Asghar Farhadi has arguably been a household name in world cinema since his 2011 breakout “A Separation.” But despite winning a Best International Feature Film Oscar for that movie, and doing so again for 2016’s “A Salesman,” Farhadi’s earlier films have never received a North American release. Until now, that is.

READ MORE: Fall Film Preview: 60+ Most Anticipated Movies To Watch

Farhadi’s debut film, 2003’s “Dancing In The Dust,” gets its first-ever release in the US, Mexico, and Canada today.

Continue reading ‘Dancing In The Dust’ Trailer: Asghar Farhadi’s Debut Film Gets Its First-Ever North American Release Today at The Playlist.

Every Tuesday, discriminating viewers are confronted with a flurry of choices: new releases on disc and on demand, vintage and original movies on any number of streaming platforms, catalogue titles making a splash on Blu-ray or 4K. This biweekly column sifts through all of those choices to pluck out the movies most worth your time, no matter how you’re watching.

This week’s disc and streaming debuts include the latest from an Oscar-winning international filmmaker, the latest from a Film Twitter favorite, a pair of great 2020 documentaries, and two classics getting the 4K Criterion treatment.

Continue reading The Best Movies To Buy Or Stream This Week: ‘Last Night in Soho,’ ‘A Hero,’ ‘A Hard Day’s Night,’ & More at The Playlist.

Another year, another Asghar Farhadi film premiere at the Cannes Film Festival. “A Hero,” the Iranian director’s latest film, is now the fourth straight movie of Farhadi’s to have its world premiere at the festival. While the film didn’t win the coveted Palme d’Or, it walked away with the next best prize, The Grand Prix, as well as The François Chalais Prize. Not a bad haul to go along with the movie’s near-universal praise from critics.

Continue reading ‘A Hero’ Trailer: Asghar Farhadi’s Latest Cannes Favorite Comes To Theaters January 7 at The Playlist.

The 74th Cannes Film Festival came to an end on Saturday night. It was a sweaty fest full of tourists more interested in the beach than the world premieres and lots of spitting in testing vials for non-Europeans, but it proved that a major festival could return at full capacity during the age of COVID. And, a jury comprised of notable industry players Spike Lee, Maggie Gyllenhaal, and Tahar Rahim, among others, selected Julia Ducournau’s “Titane” to win the prestigious Palme d’ Or.

Continue reading Spike Lee Reveals ‘Titane’ As 2021 Cannes Palme d’Or Winner A Bit Early [Full Winners List] at The Playlist.

In “A Hero” (“Ghahreman”), Asghar Farhadi blurs the line of innocence and guilt in a fraught drama about the true weight of a good deed. During a two-day reprieve from prison, Rahim Soltani (Amir Jadidi) and his girlfriend Farkhondeh (Sahar Goldust) discover a handbag full of golden coins. Though Rahim briefly debates selling them to help offset the cost of his debts to Braham (Mohsen Tanabandeh), the gold exchange rate is unsatisfactorily low, and he resolves to track down the original owner and return them.

Continue reading ‘A Hero’: Asghar Farhadi’s Moral Quandary Film Questions The Weight of a Good Deed [Cannes Review] at The Playlist.

Iranian director Asghar Farhadi is no stranger to success at the Cannes Film Festival. While the three films of his that have premiered at Cannes haven’t won the coveted Palme d’Or, two have won other prizes at the festival. In 2013, Berenice Bejo won the Best Actress Award for her performance in “The Past.” Three years later, Shahab Hosseini won the Best Actor Award for his role in “The Salesman,” while Farhadi won Best Screenplay.

Continue reading ‘A Hero’ Clip: Asghar Farhadi’s Latest Cannes Drama Centers On A Good Samaritan at The Playlist.

After numerous acclaimed films, including two Oscar-winning features, Iranian filmmaker Asghar Farhadi has reached a point in his career where every new film he works on is instantly discussed as a potential awards contender. So, it shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone that Amazon has swooped in to nab the distribution rights to his next film, “A Hero.”

READ MORE: Oscar-Winning Director Asghar Farhadi To Begin Production On His New Film This Summer

According to Variety, Amazon has purchased the US distribution rights to “A Hero,” the latest film from Oscar-winning filmmaker Asghar Farhadi.

Continue reading Amazon To Distribute Asghar Farhadi’s New Film ‘A Hero’ at The Playlist.

This time two years ago, filmmaker Asghar Farhadi was on the top of everyone’s mind, as the filmmaker prepared to debut his film “Everybody Knows” at the Cannes Film Festival. Speculation swirled about the two-time Oscar winner perhaps kicking off the festival with an early awards front-runner. Of course, we know that didn’t happen, as “Everybody Knows” received mixed reviews and Cannes ended up handing the Palme d’Or to “Shoplifters.” But that isn’t going to stop Farhadi, as he’s already gearing up for his next film.

Continue reading Oscar-Winning Director Asghar Farhadi To Begin Production On His New Film This Summer at The Playlist.

