“Screen Talk: went live at the American Pavilion in Cannes this year and drew a lively crowd. Anne Thompson raved about one of the big-epic Hollywood titles playing out of competition, George Miller’s prequel “Furiosa” (Warner Bros.), starring Anya Taylor-Joy in the title role, which opens May 14, while both Thompson and cohost Ryan Lattanzio panned Kevin Costner’s old-fashioned three-hour Western “Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter One” (Warner Bros.).
They both agree that this vanity project makes mad genius Francis Coppola’s self-funded $120 million “Megalopolis” look brilliant by comparison. Even if the Competition title is “unhinged,” at least he’s treading new ground, unlike Costner, who has spent some $100 million so far for the first two chapters of a planned four (the second part releases August 16). Coppola still awaits a North American buyer.
Both hosts admire Jacques Audiard’s Competition title “Emilia Perez,” a Spanish-language musical shot in Mexico...
They both agree that this vanity project makes mad genius Francis Coppola’s self-funded $120 million “Megalopolis” look brilliant by comparison. Even if the Competition title is “unhinged,” at least he’s treading new ground, unlike Costner, who has spent some $100 million so far for the first two chapters of a planned four (the second part releases August 16). Coppola still awaits a North American buyer.
Both hosts admire Jacques Audiard’s Competition title “Emilia Perez,” a Spanish-language musical shot in Mexico...
- 5/24/2024
- by Ryan Lattanzio and Anne Thompson
- Indiewire
“The Seed of the Sacred Fig,” Mohammad Rasoulof’s latest film that he received an eight-year prison sentence from Iranian authorities for making, earned a rapturous 12-minute standing ovation at its Cannes Film Festival premiere on Friday. Rasoulof risked his life by appearing at the premiere as he fled Iran for Europe on May 13 to avoid going to prison.
There was undeniable applause as the film’s credits began to roll (though it is Variety‘s policy to begin timing the standing ovation once the house lights come up), with Rasoulof getting teary and waving enthusiastically to the balcony. Ali Abbasi, the director of fellow competition title “The Apprentice,” stood next to Rasoulof and encouraged the crowd to keep clapping — not that they needed it, as their cheers just seemed to get louder and louder. There was even a sign in the audience reading “Femme! Vie! Liberté!” (“Woman! Life! Freedom!
There was undeniable applause as the film’s credits began to roll (though it is Variety‘s policy to begin timing the standing ovation once the house lights come up), with Rasoulof getting teary and waving enthusiastically to the balcony. Ali Abbasi, the director of fellow competition title “The Apprentice,” stood next to Rasoulof and encouraged the crowd to keep clapping — not that they needed it, as their cheers just seemed to get louder and louder. There was even a sign in the audience reading “Femme! Vie! Liberté!” (“Woman! Life! Freedom!
- 5/24/2024
- by Ramin Setoodeh and Ellise Shafer
- Variety Film + TV
This afternoon, Iranian filmmaker Mohammad Rasoulof debuted his latest feature, The Seed of the Sacred Fig, in Competition here at the Cannes Film Festival to a nearly 15-minute standing ovation.
The fact that the filmmaker was in attendance is especially poignant after he fled his home country through what he described to Deadline as a “complicated” and “anguishing” journey across Europe to a safe house in Germany. Back in Iran, Rasoulof is wanted by authorities who have sentenced him to eight years in prison alongside a series of physical punishments including flogging for “signing statements and making films and documentaries.”
Rasoulof appealed his sentence, and during the lengthy legal process put together a plan to flee Iran, which he told us all together took 28 days on the road.
Best known for his forceful, politically driven features like Manuscripts Don’t Burn (2013) and A Man Of Integrity (2017), Rasoulof has been in the...
The fact that the filmmaker was in attendance is especially poignant after he fled his home country through what he described to Deadline as a “complicated” and “anguishing” journey across Europe to a safe house in Germany. Back in Iran, Rasoulof is wanted by authorities who have sentenced him to eight years in prison alongside a series of physical punishments including flogging for “signing statements and making films and documentaries.”
Rasoulof appealed his sentence, and during the lengthy legal process put together a plan to flee Iran, which he told us all together took 28 days on the road.
Best known for his forceful, politically driven features like Manuscripts Don’t Burn (2013) and A Man Of Integrity (2017), Rasoulof has been in the...
- 5/24/2024
- by Nancy Tartaglione
- Deadline Film + TV
The exiled director’s story of officialdom’s misogyny and theocracy in his home country may be flawed, but its importance is beyond doubt
Mohammad Rasoulof is a fugitive Iranian director and dissident wanted by the police in his own country, where he has received a long prison sentence and flogging. Now he has come to Cannes with a brazen and startling picture which, though flawed, does justice to the extraordinary and scarcely believable drama of his own situation and the agony of his homeland.
It’s a movie about Iranian officialdom’s misogyny and theocracy, and sets out to intuit and externalise the inner anguish and psychodrama of its dissenting citizens – in a country where women can be judicially bullied and beaten for refusing to wear the hijab.
The Seed of the Sacred Fig begins as a downbeat political and domestic drama in the familiar style of Iranian cinema,...
Mohammad Rasoulof is a fugitive Iranian director and dissident wanted by the police in his own country, where he has received a long prison sentence and flogging. Now he has come to Cannes with a brazen and startling picture which, though flawed, does justice to the extraordinary and scarcely believable drama of his own situation and the agony of his homeland.
It’s a movie about Iranian officialdom’s misogyny and theocracy, and sets out to intuit and externalise the inner anguish and psychodrama of its dissenting citizens – in a country where women can be judicially bullied and beaten for refusing to wear the hijab.
The Seed of the Sacred Fig begins as a downbeat political and domestic drama in the familiar style of Iranian cinema,...
- 5/24/2024
- by Peter Bradshaw
- The Guardian - Film News
For more than two decades, Iman (Misagh Zare) has functioned as a civil servant, doing work that his kids — who represent Iran’s younger generation — would be ashamed of. Better to keep them in the dark. At last, for his loyalty, Iman has been given a promotion, not to judge (the job he wants) but to inspector (a job no one wants). Inspectors are the goons who interrogate students his daughters’ age when they’re arrested for protesting, the ones who sign off on death sentences for alleged dissidents. Iman doesn’t just work for the Iranian regime; he is the regime.
With livid, thinking-man’s thriller “The Seed of the Sacred Fig,” director Mohammad Rasoulof responds to his own imprisonment in 2022 by examining Iranian tensions within the context of a well-placed Tehran family. For most of this slow-boiling, nearly-three-hour movie, the main character is not Iman but his submissive,...
With livid, thinking-man’s thriller “The Seed of the Sacred Fig,” director Mohammad Rasoulof responds to his own imprisonment in 2022 by examining Iranian tensions within the context of a well-placed Tehran family. For most of this slow-boiling, nearly-three-hour movie, the main character is not Iman but his submissive,...
- 5/24/2024
- by Peter Debruge
- Variety Film + TV
Woman, life, freedom. Down with theocracy! The slogans shouted in the bloody streets of Tehran over the past year echo through The Seed of the Sacred Fig, Mohammad Rasoulof’s long, heartfelt story of an Iranian family that starts to tear at the seams when Iman’s two daughters are told what he really does at the office.
“Do you know your father signs hundreds of death warrants every day?” shouts a young man to the girls a week later, when he is recognized in a remote roadside grocery store. By that stage, everyone knows what Iman (Missagh Zare) does at the office; his name and address are posted on the internet by dissidents. Iman seemed like a mild-mannered man when he was first introduced, but now those liberal thugs are coming for him. A man has to act. A man has to protect his family.
Rasoulof has called up...
“Do you know your father signs hundreds of death warrants every day?” shouts a young man to the girls a week later, when he is recognized in a remote roadside grocery store. By that stage, everyone knows what Iman (Missagh Zare) does at the office; his name and address are posted on the internet by dissidents. Iman seemed like a mild-mannered man when he was first introduced, but now those liberal thugs are coming for him. A man has to act. A man has to protect his family.
Rasoulof has called up...
- 5/24/2024
- by Stephanie Bunbury
- Deadline Film + TV
“The Seed of the Sacred Fig” is an anguished cry from the heart of Mohammad Rasoulof, the Iranian filmmaker who just fled his home country for Europe after an eight-year prison sentence from the Islamic Republic. This is not the first brush with theocratic law for the dissident director, who’s been working steadily out of Iran for two decades.
