The filmmaker used his moment onstage not to speak about himself, but to dedicate the awards to independent storytellers who do not have the freedom to show their work. He spoke for creators who make films quietly, without support, often risking their safety.
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Iranian filmmaker Jafar Panahi experienced a night of triumph and turmoil on the same day. While his new film ‘It Was Just An Accident’ was celebrated at the Gotham Awards in New York, news also broke that he had been sentenced in absentia to one year in prison and given a two-year travel ban back home in Iran.
Panahi’s latest film, which won the Cannes Palme d’Or earlier this year, earned three major awards at the Gotham ceremony: Best Director, Best Original Screenplay, and Best International Film.
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The filmmaker used his moment onstage not to speak about himself, but to dedicate the awards to independent storytellers who do not have the freedom to show their work. He spoke for creators who make films quietly, without support, often risking their safety.
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Panahi said he hoped his dedication would serve as a “small tribute to all filmmakers who have been deprived of the right to see and be seen, yet continue to create.”
‘It Was Just An Accident’ is already gaining global attention. The film is France’s official entry for the 2026 Oscar race and has been released in US theatres by the distributor Neon.
Panahi himself has been touring American cities like Los Angeles, Seattle, San Francisco, Chicago, Boston and New York to introduce the film to audiences.
Neon is also producing a short documentary following his journey across the US, which is going to release in early 2026.
For a filmmaker who has often been banned from directing, travelling, or even giving interviews in his home country, this American tour has been a rare moment of openness and connection.
But while Panahi was being applauded in New York, his lawyer, Mustafa Nili, shared troubling news online. The Tehran Islamic Revolutionary Court issued a new sentence against him, accusing him of “propaganda activities against the system.”
Besides the one-year prison term and travel ban, the court also barred him from participating in any political or social groups.
Panahi has faced harsh punishments before. He has spent time in prison and face ban from filmmaking for 20 years, a ban he refused to obey. Many of his movies from the past decade were shot secretly, sometimes even inside his own home, using minimal equipment.
Earlier this fall, Panahi appeared with legendary director Martin Scorsese at the New York Film Festival. It was where ‘It Was Just An Accident’ screened. There, he spoke about how painful it has been to watch so many great Iranian filmmakers flee the country.
He said it broke his heart to think about all the films that could have been made in Iran. But that never happened because their creators had to run for safety. Panahi explained that he chose to stay in Iran despite the risks.
“I don’t have the courage or the ability to leave and stay away. I have stayed there, and I’m going to work there,” he said.
‘It Was Just An Accident’ follows Vahid. He’s a quiet mechanic who bumps into a man he believes may be a cruel prison guard from the past. Uncertain but terrified, he gathers former prisoners who claim they were abused by the same man.
As they drive around Tehran with the suspect in their car, they struggle with a disturbing question. How far should they go to seek the truth or justice?
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