The news follows intense pressure from Iranian authorities on Rasoulof to withdraw his latest film, 'The Seed of the Sacred Fig,' from the Cannes Film Festival.
The Iranian Independent Filmmakers Association (IIFMA) has condemned the harsh sentences imposed on acclaimed Iranian filmmaker Mohammad Rasoulof. Rasolouf, right before the premiere of his latest film at the 77th Cannes Film Festival, faced an unexpected blow as Iran’s Islamic judiciary system sentenced him to eight years in prison, along with corporal punishment by whipping and confiscation of his property.
Reports of Rasolouf’s sentencing come on the heels of revelations that the director faced pressure from Iranian authorities to withdraw his forthcoming film, The Seed of the Sacred Fig Tree, from the Cannes Film Festival, where it is slated to world premiere in Competition.
Last year, in May, Rasoulof was banned from leaving Iran to serve as a member of the Cannes Film Festival’s Un Certain Regard jury.
This unjust verdict serves as a reminder that authoritarianism often conceals itself behind a facade of power but is fundamentally driven by fear.
Kaveh Farnam, the producer of a couple of Rasoulof’s films and a member of IIFMA, said: “The Islamic regime in Iran, facing failures both domestically and internationally, has attempted to assert its strength through brutal tactics such as the murder and sexual assault of protesting youth, detention of women who defy the mandatory Hijab law, and imposing economic hardships on the Iranians. This is another attempt by them to terrorize Rasoulof and other artists.”
IIFMA, in solidarity with advocates of freedom worldwide, denounces the absurd sentencing of Mohammad Rasoulof. The association stands firm in support of Rasoulof and all artists who courageously resist censorship, thereby challenging the oppressive regime.