It had to happen eventually. After 2017’s “The Salesman” brought Iranian filmmaker Asghar Farhadi his second Oscar win in the Best Foreign Language Film category, the director’s next picture was set to be just one more triumph in a run of critically adulated works that was showing no signs of losing momentum. At the time, few could’ve anticipated the collective ‘meh’ that “Everybody Knows” was ultimately met with when it premiered as the opening feature at the 2018 Cannes Film Festival.

Continue reading ‘Everybody Knows’ Trailer: Penélope Cruz & Javier Bardem Star In New Thriller From Director Asghar Farhadi at The Playlist.

CANNNES – Iranian director Asghar Farhadi is not one to often dive into politics in his own work.  In fact, he’s one of the few Iranian filmmakers who has been allowed to work overseas and his relative creative freedom is no doubt partially due to the two for Foreign Language Film Oscars he’s won for his homeland.  Today was another celebratory day for Farhadi.  His latest endeavor, “Everybody Knows,” has been acquired for distribution in the United States by Focus Features and earned mixed to positive reviews as the opening night film of the 2018 Cannes Film Festival.

Continue reading Asghar Farhadi Says It’s ‘Strange’ To Be At Cannes While Iranian Countryman Jafar Panahi Is Not at The Playlist.

Early on in Asghar Farhadi‘s “Everybody Knows,” the film chosen to open the 71st edition of the Cannes Film Festival, there’s a quick succession of shots that give us a brief burr of neo-realism. Laura (Penélope Cruz) has flown from Argentina to her small Spanish hometown for the wedding of her sister, with pretty, wild teenage daughter Irene (Carla Campra) and curly-headed young son in tow.

Continue reading Asghar Farhadi’s ‘Everybody Knows’ Starring Javier Bardem & Penelope Cruz [Cannes Review] at The Playlist.

The lineup for the 71st Festival de Cannes has been revealed and, as expected, there wasn’t a Netflix title to be found.  The titles that did make the cut include world premieres from Spike Lee (“BlacKKKlansman” with Adam Driver), David Robert Mitchell (“Under the Silver Lake” with Andrew Garfield) and Jean-Luc Godard (“Le Livere D’Image”),  among others.

Continue reading Cannes: Films By Spike Lee, David Robert Mitchell and Jean-Luc Godard Lead The 2018 Festival Lineup at The Playlist.

Put simply, Iranian filmmaker Asghar Farhadi is one of the greatest working filmmakers on the planet and he found some recognition in the appellation when his 2017 film “The Salesman” won the Oscar for Best Foreign Language film. And he did so without stepping a foot inside the Dolby Theater, refusing to attend the ceremonies due to the President Trump’s then-proposed Muslim ban. And it was his second Oscar win too, “A Separation” took the same prize in 2011.

Continue reading ‘Everybody Knows’ Trailer: Asghar Farhadi Teams Up With Penelope Cruz and Javier Bardem at The Playlist.

With the upcoming Cannes Film Festival right around the corner, we’re starting to get a better idea of what can be expected. Recently, the film festival has been making news due to the rules about press screenings and films from streaming services like Netflix. But today, we’re not reporting about any controversy. According to a new report, we actually now know which film will be opening the prestigious festival.

Continue reading Asghar Farhadi’s ‘Everybody Knows’ Starring Penelope Cruz And Javier Bardem To Open Cannes Film Festival at The Playlist.

Asghar Farhadi took home an Oscar this year for “The Salesman” without stepping a foot inside the Dolby Theater. His refusal to attend the ceremonies due to the President’s proposed Muslim ban spoke volumes, but now he’s putting politics aside, and to work on his next film.

So far we’ve known that Penelope Cruz, Javier Bardem, and Ricardo Darin are starring in picture, with Pedro Almodovar regulars composer Alberto Iglesias (who has scored nearly a dozen Almodovar films) and cinematographer Jose Luis Alcaine (“Volver,” “The Skin I Live In,” and other Almodovar movies lending their talents.

Continue reading Asghar Farhadi’s ‘Everybody Knows’ With Penelope Cruz & Javier Bardem Starts Filming, Synopsis Revealed at The Playlist.

Iranian director Asghar Farhadi may not have attended last year’s Oscars due to Trump’s infamous, failed Muslim ban, but he was still able to deliver a powerful speech about cinema and the need for tolerance thanks to a proxy that accepted his award for Best Foreign Language Film for “The Salesman.” With two Oscars to his name so far, he could be gunning for a third as his next film gets underway.

Continue reading Plot Details Revealed For Asghar Farhadi’s New Movie With Penelope Cruz & Javier Bardem at The Playlist.

Acclaimed filmmaker Asghar Farhadi, who is known for his finely constructed dramas, may add a comedy to his already distinguished roster of films. The writer-director revealed in an interview with European website Cineuropa that making a comedy is on his bucket list.