So while Iran will never, ever submit his deeply unsettling latest masterwork for the Best International Feature Oscar — often the only harbinger of anti-establishment Middle Eastern films making their way to the U.S. — this searing domestic thriller deserves the widest audience possible. With the brutal 2022 killing of Mahsa Amini by government hands as his launching point, Rasoulof crafts an extraordinarily gripping allegory about the corrupting costs of power and the suppression of women under a religious patriarchy that crushes the very people it claims to protect.
“Sacred Fig” arose...
So while Iran will never, ever submit his deeply unsettling latest masterwork for the Best International Feature Oscar — often the only harbinger of anti-establishment Middle Eastern films making their way to the U.S. — this searing domestic thriller deserves the widest audience possible. With the brutal 2022 killing of Mahsa Amini by government hands as his launching point, Rasoulof crafts an extraordinarily gripping allegory about the corrupting costs of power and the suppression of women under a religious patriarchy that crushes the very people it claims to protect.
“Sacred Fig” arose...
- 5/24/2024
- by Ryan Lattanzio
- Indiewire
Out of all the major filmmakers to emerge from Iran over the past decades, Mohammad Rasoulof has certainly grown into the most overtly political. His finely crafted dramas, including the superb 2020 Berlin Golden Bear Winner There Is No Evil, make no qualms about tackling his country’s oppressive regime and religious theocracy head-on, pulling few punches in their depictions of a nation under siege.
This clearly explains why the director has been targeted by the Iranian authorities since 2010, when he was first arrested along with Jafar Panahi for shooting a movie in secret. After receiving a six-year prison sentence, he eventually got out on bail — only to be officially banned from leaving the country in 2017. He was arrested again in 2022, spent months in Tehran’s notorious Evin Prison, received an eight-year sentence in 2024 and finally decided to flee the country earlier this month, arriving just in time to premiere his latest film in Cannes.
This clearly explains why the director has been targeted by the Iranian authorities since 2010, when he was first arrested along with Jafar Panahi for shooting a movie in secret. After receiving a six-year prison sentence, he eventually got out on bail — only to be officially banned from leaving the country in 2017. He was arrested again in 2022, spent months in Tehran’s notorious Evin Prison, received an eight-year sentence in 2024 and finally decided to flee the country earlier this month, arriving just in time to premiere his latest film in Cannes.
- 5/24/2024
- by Jordan Mintzer
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
From politics to buzz films, star appearances and deal making, there was – as always – plenty to talk about at this year’s Cannes Film Festivals. Screen gathers together the major discussion points of this year’s festival.
Muted politics
In the build-up to Cannes, there was much talk about how this year’s festival was set to be the most politically charged edition of recent years, amid Israel’s war on Gaza, festival workers threatening strike action and rumours of bombshell #MeToo accusations set to rock the French industry. The result was far more muted, with the #MeToo accusations quickly...
Muted politics
In the build-up to Cannes, there was much talk about how this year’s festival was set to be the most politically charged edition of recent years, amid Israel’s war on Gaza, festival workers threatening strike action and rumours of bombshell #MeToo accusations set to rock the French industry. The result was far more muted, with the #MeToo accusations quickly...
- 5/24/2024
- ScreenDaily
Good afternoon Insiders, Jesse Whittock back again to take you through the week’s news in the entertainment industry, as the Cannes Film Festival nears its close.
What More Cannes I Say?
Stand up for the standouts: After a quiet opening, the Cannes Film Festival received a shot of life as several buzzy titles finally hit the screen. The excitement on the ground began with The Substance, the much-anticipated blood-splattered horror thriller from French director Coralie Fargeat, which was met with a 13-minute ovation, the longest for a title at this year’s festival until Gilles Lellouche’s Beating Hearts (L’Amour Ouf) took that crown last night. Fargeat’s pic, which stars Demi Moore, Margaret Qualley and Dennis Quaid, is a punk rock fable centered around a new product called The Substance that promises to transform people into the best version of themselves. It’s an offer that comes with a twist.
What More Cannes I Say?
Stand up for the standouts: After a quiet opening, the Cannes Film Festival received a shot of life as several buzzy titles finally hit the screen. The excitement on the ground began with The Substance, the much-anticipated blood-splattered horror thriller from French director Coralie Fargeat, which was met with a 13-minute ovation, the longest for a title at this year’s festival until Gilles Lellouche’s Beating Hearts (L’Amour Ouf) took that crown last night. Fargeat’s pic, which stars Demi Moore, Margaret Qualley and Dennis Quaid, is a punk rock fable centered around a new product called The Substance that promises to transform people into the best version of themselves. It’s an offer that comes with a twist.
- 5/24/2024
- by Jesse Whittock
- Deadline Film + TV
Payal Kapadia’s All We Imagine As Light joins Sean Baker’s Anora at the top of Screen’s Cannes jury grid while Gilles Lellouche’s Beating Hearts lands bottom of the pack.
Kapadia’s debut fiction scored 3.3 from the critics including six four stars (excellent), equalling that of Anora. The Indian drama, the first from the country to compete at Cannes in over 30 years, received a further four three stars (good) and two two stars (average).
Click on the image above for the most up-to-date version of the grid.
All We Imagine As Light centres on two nurses with...
Kapadia’s debut fiction scored 3.3 from the critics including six four stars (excellent), equalling that of Anora. The Indian drama, the first from the country to compete at Cannes in over 30 years, received a further four three stars (good) and two two stars (average).
Click on the image above for the most up-to-date version of the grid.
All We Imagine As Light centres on two nurses with...
- 5/24/2024
- ScreenDaily
Mohammad Rasoulof has arrived. The dissident Iranian director is at the Cannes Film Festival to present his new film, The Seed of the Sacred Fig, in competition, just weeks after he dramatically escaped Iran on foot, fleeing an eight-year prison sentence.
Details of the director’s harrowing escape were made public last week after he was safely away, ensconced in an undisclosed location in Germany. He made the decision to leave, to abandon his homeland and walk across the mountainous borderland after the authorities sentenced him to a lengthy prison term.
His sentence also included a fine, the confiscation of property, and a flogging as punishment for bottles of wine the police discovered during a raid on his apartment.
Rasoulof had been arrested and imprisoned in Tehran’s notorious Evin jail in July 2022 for signing a petition calling on security forces to “Lay Down Your Arms” and exercise restraint in response to street protests.
Details of the director’s harrowing escape were made public last week after he was safely away, ensconced in an undisclosed location in Germany. He made the decision to leave, to abandon his homeland and walk across the mountainous borderland after the authorities sentenced him to a lengthy prison term.
His sentence also included a fine, the confiscation of property, and a flogging as punishment for bottles of wine the police discovered during a raid on his apartment.
Rasoulof had been arrested and imprisoned in Tehran’s notorious Evin jail in July 2022 for signing a petition calling on security forces to “Lay Down Your Arms” and exercise restraint in response to street protests.
- 5/24/2024
- by Scott Roxborough
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
After a perilous 28-day journey fleeing Iran and setting foot in Germany, Mohammad Rasoulof has finally made it to Cannes, safe for now and cautiously eager for the premiere of his fourth Cannes feature, “The Seed of the Sacred Fig,” announced by the festival a month ago as a late addition to the Competition.
The last images he takes away from his home — after just having two hours to make the monumental decision whether to be re-incarcerated for a harsh sentence that might still be extended, or to join the constellation of Iranian artists in potentially permanent exile — are the plants and flowers in his apartment, which he worried would have no caretaker. There was also a certain imposing mountain that he can view from his window. It’s there he can see the wall of Evin Prison, where he was last incarcerated in 2022 after speaking out against the government...
The last images he takes away from his home — after just having two hours to make the monumental decision whether to be re-incarcerated for a harsh sentence that might still be extended, or to join the constellation of Iranian artists in potentially permanent exile — are the plants and flowers in his apartment, which he worried would have no caretaker. There was also a certain imposing mountain that he can view from his window. It’s there he can see the wall of Evin Prison, where he was last incarcerated in 2022 after speaking out against the government...
