65-year-old cinema genius Panahi received 1 sentence and 3 awards 0 5

The film by Iranian director Jafar Panahi, who was sentenced to a year in prison in Iran, received three awards from the American independent Gotham Awards. "A Simple Accident" won in the categories of "Best International Film," "Best Director," and "Best Original Screenplay." The premiere of the film took place at the Cannes Film Festival in May 2025. The film earned Panahi the "Palme d'Or." "A Simple Accident" is included in the list of nominees for the foreign category of the American Academy Awards "Oscar" from France.

The director was sentenced to a year of imprisonment and a travel ban for "propaganda activities" against the state. This was reported by his lawyer Mostafa Nili. Nili stated that he plans to file an appeal challenging this decision. "Mr. Panahi is currently outside of Iran," he added.

This is not the first sentence for the Iranian director, who has been opposing the Ayatollah regime in his films and statements for many years. In 2010, he received a 20-year ban on leaving the country and working in cinema after supporting anti-government protests. He was sentenced to six years in prison but was released on bail after three months. Despite the ban on filmmaking, Panahi continued to work underground, and just a year after his sentence, his film "This Is Not a Film," which was secretly smuggled out of Iran, was presented at the Cannes Film Festival. In 2013, his film "Closed Curtain" was shown at the Berlinale. In 2015, he smuggled his underground film "Taxi" to the Berlinale, for which he received the highest award. In 2022, Panahi was arrested when he came to inquire about the fate of his detained colleague, director Mohammad Rasoulof. Seven months later, he was released on bail. This year, Panahi was able to personally attend the film festival for the first time in many years, where his film was shown, creating a sensation in Cannes.

Jafar Panahi received the "Palme d'Or" at the Cannes Film Festival in May 2025 for his film "A Simple Accident," in which five former political prisoners kidnap their former jailer and decide whether they can kill him. The film is vying for the American Academy Awards "Oscar" in the category of "Best International Feature Film" from France. According to media estimates, "A Simple Accident" has a good chance of receiving at least a nomination, and possibly the golden statuette. Currently, he is one of the few directors in the world who has been awarded the top prizes at all major A-list international film festivals: the "Golden Bear" at the Berlinale 2015 for the film "Taxi," the "Golden Lion" at the Venice Film Festival 2000 for the film "The Circle," and the "Palme d'Or" 2025 for the film "A Simple Accident."