Award Winning Iranian Director Jailed for His Filmmaking

The acclaimed Iranian film-maker Jafar Panahi was sentenced to six years in prison today(12/20/10), and banned from directing and producing films for the next 20 years. Panahi, an outspoken supporter of Iran‘s opposition green movement, was convicted of colluding in gathering and making propaganda against the regime.

“He is therefore sentenced to six years in prison and also he is banned for 20 years from making any films, writing any scripts, travelling abroad and also giving any interviews to the media including foreign and domestic news organisations,” said the Iranian government.

Panahi won the Camera d’Or at the Cannes film festival in 1995 for his debut feature,The White Balloon, and the Golden Lion at Venice for his 2000 drama, The Circle. His other films include Crimson Gold and Offside. He is highly regarded around the world but his films are banned at home in Iran.

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