- 5/23/2024
- by Ritesh Mehta
- Indiewire
Dissident Iranian director Mohammad Rasoulof a few days ago absconded from his country with a heavy heart after being sentenced to eight years in prison and flogging by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Court for making his latest film, “The Seed of the Sacred Fig.”
Ironically, the groundbreaking drama is centered on an investigating judge operating within the same judicial system that has been heavily harassing the film’s producers and actors, and that intended to put Rasoulof behind bars.
Having made the tough decision of escaping his beloved homeland, Rasoulof – who is among Iran’s most prominent directors – prepares to attend the film’s world premiere at Cannes on Friday.
Prior to the timely drama’s bow, Rasoulof spoke to Variety about his drive to keep making movies about Iran that speak truth to power — regardless of the consequences — and expressed his firm conviction that the fiercely repressive Iranian regime is on its last legs.
Ironically, the groundbreaking drama is centered on an investigating judge operating within the same judicial system that has been heavily harassing the film’s producers and actors, and that intended to put Rasoulof behind bars.
Having made the tough decision of escaping his beloved homeland, Rasoulof – who is among Iran’s most prominent directors – prepares to attend the film’s world premiere at Cannes on Friday.
Prior to the timely drama’s bow, Rasoulof spoke to Variety about his drive to keep making movies about Iran that speak truth to power — regardless of the consequences — and expressed his firm conviction that the fiercely repressive Iranian regime is on its last legs.
- 5/23/2024
- by Nick Vivarelli
- Variety Film + TV
The 77th edition of the Cannes Film Festival continues on Day 11 with the world premieres of The Seed of the Sacred Fig and The Most Precious of Cargoes.
As the festival comes to a close in anticipation of tomorrow’s awards ceremony, legendary filmmaker George Lucas will be honored with the prestigious Honorary Palme d’Or on the stage of the Grand Théâtre Lumière during the Closing Ceremony on Saturday, May 25.
The Jury, chaired by director Greta Gerwig will be tasked with awarding the Palme d’Or to one of the 22 films in the Competition.
Related: ‘Megalopolis’ Cannes Film Festival Premiere Photos: Francis Ford Coppola, Adam Driver, Shia Labeouf, Aubrey Plaza & More
The jury includes Turkish screenwriter and photographer Ebru Ceylan, American actress Lily Gladstone, French actress Eva Green and Lebanese director and screenwriter Nadine Labaki, as well as Spanish director and screenwriter Juan Antonio Bayona, Italian actor Pierfrancisco Favino,...
As the festival comes to a close in anticipation of tomorrow’s awards ceremony, legendary filmmaker George Lucas will be honored with the prestigious Honorary Palme d’Or on the stage of the Grand Théâtre Lumière during the Closing Ceremony on Saturday, May 25.
The Jury, chaired by director Greta Gerwig will be tasked with awarding the Palme d’Or to one of the 22 films in the Competition.
Related: ‘Megalopolis’ Cannes Film Festival Premiere Photos: Francis Ford Coppola, Adam Driver, Shia Labeouf, Aubrey Plaza & More
The jury includes Turkish screenwriter and photographer Ebru Ceylan, American actress Lily Gladstone, French actress Eva Green and Lebanese director and screenwriter Nadine Labaki, as well as Spanish director and screenwriter Juan Antonio Bayona, Italian actor Pierfrancisco Favino,...
- 5/23/2024
- by Robert Lang
- Deadline Film + TV
On Friday Iranian filmmaker Mohammad Rasoulof will debut his latest feature The Seed of the Sacred Fig in Cannes after fleeing his home country through what he described to Deadline as a “complicated” and “anguishing” journey across Europe to a safe house in Germany.
Rasoulof spoke to us this morning on the ground in Cannes, where he covertly arrived earlier this week. Back in Iran, the filmmaker is wanted by authorities who have sentenced him to eight years in prison alongside a series of physical punishments including flogging for “signing statements and making films and documentaries.”
“I was in the middle of shooting The Seed of the Sacred Fig when I found out that my prison sentence was confirmed. I knew I would be arrested and, of course, it’s very hard to go on working when you have this idea in your mind,” Rasoulof told us.
Rasoulof appealed his...
Rasoulof spoke to us this morning on the ground in Cannes, where he covertly arrived earlier this week. Back in Iran, the filmmaker is wanted by authorities who have sentenced him to eight years in prison alongside a series of physical punishments including flogging for “signing statements and making films and documentaries.”
“I was in the middle of shooting The Seed of the Sacred Fig when I found out that my prison sentence was confirmed. I knew I would be arrested and, of course, it’s very hard to go on working when you have this idea in your mind,” Rasoulof told us.
Rasoulof appealed his...
- 5/23/2024
- by Zac Ntim
- Deadline Film + TV
Dissident filmmaker Mohammad Rasoulof has revealed he had just a two-hour window to decide whether to remain in Iran and face arrest or flee the country to ensure his freedom.
Speaking to Screen from Cannes, where his latest feature The Seed Of The Sacred Fig is set to world premiere in Competition tomorrow (May 24), the Iranian auteur looked relieved to have secured his own safety but was reflective on the society he had left behind and his own future as a filmmaker.
“I was left with no other option,” said Rasoulof, who was sentenced to eight years in prison and...
Speaking to Screen from Cannes, where his latest feature The Seed Of The Sacred Fig is set to world premiere in Competition tomorrow (May 24), the Iranian auteur looked relieved to have secured his own safety but was reflective on the society he had left behind and his own future as a filmmaker.
“I was left with no other option,” said Rasoulof, who was sentenced to eight years in prison and...
- 5/23/2024
- ScreenDaily
The Directors Guild of America is standing in solidarity with Iranian filmmaker Mohammad Rasoulof who had fled authoritarian Iran, and is currently at the Cannes Film Festival with his competition title The Seed of the Sacred Fig.
“The Directors Guild of America strongly supports Director Mohammad Rasoulof in his flight from unjust sentencing and we stand in solidarity with him as he seeks safe harbor. No Director should fear imprisonment, physical punishment, or fines for exercising their right to express themselves artistically,” said DGA President Lesli Linka Glatter.
“It is imperative that filmmakers be allowed to freely pursue their calling without fear of persecution. Creative freedom is crucial to liberty, art, culture and human rights, and we stand together with the world’s film community to protect this fundamental right and support Director Mohammad Rasoulof in his fight for freedom of expression.”
The DGA’s statement comes in the wake...
“The Directors Guild of America strongly supports Director Mohammad Rasoulof in his flight from unjust sentencing and we stand in solidarity with him as he seeks safe harbor. No Director should fear imprisonment, physical punishment, or fines for exercising their right to express themselves artistically,” said DGA President Lesli Linka Glatter.
“It is imperative that filmmakers be allowed to freely pursue their calling without fear of persecution. Creative freedom is crucial to liberty, art, culture and human rights, and we stand together with the world’s film community to protect this fundamental right and support Director Mohammad Rasoulof in his fight for freedom of expression.”
The DGA’s statement comes in the wake...
- 5/22/2024
- by Anthony D'Alessandro
- Deadline Film + TV
Get in touch to send in cinephile news and discoveries. To keep up with our latest features, sign up for the Weekly Edit newsletter and follow us @mubinotebook on Twitter and Instagram.NEWSThe Little Mermaid.A generative AI start-up has been accused of stealing the voices of actors for its subscription service.IATSE expects to schedule additional days of bargaining with AMPTP in June, but has vowed not to extend its contract past July 31.With Incaa defunded by Argentine president Javier Milei, Ventana Sur is in talks to relocate from Buenos Aires to Uruguay for its sixteenth edition.As the Italian film industry continues to wait on a divided government to make production tax credits available, anticipating modest cuts, a new law in the Czech Parliament would more than double the existing cap on their incentives. Meanwhile, industry insiders in Poland urge a newly elected government to increase their rebate...
- 5/22/2024
- MUBI
Mohammad Rasoulof will officially be attending the Cannes premiere of his latest film “The Seed of the Sacred Fig” after fleeing Iran, IndieWire can confirm.
The filmmaker has not been to Cannes in years despite several of his features debuting at the festival and even winning top awards there. None of Rasoulof’s work has ever been screened in his home country of Iran due to government bans — including since his Cannes award-winning film “Goodbye” screened in 2011. Rasoulof was later sentenced to six years in prison and a 20-year ban on filmmaking for alleged anti-government propaganda.