“That is one of my greatest wishes. I hope to do a comic film one day, to deal with our humanity through comedy. That would be a very difficult task, but I hope to do it soon, maybe next time I come back to work in Iran.

Continue reading Director Asghar Farhadi Says Making A Comedy Is One of His “Greatest Wishes” at The Playlist.

Sunday night’s Oscars ended in one seismic Hollywood event that largely obliterated the memory of any earlier tremors. But some of those lesser quakes may actually turn out to have more lasting consequences than the Best Picture announcement omnishambles (our costly, impractical, left-field suggestion for how to avoid a similar cock-up in future? Color-coded envelopes). Among the less sexy but potentially more game-changing records broken at the 89th ceremony was this little nugget: 2017 saw the first Academy Awards at which movies financed by streaming services gained the industry’s highest honor.

Continue reading Netflix, Amazon, ‘The Irishman’ & The Academy: Oscars In The Age Of Streaming at The Playlist.

Well, that was certainly an Oscar ceremony. A long and relatively safe Oscar season looked to be culminating in a long and relatively safe evening, until a perfect storm of human error led to an unforgettable/mortifying/thrilling moment of live TV, and one weirdly fitting for a time in human history when everything seems to have gone bugnuts crazy.

It’s destined to be a ceremony remembered for being the one where two Best Picture winners were announced, but as ever, there were plenty of highs and lows beyond that, so beyond, you’ll find the Worst & Best of the 2017 Academy Awards (leading with worst, because, well, there’s some big stuff we’d have to get to first).

Continue reading The Best & Worst Of The 2017 Oscars at The Playlist.

The tone has been set, and you can bet Donald Trump‘s circle of enablers are going to do everything they can to keep him away from the TV this weekend. A politically charged Oscar ceremony is highly expected, and George Clooney shot the first arrow at the White House from the César Awards last night. Now, the directors of the Best Foreign Language are taking a moment the day before the ceremony to make their voice heard.

Continue reading Foreign-Language Oscar Nominees Release Joint Statement Denouncing U.S. “Climate Of Fanaticism,” Asghar Farhadi Sending Representatives To Ceremony at The Playlist.

The Oscars are only days away, and while nominees anxiously wait to find out how their long awards-season journeys will end (spoiler: “La La Land” nominees will be happy), first-time producers Jennifer Todd and Mike De Luca are trying to keep as many aspects of the telecast they can secret. Of course, there are still a number of things we know about the world’s most prestigious awards show.

Continue reading What To Expect From The 2017 Academy Awards Telecast: Matt Damon, Sara Bareilles, Politics at The Playlist.

Let’s start off with the easy stuff, first.  Maren Ade’s “Toni Erdmann” should have won the Palme d’Or at the 2016 Cannes Film Festival. It also should have won the Golden Globe Award for Best Foreign Language Film over “Elle,” another film I adore. It’s a crime Ade missed out on a Best Original Screenplay Oscar nomination this year and certainly a Best Director nod over “Hacksaw Ridge’s” Mel Gibson.

Continue reading Dear Academy: Do The Right Thing And Vote For ‘The Salesman’ For Oscar at The Playlist.

While Iranian director Asghar Farhadi will not be attending the Academy Awards this year because of his protest of Donald Trump’s immigration ban, his film “The Salesman“ stands a good chance of taking the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film. He recently sat down with notable TV director Victoria Hochberg (“Melrose Place“) to discuss his new film for a DGA podcast.

Continue reading 40-Minute Talk With Asghar Farhadi About His Oscar Nominated ‘The Salesman’ at The Playlist.

If he wasn’t already — and there was a good argument that he was — Iranian director Asghar Farhadi became the most important filmmaker alive this weekend. Farhadi became a favorite of festival-goers starting nearly a decade ago with humane, beautifully crafted dramas like “Fireworks Wednesday” and “About Elly,” but broke out much wider with his 2011 film “A Separation,” which won the Golden Bear at Berlin, the Best Foreign Language Oscar (along with a nomination for Best Screenplay), making him the first Iranian national to win an Academy Award, and landed him on Time’s 2012 list of the 100 Most Influential People in the world.

Continue reading Why Asghar Farhadi’s Oscar Ban Should Provoke A Flashpoint Of Protest At This Year’s Ceremony at The Playlist.

It’s high time we stop using terms like we’re “through the looking glass” or in “uncharted waters,” as we’re way beyond unconventional territory, and in the midst of a constitutional crisis of virtually unprecedented levels. These are chaotic, frightening times that are affecting everyone. Even the world of cinema has been impacted.

READ MORE: Update: Trump’s Muslim Ban Will Keep Asghar Farhadi From Attending Oscars, Academy Reacts

As you’ve heard by now, cherished Iranian filmmaker Asghar Farhadi (“A Separation,” the severely underrated “The Past”) has been barred entry to the U.S.

Continue reading Oscar-Nominated Iranian Director Asghar Farhadi Says He Won’t Attend Ceremony at The Playlist.