filmmakers to make his mark is Behrooz Karamizade, who was born in Iran but moved away with his parents, eventually growing up in Germany. His feature directorial debut is an Iranian love story film called Empty Nets, which premiered at the 2023 Karlovy Vary Film Festival in the Crystal Globe Competition section this summer. It tells a tragic story, as usual for Iran, about how painfully harsh and unrelenting society is there.
- 7/9/2023
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
Cinema in Iran began to blossom in the 1950s and 1960s, kicking off what was to become one of the world's most celebrated national cinemas. What was coined the Iranian New Wave more or less includes films beginning in the 1960s all the way through the early 2010s, which encompasses the bulk of Iranian film history. Filmmaking shifted but did not stop after the 1979 Iranian Revolution, when many artists went into exile and more extreme censorship was imposed. Today, Iranian cinema that reaches the global market has a particular character to it, characterized by directors including Asghar Farhadi and Jafar Panahi, who have received international acclaim for their grounded features depicting the nuances of Iranian society. As such, this list reflects films of this nature.
In chronological order, we examine 6 Iranian films from 6 different Iranian directors that trace the diversity of these movies through the years, examining stories that have...
In chronological order, we examine 6 Iranian films from 6 different Iranian directors that trace the diversity of these movies through the years, examining stories that have...
- 6/18/2023
- by Olivia Popp
- AsianMoviePulse
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
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.
Beau Is Afraid (Joaquin Phoenix)
Ari Aster’s brazenly original three-hour odyssey Beau Is Afraid is, refreshingly, the kind of film where it seems no notes were given––or at least the director had the creative control to reject them. Jumping from some of the most brilliant dark comedy in cinema as of late to a boldly conceived existential journey to an emotionally rife reckoning with mother issues, this Charlie Kaufman-esque journey of the mind packs in quite a lot. Even at its most unwieldy, Aster’s film is continued proof that Joaquin Phoenix––brilliant here, at the center of every scene––is the rare breed of actor seeking new challenges with each performance. – Jordan R.
Where to Stream: VOD
Chevalier...
Beau Is Afraid (Joaquin Phoenix)
Ari Aster’s brazenly original three-hour odyssey Beau Is Afraid is, refreshingly, the kind of film where it seems no notes were given––or at least the director had the creative control to reject them. Jumping from some of the most brilliant dark comedy in cinema as of late to a boldly conceived existential journey to an emotionally rife reckoning with mother issues, this Charlie Kaufman-esque journey of the mind packs in quite a lot. Even at its most unwieldy, Aster’s film is continued proof that Joaquin Phoenix––brilliant here, at the center of every scene––is the rare breed of actor seeking new challenges with each performance. – Jordan R.
Where to Stream: VOD
Chevalier...
- 6/16/2023
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
Independent titles ‘War Pony’, ‘Medusa Deluxe’ also starting in cinemas.
Paramount’s action blockbuster Transformers: Rise Of The Beasts will look to dominate the UK-Ireland box office this weekend, as the seventh film in the successful franchise.
Directed by Steven Caple Jr., Rise Of The Beasts is set during the 1990s, when a new faction of Transformers – cars that can turn into robots and back again – join the Autobots as allies in the battle for Earth.
Rise Of The Beasts is the first Transformers film for four-and-a-half years, since Travis Knight’s Bumblebee in December 2018. Starting in 595 cinemas, the new...
Paramount’s action blockbuster Transformers: Rise Of The Beasts will look to dominate the UK-Ireland box office this weekend, as the seventh film in the successful franchise.
Directed by Steven Caple Jr., Rise Of The Beasts is set during the 1990s, when a new faction of Transformers – cars that can turn into robots and back again – join the Autobots as allies in the battle for Earth.
Rise Of The Beasts is the first Transformers film for four-and-a-half years, since Travis Knight’s Bumblebee in December 2018. Starting in 595 cinemas, the new...
- 6/9/2023
- by Ben Dalton
- ScreenDaily
During the Cannes Film Festival, 20 emerging producers from across Europe took part in European Film Promotion’s promotion and networking platform Producers on the Move. They had been selected by the 37 national film institutes that are members of Efp. Variety invited them to pitch their projects to our readers, which we present below.
Gentian Koçi, Albania
Project: “Cold Sun” (in development)
Director: Gentian Koçi
As he attempts to rebuild his life in his hometown after being freed from jail after serving a 25-year sentence for killing his wife, a man in his fifties falls in love with a woman in her forties and gradually realizes that this love is going to be his true prison.
Julie Esparbes, Belgium
Project: “The Dance of the Foxes”
Director: Valéry Carnoy
A coming-of-age story, about a 17-year-old boxer who, following an accident, will have to reinvent himself in a more sensitive way. Valéry Carnoy...