Rasoulof was invited to serve on the 2023 Cannes jury but was unable to attend due to an Iran travel embargo on him. The “There Is No Evil” filmmaker was banned from leaving Iran after being arrested in July 2022 for posting social media statements criticizing government-sanctioned violence against protesters. Rasoulof was temporarily released amid serving...
The filmmaker has not been to Cannes in years despite several of his features debuting at the festival and even winning top awards there. None of Rasoulof’s work has ever been screened in his home country of Iran due to government bans — including since his Cannes award-winning film “Goodbye” screened in 2011. Rasoulof was later sentenced to six years in prison and a 20-year ban on filmmaking for alleged anti-government propaganda.
Rasoulof was invited to serve on the 2023 Cannes jury but was unable to attend due to an Iran travel embargo on him. The “There Is No Evil” filmmaker was banned from leaving Iran after being arrested in July 2022 for posting social media statements criticizing government-sanctioned violence against protesters. Rasoulof was temporarily released amid serving...
- 5/22/2024
- by Samantha Bergeson
- Indiewire
In a surprising announcement, 51-year-old Iranian film director Mohammad Rasoulof will attend the premiere of “The Seed of the Sacred Fig” on Friday. The movie has one of the final competition slots and, unless it is an absolute dud, is a guarantee for one of the top awards considering the political statement it makes. As a direct result of making the movie, Rasoulof was sentenced to eight years in prison, had his property removed, and was due to receive a flogging. He fled the country on foot and is now somewhere in Europe.
Rasoulof, whose previous work includes “Manuscripts Don’t Burn,” “A Man of Integrity,” which won the top prize at Cannes’s Un Certain Regard sidebar, and “There Is No Evil,” which won the Golden Bear at the Berlin Film Festival. All of his films are critical of contemporary Iranian society, with “There Is No Evil,” about capital punishment,...
Rasoulof, whose previous work includes “Manuscripts Don’t Burn,” “A Man of Integrity,” which won the top prize at Cannes’s Un Certain Regard sidebar, and “There Is No Evil,” which won the Golden Bear at the Berlin Film Festival. All of his films are critical of contemporary Iranian society, with “There Is No Evil,” about capital punishment,...
- 5/22/2024
- by Jordan Hoffman
- Gold Derby
Dissident Iranian director Mohammad Rasoulof, who fled Iran last week after being given an 8-year prison sentence, will be in Cannes for the world premiere of his new film, The Seed of the Sacred Fig.
Representatives of Rasoulof confirmed to The Hollywood Reporter that Rasoulof will attend the premiere of The Seed of the Sacred Tree in Cannes on Friday, May 24, and will do press events and promotion for the movie.
The director escaped Iran by ditching all his trackable electronic devices and fleeing by foot over the mountains out of the country. He has found shelter in Germany. In an interview with The Guardian, Rasoulof said he expects he will soon return to his home country and sit out his prison sentence, but that he had “no choice” but to flee the country because he was determined to continue to make movies about his people and the real situation in Iran.
Representatives of Rasoulof confirmed to The Hollywood Reporter that Rasoulof will attend the premiere of The Seed of the Sacred Tree in Cannes on Friday, May 24, and will do press events and promotion for the movie.
The director escaped Iran by ditching all his trackable electronic devices and fleeing by foot over the mountains out of the country. He has found shelter in Germany. In an interview with The Guardian, Rasoulof said he expects he will soon return to his home country and sit out his prison sentence, but that he had “no choice” but to flee the country because he was determined to continue to make movies about his people and the real situation in Iran.
- 5/22/2024
- by Scott Roxborough
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Iranian filmmaker Mohammad Rasoulof is set to attend the Cannes premiere of his latest feature, The Seed Of The Sacred Fig, after receiving an eight-year prison sentence from Iranian authorities and fleeing his home country.
Speculation had been rife that the dissident director would attend the festival when the film receives its world premiere in Competition on Friday (May 24), having found asylum in Germany, but Cannes’ general delegate Thierry Fremaux has now confirmed his attendance.
“We are particularly touched to welcome [Rasoulof] here as a filmmaker,” Fremaux said in a statement to Agence France-Presse (Afp).
Our joy will be that of...
Speculation had been rife that the dissident director would attend the festival when the film receives its world premiere in Competition on Friday (May 24), having found asylum in Germany, but Cannes’ general delegate Thierry Fremaux has now confirmed his attendance.
“We are particularly touched to welcome [Rasoulof] here as a filmmaker,” Fremaux said in a statement to Agence France-Presse (Afp).
Our joy will be that of...
- 5/22/2024
- ScreenDaily
Dissident Iranian director Mohammad Rasoulof will attend Friday’s Cannes screening of his competition movie The Seed of the Sacred Fig.
Rasoulof announced last week that he had left Iran and was staying in what he described as an “undisclosed location in Europe” in a statement shared with the international press.
Rasoulof’s reps confirmed to Deadline that he will attend the screening on Friday.
News of Rasoulof’s journey to Europe came a week after his lawyer confirmed that Iranian authorities had handed the filmmaker an eight-year prison sentence for “signing statements and making films and documentaries.” Days after the sentence was announced, The Seed Of The Sacred Fig was handed a competition spot at Cannes.
The Seed of the Sacred Fig is about an investigating judge in Tehran who grapples with paranoia as nationwide political protests intensify and his gun mysteriously disappears.
Rasoulof has been in the crosshairs...
Rasoulof announced last week that he had left Iran and was staying in what he described as an “undisclosed location in Europe” in a statement shared with the international press.
Rasoulof’s reps confirmed to Deadline that he will attend the screening on Friday.
News of Rasoulof’s journey to Europe came a week after his lawyer confirmed that Iranian authorities had handed the filmmaker an eight-year prison sentence for “signing statements and making films and documentaries.” Days after the sentence was announced, The Seed Of The Sacred Fig was handed a competition spot at Cannes.
The Seed of the Sacred Fig is about an investigating judge in Tehran who grapples with paranoia as nationwide political protests intensify and his gun mysteriously disappears.
Rasoulof has been in the crosshairs...
- 5/22/2024
- by Max Goldbart
- Deadline Film + TV
Dissident Iranian director Mohammad Rasoulof will be attending the Cannes world premiere of his latest work, “The Seed of the Sacred Fig,” having traveled to Europe clandestinely after receiving an eight-year prison sentence from the country’s authorities for making the film.
Rasoulof decided to leave Iran illegally and arrived in Europe a few days ago, shortly after being sentenced to eight years in prison and flogging by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Court. Iranian authorities also pressured the director to pull “The Seed of the Sacred Fig” from the Cannes Film Festival and harassed the film’s producers and actors.
“The Seed of the Sacred Fig” is screening at Cannes in competition on May 24 with Rasoulof in attendance, the film’s publicist confirmed.
“The Seed of the Sacred Fig,” according to the synopsis provided by sales company Films Boutique, centers on Iman — an investigating judge in the Revolutionary Court in...
Rasoulof decided to leave Iran illegally and arrived in Europe a few days ago, shortly after being sentenced to eight years in prison and flogging by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Court. Iranian authorities also pressured the director to pull “The Seed of the Sacred Fig” from the Cannes Film Festival and harassed the film’s producers and actors.
“The Seed of the Sacred Fig” is screening at Cannes in competition on May 24 with Rasoulof in attendance, the film’s publicist confirmed.
“The Seed of the Sacred Fig,” according to the synopsis provided by sales company Films Boutique, centers on Iman — an investigating judge in the Revolutionary Court in...
- 5/22/2024
- by Nick Vivarelli
- Variety Film + TV
International filmmakers are calling for solidarity with Mohammad Rasoulof and persecuted filmmakers in Iran in an open letter, shared with Variety.
Rasoulof – about to screen his latest film “The Seed of the Sacred Fig” in Cannes’ main competition – was sentenced to imprisonment and torture by the Islamic Republic of Iran. He fled the country.
“We condemn the inhumane treatment of Rasoulof and numerous other independent artists in Iran, who are being severely punished, criminalized and silenced for exercising their artistic freedom,” it was stated in the letter, already signed by “Holy Spider” star Zar Amir Ebrahimi, Fatih Akin, Atom Egoyan, Ildiko Enyedi, Andrew Haigh, Agnieszka Holland, Laura Poitras, Sandra Hüller, Sean Baker, Payal Kapadia and Ariane Labed.
