Jafar Panahi of Iran Dedicates Gotham Award to Filmmakers Denied the Right to See and Be Seen

On the same day Iranian director Jafar Panahi was sentenced in absentia to one year in prison and a two-year travel ban, he dedicated his Gotham Award for Best Screenplay for It Was Just An Accident to independent filmmakers in Iran and across the globe.

Panahis Cannes Palme dOr-winning film, It Was Just An Accident, received three nominations at the Gotham Awards, with Original Screenplay announced first at the New York City ceremony. Shortly afterward, he also won Best International Feature and received a nomination for Best Director.

The director has been actively promoting the film, which represents France in the 2026 Oscars and was released theatrically in the U.S. in October by Neon. He recently began a tour of major cities including Los Angeles, Seattle, San Francisco, Chicago, Boston, and New York City. Neon is preparing a short film documenting this tour for release in early 2026.

Panahis lawyer, Mustafa Nili, revealed that the Tehran Islamic Revolutionary Court also barred the director from joining political and social organizations, citing propaganda activities against the system.

Although Panahi did not directly address the sentencing, he paid tribute to filmmakers who keep the camera rolling in silence, without support, and at times, by risking everything they have, only with their faith in truth and humanity. He added, I hope that this dedication would be considered a small tribute to all filmmakers who have been deprived of the right to see and to be seen, but continue to create and to exist.

Panahi, who has previously served two prison sentences and faced a 20-year ban on filmmaking, has continued to work secretly, including on his latest film. At the New York Film Festival this fall, where he appeared alongside Martin Scorsese for a screening of It Was Just An Accident, he expressed sorrow for the Iranian directors forced into exile. It was really difficult to bear All the backbones of Iranian filmmaking are out. I really miss all those films that they could have made in Iran and they never did, he said, adding, I dont have the courage and I dont have the ability to leave Iran and stay out of Iran. I have stayed there and Im going to work there.

It Was Just An Accident follows Vahid, an ordinary mechanic, who encounters Eghbal, a man he suspects of being a sadistic prison guard. Driven by doubt, Vahid gathers several former prisoners, all victims of Eghbal, to confirm his identity. As the group navigates Tehran with their captive, they confront how far they are willing to go in seeking justice.

Author: Sophia Brooks