Gentian Koçi, Albania
Project: “Cold Sun” (in development)
Director: Gentian Koçi
As he attempts to rebuild his life in his hometown after being freed from jail after serving a 25-year sentence for killing his wife, a man in his fifties falls in love with a woman in her forties and gradually realizes that this love is going to be his true prison.
Julie Esparbes, Belgium
Project: “The Dance of the Foxes”
Director: Valéry Carnoy
A coming-of-age story, about a 17-year-old boxer who, following an accident, will have to reinvent himself in a more sensitive way. Valéry Carnoy...
- 5/30/2023
- by Leo Barraclough
- Variety Film + TV
A woman with a lost dog, a small girl performing a TikTok dance in a chador, and a worn-out filmmaker trying to get his movie project off the ground are just three of the characters populating the omnibus of single-take vignettes in writer-directors Alireza Khatami and Ali Asgari’s “Terrestrial Verses.” Combined, these nine stories give off a powerful cumulative effect as we see the petty bureaucracies and paper-pushing quotidian blocks to working-class life unfold and whittle these people down. Cultural, religious, and institutional constraints wear down everyday citizens in Tehran in stories that may lack a beginning, middle, or end but still arrive at a well-drawn if eerie and ambiguous conclusion that would feel dystopic if the events weren’t so ordinary.
The sole Iranian entry in the 2023 Cannes Official Selection, “Terrestrial Verses” opens with a panoramic, widescreen shot of the Tehran cityscape. At first gently and then overwhelmingly,...
The sole Iranian entry in the 2023 Cannes Official Selection, “Terrestrial Verses” opens with a panoramic, widescreen shot of the Tehran cityscape. At first gently and then overwhelmingly,...
- 5/25/2023
- by Ryan Lattanzio
- Indiewire
Leading lights of contemporary Iranian cinema, including “Holy Spider” actor Zar Amir Ebrahimi, “The Siren” director Sepideh Farsi, “The Opponent” helmer Milad Alami and producer Kaveh Farnam, turned up at the Cannes Film Festival to raise the alarm on the repression faced by Iranian cinema during a session hosted by Amazon Prime Video’s Sahar Baghery.
Iran has been the centerstage of widespread protests driven by women against the Islamic regime since Mahsa Amini died in police custody for for wearing her hijab too loosely in September 2022. Although the rebellion has garnered vocal support outside of Iran, it hasn’t succeeded in dethroning the Iranian regime. A number of dissident Iranian filmmakers and talent have been jailed over the last six months, notably Jafar Panahi and Mohammad Rasoulof who was recently released from prison. Rasoulof was nevertheless banned from leaving Iran to serve on the jury of Un Certain Regard at Cannes.
Iran has been the centerstage of widespread protests driven by women against the Islamic regime since Mahsa Amini died in police custody for for wearing her hijab too loosely in September 2022. Although the rebellion has garnered vocal support outside of Iran, it hasn’t succeeded in dethroning the Iranian regime. A number of dissident Iranian filmmakers and talent have been jailed over the last six months, notably Jafar Panahi and Mohammad Rasoulof who was recently released from prison. Rasoulof was nevertheless banned from leaving Iran to serve on the jury of Un Certain Regard at Cannes.
- 5/25/2023
- by Elsa Keslassy
- Variety Film + TV
A daunting task faces the protagonists in Terrestrial Verses (Ayeh haye zamini): Each of them is trying to reason with a government bureaucrat or other self-important authority figure. They’re all residents of Tehran, and there’s something specific to Iran in the oppressive regulations and catch-22s that hinder them, but there’s universal resonance, too, in the escalating lunacy and bleak implications.
In 10 of the feature’s 11 subtly interlocking segments, a single character faces an offscreen interlocutor. The fixed camera holds each one in an unwavering embrace as they try to make sense of arbitrary rules and demands. Inspired by the intricate rhymes of ghazal, a classic form of Persian poetry, writer-directors Ali Asgari and Alireza Khatami have constructed a thoroughly modern work of bracing concision, elegance and blistering deadpan humor, one that pulses with sorrow and outrage over the absurdity of authoritarian dictates that aim to crush souls.
In 10 of the feature’s 11 subtly interlocking segments, a single character faces an offscreen interlocutor. The fixed camera holds each one in an unwavering embrace as they try to make sense of arbitrary rules and demands. Inspired by the intricate rhymes of ghazal, a classic form of Persian poetry, writer-directors Ali Asgari and Alireza Khatami have constructed a thoroughly modern work of bracing concision, elegance and blistering deadpan humor, one that pulses with sorrow and outrage over the absurdity of authoritarian dictates that aim to crush souls.
- 5/23/2023
- by Sheri Linden
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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