“We stand in full solidarity with Rasoulof’s demands and call upon the international film community to raise our voices against an Islamist dictatorship that systematically oppresses every aspect of their society’s lives.
Rasoulof – about to screen his latest film “The Seed of the Sacred Fig” in Cannes’ main competition – was sentenced to imprisonment and torture by the Islamic Republic of Iran. He fled the country.
“We condemn the inhumane treatment of Rasoulof and numerous other independent artists in Iran, who are being severely punished, criminalized and silenced for exercising their artistic freedom,” it was stated in the letter, already signed by “Holy Spider” star Zar Amir Ebrahimi, Fatih Akin, Atom Egoyan, Ildiko Enyedi, Andrew Haigh, Agnieszka Holland, Laura Poitras, Sandra Hüller, Sean Baker, Payal Kapadia and Ariane Labed.
“We stand in full solidarity with Rasoulof’s demands and call upon the international film community to raise our voices against an Islamist dictatorship that systematically oppresses every aspect of their society’s lives.
- 5/22/2024
- by Marta Balaga
- Variety Film + TV
Neon has picked up the North American rights to Sentimental Value, the upcoming film from Norwegian director Joachim Trier that reteams him with Renate Reinsve, star of Trier’s 2021 hit The Worst Person in the World.
Trier and Worst Person in the World co-writer Eskil Vogt penned the screenplay to Sentimental Value, a family drama about two sisters forced to deal with their estranged father after the death of their mother. Sentimental Value is set to begin principal photography in August in Norway and France. Neon is planning a 2025 theatrical release.
Maria Ekerhovd, who made The Hollywood Reporter‘s 2024 list of the 40 most powerful women in international film, is producing Sentimental Value for Mer Film in Norway, alongside Andrea Berentsen Ottmar for Eye Eye Pictures, Lizette Jonjic and Sisse Graum for Zentropa, Juliette Schrameck for Agat Films, Nathanaël Karmitz and Elisha Karmitz for Mk Production and Janine Jackowski and Jonas Dornbach for Komplizen Film.
Trier and Worst Person in the World co-writer Eskil Vogt penned the screenplay to Sentimental Value, a family drama about two sisters forced to deal with their estranged father after the death of their mother. Sentimental Value is set to begin principal photography in August in Norway and France. Neon is planning a 2025 theatrical release.
Maria Ekerhovd, who made The Hollywood Reporter‘s 2024 list of the 40 most powerful women in international film, is producing Sentimental Value for Mer Film in Norway, alongside Andrea Berentsen Ottmar for Eye Eye Pictures, Lizette Jonjic and Sisse Graum for Zentropa, Juliette Schrameck for Agat Films, Nathanaël Karmitz and Elisha Karmitz for Mk Production and Janine Jackowski and Jonas Dornbach for Komplizen Film.
- 5/21/2024
- by Scott Roxborough
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Exclusive: Neon has prebought North American rights to Joachim Trier’s Sentimental Value, the latest project from the Norwegian director that stars Renate Reinsve.
It marks the second collaboration for Neon, Trier and Reinsve after 2021’s The Worst Person In The World, which was nominated for a Best International Feature Oscar in 2022 as well as Best Original Screenplay. That project also played in Competition at the Cannes Film Festival the year prior, where it earned Reinsve the Best Actress Award.
Eskil Vogt and Trier wrote the screenplay of Sentimental Value, which is described as a family drama about two sisters forced to deal with their estranged father following the death of their mother. Neon is planning a 2025 theatrical release for the title.
The film is produced by Maria Ekerhovd for Mer Film, Andrea Berentsen Ottmar for Eye Eye Pictures, Lizette Jonjic and Sisse Graum for Denmark/Sweden’s Zentropa, Juliette Schrameck for Agat Films,...
It marks the second collaboration for Neon, Trier and Reinsve after 2021’s The Worst Person In The World, which was nominated for a Best International Feature Oscar in 2022 as well as Best Original Screenplay. That project also played in Competition at the Cannes Film Festival the year prior, where it earned Reinsve the Best Actress Award.
Eskil Vogt and Trier wrote the screenplay of Sentimental Value, which is described as a family drama about two sisters forced to deal with their estranged father following the death of their mother. Neon is planning a 2025 theatrical release for the title.
The film is produced by Maria Ekerhovd for Mer Film, Andrea Berentsen Ottmar for Eye Eye Pictures, Lizette Jonjic and Sisse Graum for Denmark/Sweden’s Zentropa, Juliette Schrameck for Agat Films,...
- 5/21/2024
- by Diana Lodderhose
- Deadline Film + TV
Amid a generally positive market the familiar gripe of high asking prices has sent a clear message that buyers and sellers are finding it increasingly tough to reconcile their respective financial models.
The tension remains particularly acute on A-list market packages, where independent producers have fought (and paid) to attract and hold on to talent in a post-strike world where hefty offers from studios and streamers, driven by talent agents, have been hard to resist.
The ripple effect has forced sales agents to push up their asks in order to recoup financiers’ investments. Sales estimates set more than a year ago,...
The tension remains particularly acute on A-list market packages, where independent producers have fought (and paid) to attract and hold on to talent in a post-strike world where hefty offers from studios and streamers, driven by talent agents, have been hard to resist.
The ripple effect has forced sales agents to push up their asks in order to recoup financiers’ investments. Sales estimates set more than a year ago,...
- 5/21/2024
- ScreenDaily
Iran’s independent filmmakers are making their presence felt in Cannes, despite the challenges they face at home or in exile abroad.
A key focus is the premiere of Mohammad Rasoulof’s The Seed Of The Sacred Fig which premieres at Cannes on May 24. The dissident filmmaker fled Iran earlier this month after receiving an eight-year prison sentence.
It is understood that some 70 independent Iranian films were submitted to Cannes this year, while the Iranian Independent Filmmakers Association (Iifa) has a stand in the Market.
Also making an impact in Cannes is the Woman Life Freedom Project with billboard posters...
A key focus is the premiere of Mohammad Rasoulof’s The Seed Of The Sacred Fig which premieres at Cannes on May 24. The dissident filmmaker fled Iran earlier this month after receiving an eight-year prison sentence.
It is understood that some 70 independent Iranian films were submitted to Cannes this year, while the Iranian Independent Filmmakers Association (Iifa) has a stand in the Market.
Also making an impact in Cannes is the Woman Life Freedom Project with billboard posters...
- 5/21/2024
- ScreenDaily
German Films celebrated its 70th anniversary at Cannes on Sunday, with its guests looking back but also looking forward.
“It has gotten much better,” Managing Director Simone Baumann told Variety at the event.
“We’ve had Oscar-winning ‘All Quiet on the Western Front,’ Oscar-nominated ‘The Teachers’ Lounge’ [for best international feature], films by Wim Wenders and with Sandra Hüller! Sure, Wim showed a Japanese movie and Sandra a French one [‘Perfect Days’ and ‘Anatomy of a Fall’], but it doesn’t matter: It’s more ‘mixed’ these days and I am proud of it, to be honest.”
At Cannes, 14 German productions and co-productions have been selected this year, including Match Factory’s main competition offerings “Motel Destino” by Karim Aïnouz – who also attended the bash – and Miguel Gomes’ “Grand Tour.” Run Way Pictures is behind Mohammad Rasoulof’s anticipated “The Seed of the Sacred Fig.”
As festivals get “more competitive,” underlines Baumann, international collabs are here to stay.
“It has gotten much better,” Managing Director Simone Baumann told Variety at the event.
“We’ve had Oscar-winning ‘All Quiet on the Western Front,’ Oscar-nominated ‘The Teachers’ Lounge’ [for best international feature], films by Wim Wenders and with Sandra Hüller! Sure, Wim showed a Japanese movie and Sandra a French one [‘Perfect Days’ and ‘Anatomy of a Fall’], but it doesn’t matter: It’s more ‘mixed’ these days and I am proud of it, to be honest.”
At Cannes, 14 German productions and co-productions have been selected this year, including Match Factory’s main competition offerings “Motel Destino” by Karim Aïnouz – who also attended the bash – and Miguel Gomes’ “Grand Tour.” Run Way Pictures is behind Mohammad Rasoulof’s anticipated “The Seed of the Sacred Fig.”
