Iranian filmmaker Jafar Panahi sentenced to prison amid growing Oscar buzz for Cannes Palme' d'Or winner
Fresh off his Cannes Palme d’Or win for the film, he is also facing a travel ban and additional penalties tied to accusations of spreading propaganda
Iranian filmmaker Jafar Panahi, whose latest feature It Was Just an Accident has been gaining momentum as a major awards-season frontrunner including the Oscars, has reportedly been given a one-year prison sentence, according to the Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA).
According to a report in People magazine, the organization published a brief update on Monday stating that the 65-year-old director, fresh off his Cannes Palme d’Or win for the film, is also facing a travel ban and additional penalties tied to accusations of spreading propaganda.
"Branch 26 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court has, in absentia, sentenced Mr. Panahi to one year in prison, two years of a travel ban, and a ban on membership in political and social groups, on the charge of propaganda against the regime," Panahi’s lawyer, Mostafa Nili, said in a statement. “We will take the necessary steps to appeal this ruling within the legal deadline,” Mostafa added.
Requests for comment from representatives of It Was Just an Accident and from Iranian authorities are reportedly still pending.
The film has emerged as a prominent contender in the 2026 Oscars race, with predictions placing Mostafa in the running for Best Director and the film in the race for Best Picture. It is also anticipated to compete for Best International Feature, though Iran declined to submit the project. Instead, the film has been put forward by France, one of its co-financing partners. Oscar nominations are scheduled to be announced January 22, ahead of the Academy Awards ceremony on March 15.
Panahi has long been celebrated internationally for films such as The White Balloon, The Circle, and Taxi, even as his work has faced censorship and bans in Iran. He previously spent time in prison beginning in 2009 and has at times been forced to create films under severe restrictions, including remotely. It Was Just an Accident was partially filmed in secret in Iran following his release from a 2023 imprisonment, which concluded after a hunger strike, according to the Associated Press.
Debuting to strong reviews at Cannes in May, the film draws inspiration from stories Panahi heard from fellow inmates and centers on a former prisoner who kidnaps someone he believes was his interrogator — though the character is never certain, having been blindfolded during his detention.