As festivals get “more competitive,” underlines Baumann, international collabs are here to stay.
- 5/20/2024
- by Marta Balaga
- Variety Film + TV
The Cannes Film Festival keeps on chugging, with more acquisitions, more premieres and an honorary Palme d’Or awarded to a studio for the first time.
The Glorious Return of Jacques Audiard
French filmmaker Jacques Audiard is a consistent staple at Cannes. His film “A Prophet” won the Grand Prix in 2010, 2012’s “Rust and Bone” competed for the Palme d’Or and 2015’s “Deephan” won the Palme d’Or. The last time Audiard was at Cannes in 2021, his smaller “Paris, 13th District” competed for the Palme d’Or.
Now he’s back with “Emilia Pérez,” a musical crime comedy about an escaped Mexican cartel leader undergoing gender-affirming surgery that stars Karla Sofía Gascón, Selena Gomez, Zoe Saldaña and Édgar Ramírez. And judging by the response to the film, it sounds like he has a good shot at Cannes’ top prize once again.
The film “landed the loudest, most enthusiastic standing ovation,...
The Glorious Return of Jacques Audiard
French filmmaker Jacques Audiard is a consistent staple at Cannes. His film “A Prophet” won the Grand Prix in 2010, 2012’s “Rust and Bone” competed for the Palme d’Or and 2015’s “Deephan” won the Palme d’Or. The last time Audiard was at Cannes in 2021, his smaller “Paris, 13th District” competed for the Palme d’Or.
Now he’s back with “Emilia Pérez,” a musical crime comedy about an escaped Mexican cartel leader undergoing gender-affirming surgery that stars Karla Sofía Gascón, Selena Gomez, Zoe Saldaña and Édgar Ramírez. And judging by the response to the film, it sounds like he has a good shot at Cannes’ top prize once again.
The film “landed the loudest, most enthusiastic standing ovation,...
- 5/19/2024
- by Drew Taylor
- The Wrap
Mubi has secured a multi-territory deal for Magnus von Horn’s The Girl With The Needle, which premiered in Competition at Cannes earlier this week.
The arthouse distributor, producer and streamer has picked up rights for North America, UK-Ireland, Latin America, Germany, Austria, Italy, Turkey and India. International sales of the film are handled by Mubi-owned The Match Factory, which is working on deals for further territories.
It marks Mubi’s third acquisition of titles competing for this year’s Palme d’Or after picking up worldwide rights to Coralie Fargeat’s body horror The Substance and UK rights to Andrea Arnold’s Bird,...
The arthouse distributor, producer and streamer has picked up rights for North America, UK-Ireland, Latin America, Germany, Austria, Italy, Turkey and India. International sales of the film are handled by Mubi-owned The Match Factory, which is working on deals for further territories.
It marks Mubi’s third acquisition of titles competing for this year’s Palme d’Or after picking up worldwide rights to Coralie Fargeat’s body horror The Substance and UK rights to Andrea Arnold’s Bird,...
- 5/19/2024
- ScreenDaily
Berlin-based sales agency Films Boutique has closed the first international sales for Iranian director Mohammad Rasoulof’s “The Seed of the Sacred Fig,” ahead of its world premiere on Friday in the Competition section of the Cannes Film Festival.
The film has been acquired in Italy by BiM Distribuzione and Lucky Red, Benelux by September Film Distribution, Spain by Bteam Pictures, Greece by Ama Films, Hungary by Cirko Film, Norway by Selmer Media, Portugal by Leopardo Filmes, Taiwan by Hooray Films and Turkey by Bir Film. The rights for France were previously taken by Pyramide and for North America by Neon.
Negotiations are underway for the rights in Germany and Austria, Switzerland, Latin America, the Baltics, Denmark, former Yugoslavia, the Indian subcontinent, Poland and Sweden.
It was revealed on Monday that Rasoulof had left Iran and traveled to Europe clandestinely after being sentenced to eight years in prison by the country’s authorities,...
The film has been acquired in Italy by BiM Distribuzione and Lucky Red, Benelux by September Film Distribution, Spain by Bteam Pictures, Greece by Ama Films, Hungary by Cirko Film, Norway by Selmer Media, Portugal by Leopardo Filmes, Taiwan by Hooray Films and Turkey by Bir Film. The rights for France were previously taken by Pyramide and for North America by Neon.
Negotiations are underway for the rights in Germany and Austria, Switzerland, Latin America, the Baltics, Denmark, former Yugoslavia, the Indian subcontinent, Poland and Sweden.
It was revealed on Monday that Rasoulof had left Iran and traveled to Europe clandestinely after being sentenced to eight years in prison by the country’s authorities,...
- 5/19/2024
- by Leo Barraclough
- Variety Film + TV
Pimienta has come on board as co-producer on Sujo, the Sundance Dramatic World Cinema grand jury prize winner that Paris-based Alpha Violet continues to sell in Cannes.
The Mexican company will add its weight to the film’s profile as it rolls out across that country and Latin America through Cinepolis.
Astrid Rondero and Fernanda Valadez co-directed and co-wrote the coming-of-age drama about the son of a slain cartel hitman who must decide whether to follow in his father’s footsteps or pursue a different path.
Valadez directed and co-wrote with Rondero the Sundance 2020 selection Identifying Features.
UTA Independent Film Group...
The Mexican company will add its weight to the film’s profile as it rolls out across that country and Latin America through Cinepolis.
Astrid Rondero and Fernanda Valadez co-directed and co-wrote the coming-of-age drama about the son of a slain cartel hitman who must decide whether to follow in his father’s footsteps or pursue a different path.
Valadez directed and co-wrote with Rondero the Sundance 2020 selection Identifying Features.
UTA Independent Film Group...
- 5/19/2024
- ScreenDaily
Few filmmakers have ever sacrificed more for their craft than Mohammad Rasoulof, the Iranian director who has faced non-stop legal pressure from his country’s government in recent years over his politically charged films. Rasoulof, who has been arrested and imprisoned on multiple occasions, is bringing his latest film, “The Seed of the Sacred Fig,” to the Main Competition at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival. But weeks before the film — which follows a judge in Tehran navigating political fallout from protests — was set to debut on the Croisette, Rasoulof was sentenced to eight years of imprisonment and a flogging in Iran.
Many interpreted the sentence as an attempt to force Rasoulof to pull his provocative film from Cannes. But the auteur soon fled the authoritarian country and found shelter in Germany with the hope of attending his film’s premiere this week. In a new interview with The Guardian, conducted from an undisclosed location,...
Many interpreted the sentence as an attempt to force Rasoulof to pull his provocative film from Cannes. But the auteur soon fled the authoritarian country and found shelter in Germany with the hope of attending his film’s premiere this week. In a new interview with The Guardian, conducted from an undisclosed location,...
- 5/18/2024
- by Christian Zilko
- Indiewire
The Cannes Market has responded quickly to reports of long lines to access the Palais and brought in measures to alleviate delays.
Organisers have added an extra Fast Track line at the Jetée Albert-Edouard and doubled existing entrance routes at the Main Entrance and Mediterranean Access.
The move comes after market attendees reported long lines and missed meetings during the first four days.
Cannes visitors generally acknowledge that security needs to be tight, but several have voiced their frustrations after lengthy experiences.
Ida Martins of Cologne-based Media Luna said she had “lost a lot of meetings because people cannot come in”. She added,...
Organisers have added an extra Fast Track line at the Jetée Albert-Edouard and doubled existing entrance routes at the Main Entrance and Mediterranean Access.
The move comes after market attendees reported long lines and missed meetings during the first four days.
Cannes visitors generally acknowledge that security needs to be tight, but several have voiced their frustrations after lengthy experiences.
Ida Martins of Cologne-based Media Luna said she had “lost a lot of meetings because people cannot come in”. She added,...
- 5/18/2024
- ScreenDaily
Neon has acquired the North American rights to “The Seed of the Sacred Fig,” directed by Mohammad Rasoulof. The thriller is set to premiere In Competition in Cannes on May 24, and marks Rasoulof’s first return to the Cannes Film Festival, after being barred from traveling. Neon is planning a North American theatrical release later this year.
The film — which stars Setareh Abdolmaleki, Zahra Rostami, Amineh Mazroei Arani and Niousha AkhshiVardoogh — follows Iman, an investigating judge in the Revolutionary Court in Tehran, who grapples with mistrust and paranoia as nationwide political protests intensify and his gun mysteriously disappears. Suspecting the involvement of his wife Najmeh and his daughters Rezvan and Sana, he imposes drastic measures at home, causing tensions to rise.
The deal was negotiated by Neon’s VP of Acquisitions Sarah Colvin with Films Boutique / Parallel 45’s Jean-Christophe Simon and Film Boutique’s Julien Razafindranaly on behalf of the filmmakers.
The film — which stars Setareh Abdolmaleki, Zahra Rostami, Amineh Mazroei Arani and Niousha AkhshiVardoogh — follows Iman, an investigating judge in the Revolutionary Court in Tehran, who grapples with mistrust and paranoia as nationwide political protests intensify and his gun mysteriously disappears. Suspecting the involvement of his wife Najmeh and his daughters Rezvan and Sana, he imposes drastic measures at home, causing tensions to rise.
The deal was negotiated by Neon’s VP of Acquisitions Sarah Colvin with Films Boutique / Parallel 45’s Jean-Christophe Simon and Film Boutique’s Julien Razafindranaly on behalf of the filmmakers.
- 5/18/2024
- by Selena Kuznikov
- Variety Film + TV
Neon has acquired the North American rights to “The Seed of the Sacred Fig,” the newest film from Iranian director Mohammad Rasoulof. The movie will debut at Cannes on May 24.
The company snagged the rights after a competitive bidding war for the movie, which stars Setareh Abdolmaleki, Zahra Rostami, Amineh Mazroei Arani, and Niousha AkhshiVardoogh.
“The Seed of the Sacred Fig” tells the story of Iman, an investigating judge in the Revolutionary Court in Tehran, who struggles with mistrust and paranoia as nationwide political protests intensify and his gun mysteriously disappears. Suspecting the involvement of his wife Najmeh and his daughters Rezvan and Sana, he imposes drastic measures at home, causing tensions to rise. Step by step, social norms and the rules of family life are being suspended.
The movie is produced by Rasoulof, Amin Sadraei, Mani Tilgner, Rozita Hendijanian, Jean-Christophe Simon, and co-produced by Arte France Cinéma with the...
The company snagged the rights after a competitive bidding war for the movie, which stars Setareh Abdolmaleki, Zahra Rostami, Amineh Mazroei Arani, and Niousha AkhshiVardoogh.
“The Seed of the Sacred Fig” tells the story of Iman, an investigating judge in the Revolutionary Court in Tehran, who struggles with mistrust and paranoia as nationwide political protests intensify and his gun mysteriously disappears. Suspecting the involvement of his wife Najmeh and his daughters Rezvan and Sana, he imposes drastic measures at home, causing tensions to rise. Step by step, social norms and the rules of family life are being suspended.
The movie is produced by Rasoulof, Amin Sadraei, Mani Tilgner, Rozita Hendijanian, Jean-Christophe Simon, and co-produced by Arte France Cinéma with the...
- 5/18/2024
- by Stephanie Kaloi
- The Wrap
Neon has grabbed North American rights to The Seed of the Sacred Fig, the latest film from Iranian filmmaker Mohammad Rasoulof.
The thriller is set to debut in competition in Cannes on May 24 and marks Rasoulof’s first return to Cannes after being barred from traveling to serve on last year’s Un Certain Regard jury by Iranian officials. The film stars Setareh Abdolmaleki, Zahra Rostami, Amineh Mazroei Arani, and Niousha AkhshiVardoogh. Neon has said it is planning a North American theatrical release in 2024.
The Seed of the Sacred Fig follows Iman, an investigating judge in the Revolutionary Court in Tehran, who grapples with mistrust and paranoia as nationwide political protests intensify and his gun mysteriously disappears. Suspecting the involvement of his wife Najmeh and his daughters Rezvan and Sana, he imposes drastic measures at home, causing tensions to rise. Step by step,...
The thriller is set to debut in competition in Cannes on May 24 and marks Rasoulof’s first return to Cannes after being barred from traveling to serve on last year’s Un Certain Regard jury by Iranian officials. The film stars Setareh Abdolmaleki, Zahra Rostami, Amineh Mazroei Arani, and Niousha AkhshiVardoogh. Neon has said it is planning a North American theatrical release in 2024.
The Seed of the Sacred Fig follows Iman, an investigating judge in the Revolutionary Court in Tehran, who grapples with mistrust and paranoia as nationwide political protests intensify and his gun mysteriously disappears. Suspecting the involvement of his wife Najmeh and his daughters Rezvan and Sana, he imposes drastic measures at home, causing tensions to rise. Step by step,...
- 5/18/2024
- by Zac Ntim
- Deadline Film + TV
Neon has secured North American rights from Films Boutique to Mohammad Rasoulof’s The Seed Of The Sacred Fig, ahead of its world premiere in Competition at Cannes on May 24.
Neon is planning a North American theatrical release in 2024.
The story centres on an investigating judge in Tehran’s Revolutionary Court, who grapples mistrust and paranoia as nationwide political protests intensify, leading to suspicion of his own family. The cast includes Setareh Abdolmaleki, Zahra Rostami, Amineh Mazroei Arani and Niousha Akhshi Vardoogh.
Production companies are Germany’s Run Way Pictures and France’s Parallel45. Films Boutique is handling worldwide sales rights to the film,...
Neon is planning a North American theatrical release in 2024.
The story centres on an investigating judge in Tehran’s Revolutionary Court, who grapples mistrust and paranoia as nationwide political protests intensify, leading to suspicion of his own family. The cast includes Setareh Abdolmaleki, Zahra Rostami, Amineh Mazroei Arani and Niousha Akhshi Vardoogh.
Production companies are Germany’s Run Way Pictures and France’s Parallel45. Films Boutique is handling worldwide sales rights to the film,...
- 5/18/2024
- ScreenDaily
Exclusive: The director of The Seed of the Sacred Fig details how he discarded electronic devices and fled over the mountains on foot after authorities sentenced him to eight years in prison and flogging
Iranian director Mohammad Rasoulof escaped imminent imprisonment in Iran by discarding all trackable electronic devices and walking across a mountainous borderland on foot, the film-maker has told the Guardian in an exclusive interview.
But even though he has found shelter in Germany and is optimistic about attending next week’s Cannes premiere of the film that nearly saw him jailed for eight years, Rasoulof said he still expects to return to his home country “quite soon” and sit out his sentence.
Iranian director Mohammad Rasoulof escaped imminent imprisonment in Iran by discarding all trackable electronic devices and walking across a mountainous borderland on foot, the film-maker has told the Guardian in an exclusive interview.
But even though he has found shelter in Germany and is optimistic about attending next week’s Cannes premiere of the film that nearly saw him jailed for eight years, Rasoulof said he still expects to return to his home country “quite soon” and sit out his sentence.
- 5/17/2024
- by Philip Oltermann in Cannes
- The Guardian - Film News
Get in touch to send in cinephile news and discoveries. To keep up with our latest features, sign up for the Weekly Edit newsletter and follow us @mubinotebook on Twitter and Instagram.NEWSThere Is No Evil.Facing eight years in prison, Mohammad Rasoulof has fled Iran for Europe and may even be in Cannes next week for the premiere of The Seed of the Sacred Fig. In a statement, he concludes, “Many people helped to make this film. My thoughts are with all of them, and I fear for their safety and well-being.”The US 10th Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled against Netflix in a case determining whether a video excerpted for Tiger King (2020–21) constituted fair use. The ruling may have far-reaching implications for documentary makers.Cannesa rumored list of ten alleged abusers in the film industry has not yet materialized, but Cannes reportedly has a crisis management team...
- 5/15/2024
- MUBI
The 2024 Cannes Film Festival may be lighter on glitz and glamour than in years past, but that means arthouse and international fare from emerging and established filmmakers will get a chance to shine. Still, at least two American auteurs, Francis Ford Coppola (“Megalopolis”) and Paul Schrader, have films in the main competition for the first time in decades. David Cronenberg (“The Shrouds”) and Yorgos Lanthimos (“Kinds of Kindness”) are also back at the festival, with both making personal stories in their own way: Cronenberg, here, reckons with grief over the death of his wife seven years ago, while Lanthimos appears to retreat back into “Dogtooth” territory in a film that’s almost a rebuke of the global success he’s acquired with “Poor Things” and “The Favourite.”
Sean Baker, Andrea Arnold, Ali Abbasi, Jia Zhangke, Karim Aïnouz, and Paolo Sorrentino are also back at Cannes this year with new films in the competition.
Sean Baker, Andrea Arnold, Ali Abbasi, Jia Zhangke, Karim Aïnouz, and Paolo Sorrentino are also back at Cannes this year with new films in the competition.
- 5/14/2024
- by Ryan Lattanzio, David Ehrlich and Kate Erbland
- Indiewire
by Cláudio Alves
The Seed Of The Sacred Fig (2024)
Last Friday, among a torrent of festival-related news, the fate of Mohammad Rasoulof was a topic of discussion. The Iranian filmmaker has found himself in trouble with his country's law for many years now, primarily because of political outspokenness and a cinematic output that dares to question the status quo. His latest work, The Seed of the Sacred Fig, is scheduled for a Cannes premiere next week, as part of the Main Competition. Though details are scant, it's been reported as the story of a paranoid judge of the Revolutionary Court. When, in a setting of civic unrest, his gun vanishes, the man imposes oppressive rules on his family, turning the domestic space into a tyranny, his wife and daughters into quasi-prisoners…...
The Seed Of The Sacred Fig (2024)
Last Friday, among a torrent of festival-related news, the fate of Mohammad Rasoulof was a topic of discussion. The Iranian filmmaker has found himself in trouble with his country's law for many years now, primarily because of political outspokenness and a cinematic output that dares to question the status quo. His latest work, The Seed of the Sacred Fig, is scheduled for a Cannes premiere next week, as part of the Main Competition. Though details are scant, it's been reported as the story of a paranoid judge of the Revolutionary Court. When, in a setting of civic unrest, his gun vanishes, the man imposes oppressive rules on his family, turning the domestic space into a tyranny, his wife and daughters into quasi-prisoners…...
- 5/13/2024
- by Cláudio Alves
- FilmExperience
Mohammad Rasoulof Photo: Courtesy of Cannes Film Festival
Iranian film director Mohammad Rasoulof has confirmed that he has escaped from Iran and is currently in an undisclosed location in Europe.
The news comes just days after the There Is No Evil director was sentenced to eight years in jail, flogging and the confiscation of his property in his homeland for "collusion against national security".
Writing on Instagram, the director outlined repression he and his filmmaking collaborators had faced in Iran and said: "With a heavy heart, I chose exile."
The director's latest film The Seed Of The Sacred Fig will screen in competition at the Cannes Film Festival and his departure from Iran raises the possibility that he may be present at its world premiere. The 52-year-old has been banned from leaving the country since 2017 and was previously jailed there, from July 22 to last February. Although he was released in a general amnesty,...
Iranian film director Mohammad Rasoulof has confirmed that he has escaped from Iran and is currently in an undisclosed location in Europe.
The news comes just days after the There Is No Evil director was sentenced to eight years in jail, flogging and the confiscation of his property in his homeland for "collusion against national security".
Writing on Instagram, the director outlined repression he and his filmmaking collaborators had faced in Iran and said: "With a heavy heart, I chose exile."
The director's latest film The Seed Of The Sacred Fig will screen in competition at the Cannes Film Festival and his departure from Iran raises the possibility that he may be present at its world premiere. The 52-year-old has been banned from leaving the country since 2017 and was previously jailed there, from July 22 to last February. Although he was released in a general amnesty,...
- 5/13/2024
- by Amber Wilkinson
- eyeforfilm.co.uk
Mohammad Rasoulof has fled Iran less than a week after his home country sentenced him to eight years in prison and flogging. The Iranian filmmaker, who won the Golden Bear at the 2020 Berlin Film Festival for “There Is No Evil,” has a film in competition at Cannes this year for the first time: “The Seed of the Sacred Fig.” It’s set to premiere next week toward the end of the festival, with the director’s attendance still unknown. The film, made in secret, was added to the lineup last month. Rasoulof’s fleeing raises the question of whether he will actually be able to attend the festival after all.
In a press statement issued from an undisclosed location, Rasoulof described the repression of his team in Iran while asking the international film community for “effective support.” See the full statement, dated May 12, below.
In addition to the eight-year prison sentence and flogging,...
In a press statement issued from an undisclosed location, Rasoulof described the repression of his team in Iran while asking the international film community for “effective support.” See the full statement, dated May 12, below.
In addition to the eight-year prison sentence and flogging,...
- 5/13/2024
- by Ryan Lattanzio
- Indiewire
Iranian director Mohammad Rasoulof has left Iran and traveled to Europe clandestinely after being sentenced to eight years in prison by the country’s authorities, who pressured him to pull his latest work “The Seed of the Sacred Fig” from the Cannes Film Festival and harassed the film’s producers and actors.
“We are very happy and much relieved that Mohammad has safely arrived in Europe after a dangerous journey,” said Jean-Christophe Simon, CEO of Films Boutique and Parallel45, who are distributing the film. “We hope he will be able to attend the Cannes premiere of ‘The Seed of the Sacred Fig’ in spite of all attempts to prevent him from being there in person.”
However, it remains unclear whether Rasoulof will be able to attend the Cannes world premiere of “Sacred Fig” on May 24, his Cannes publicist and French distributor also noted.
Rasoulov is among Iran’s most prominent...
“We are very happy and much relieved that Mohammad has safely arrived in Europe after a dangerous journey,” said Jean-Christophe Simon, CEO of Films Boutique and Parallel45, who are distributing the film. “We hope he will be able to attend the Cannes premiere of ‘The Seed of the Sacred Fig’ in spite of all attempts to prevent him from being there in person.”
However, it remains unclear whether Rasoulof will be able to attend the Cannes world premiere of “Sacred Fig” on May 24, his Cannes publicist and French distributor also noted.
Rasoulov is among Iran’s most prominent...
- 5/13/2024
- by Nick Vivarelli
- Variety Film + TV
Dissident filmmaker Mohammad Rasoulof has fled Iran after receiving a hefty prison sentence and called for support from the international film community, ahead of the premiere of his latest feature in Competition at Cannes.
The Iranian auteur has issued a statement for the first time since receiving a sentence of eight years in prison, flogging, a fine and confiscation of his property. The sentence was imposed by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Court for public statements, films and documentaries made by Rasoulof, which it considers “examples of collusion with the intention of committing a crime against the country’s security”.
It...
The Iranian auteur has issued a statement for the first time since receiving a sentence of eight years in prison, flogging, a fine and confiscation of his property. The sentence was imposed by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Court for public statements, films and documentaries made by Rasoulof, which it considers “examples of collusion with the intention of committing a crime against the country’s security”.
It...
- 5/13/2024
- ScreenDaily
Dissident Iranian director Mohammad Rasoulof has left Iran and is currently staying in what he described as an “undisclosed location in Europe” in a statement shared with the international press this afternoon.
“I arrived in Europe a few days ago after a long and complicated journey,” Rasoulof said in the statement, which you can read in full below.
News of Rasoulof’s journey comes a week after his lawyer confirmed that Iranian authorities had handed the filmmaker an eight-year prison sentence for “signing statements and making films and documentaries.” Days after the sentence was announced, Rasoulof’s latest film The Seed Of The Sacred Fig was handed a competition spot at this year’s Cannes Film Festival.
“I strongly object to the unjust recent ruling against me that forces me into exile. However, the judicial system of the Islamic Republic has issued so many cruel and strange decisions that I...
“I arrived in Europe a few days ago after a long and complicated journey,” Rasoulof said in the statement, which you can read in full below.
News of Rasoulof’s journey comes a week after his lawyer confirmed that Iranian authorities had handed the filmmaker an eight-year prison sentence for “signing statements and making films and documentaries.” Days after the sentence was announced, Rasoulof’s latest film The Seed Of The Sacred Fig was handed a competition spot at this year’s Cannes Film Festival.
“I strongly object to the unjust recent ruling against me that forces me into exile. However, the judicial system of the Islamic Republic has issued so many cruel and strange decisions that I...
- 5/13/2024
- by Zac Ntim
- Deadline Film + TV
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