Iranian director Jafar Panahi has been incarcerated since July 2022 for “propaganda against the system” after he visited authorities to inquire about another detained filmmaker, Mohammad Rasoulof. This is far from Panahi’s first brush with a repressive system that has been trying to silence him for years, and the director is perhaps better known for his ability to make films despite these unfair odds than for the films themselves.

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It’s a reality all the more frustrating and bittersweet for a filmmaker as imaginative and bold as Panahi — it is heartbreaking to imagine just what he could do if he were free.

Continue reading ‘No Bears’ Review: Jafar Panahi’s Nifty Meta Exercise Packs An Emotional Punch at The Playlist.

What’s the true test of an artist? In 2022, many artists get upset if their work doesn’t get good reviews or doesn’t make money. There are artists who are purists, who say they don’t care about those things, also. But maybe the true test of an artist is actually getting imprisoned for your art, as in the cast of filmmaker Jafar Panahi, who is about to release his new film, “No Bears.” Unfortunately for the filmmaker, he is in prison, serving a six-year term, because he wouldn’t stop pursuing his art. 

Continue reading ‘No Bears’ Trailer: Jafar Panahi’s Latest Film Arrives As The Filmmaker Is Imprisoned In Iran at The Playlist.

Jafar Panahi doesn’t make documentaries. However, if you’re unfamiliar with his work and you see the trailer for his latest film, “No Bears,” you might be a little confused by that statement. You see, not only does Panahi star in the upcoming film, as he typically does in his movies, but his style makes everything he works on feel dangerously real and immediate. 

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Ahead of its premiere at the Venice Film Festival, the folks behind “No Bears” have released a trailer for Jafar Panahi’s latest feature.

Continue reading ‘No Bears’ Trailer: Acclaimed Director Jafar Panahi Returns With Another Politically-Charged Feature at The Playlist.

The Robert Bresson quote that opens the anthology film “Year of the Everlasting Storm” — “you don’t create by adding, but by taking away” — makes a tidy adage of the time-honored idea that deprivation breeds innovation. Just as the signees of the Dogme 95 Manifesto believed that restricting themselves along various formal guidelines would enforce a newfound authenticity in their work, the seven directors contributing to this omnibus operate under the premise that the obstructions of the COVID-19 era could be more boon than bane, compelling them to get crafty and dig deeper.

Continue reading ‘Year Of The Everlasting Storm’: Neon’s Anthology Film Features Auteurs Jafar Panahi, Laura Poitras, David Lowery & More [Cannes Review] at The Playlist.

It would be disingenuous not to begin this review by mentioning that, yes, Panah Panahi is indeed related to the titan of Iranian cinema, Jafar Panahi. Panah is the acclaimed filmmaker’s son, and besides going to film school, he has also worked on his father’s films, most recently co-editing his latest feature, “3 Faces.” The most cynical among us may not be surprised to learn that the opening sequence of his feature debut “Hit the Road,” playing in Directors’ Fortnight, alone contains more thrilling cinema than most other films at this year’s Festival de Cannes put together.

Continue reading ‘Hit The Road’: Panah Panahi’s Directorial Debut Is Thrilling Cinema & A Breath Of Fresh Air [Cannes Review] at The Playlist.

Another Cannes Film Festival line-up announcement, another new round of trailers. Now, we’ve got the first look at Neon’s “The Year of the Everlasting Storm,” an anthology feature featuring seven stories told by an internationally acclaimed roster: filmmakers Jafar Panâhi, Anthony Chen, Malik Vitthal, Laura Poitras, Dominga Sotomayor, David Lowery, and Apichatpong Weerasethakul.  

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No real word on who stars in what short, other from what you can glean in the trailer, but here’s the official synopsis:

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Watch

Featuring seven stories from seven auteurs from around the world, the film chronicles this unprecedented moment in time and is a true love letter to the power of cinema and its storytellers.

Continue reading ‘The Year Of The Everlasting Storm’ Trailer: Cannes-Bound Anthology Features 7 Stories Told By Jafar Panahi, David Lowery, Apichatpong Weerasethakul & More at The Playlist.

There have been a surprising number of pandemic films that have been released over the last year. In a world where people were on lockdown with very little to do outside of their homes, it seems as if some filmmakers have been able to use that time to still create films. Whether that’s the various short films from folks like David F. Sandberg, Spike Lee, amongst others or fully-produced features like Shudder’s surprisingly great “Host” or the dreadful, Michael Bay-produced thriller, “Songbird.” And over at NEON, the studio decided to go a different route with the studio’s upcoming feature, “The Year of the Everlasting Storm.”

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According to Screen Daily, NEON’s new pandemic-inspired film, “The Year of the Everlasting Storm,” was showcased as part of the recent “The Big Screen is Back” event that happened as a way to get people excited about going to cinemas once again.

Continue reading David Lowery, Apichatpong Weerasethakul & More Directing Segments Of NEON’s Upcoming Pandemic-Inspired Film at The Playlist.

It’s well-known by the film community that director Jafar Panahi has been punished by the Iranian state due to the themes of his work. The 2010 sentence banned Panahi from making films for 20 years, in addition to six years under house arrest as well as denying him permission to travel outside the borders of Iran. The films made under these conditions—“This Is Not a Film” (2011), “Closed Curtain” (2013) and “Taxi” (2015)—have been justly celebrated.

Continue reading Iranian Filmmaker Jafar Panahi’s ‘3 Faces’ Is A Modest, Humanist Gem [FNC Review] at The Playlist.

If you’re a fan of Iranian filmmaker Jafar Panahi, you are probably well aware of the struggles he’s faced over the last decade, as he is forced to produce his films in secret. In 2010, Panahi was convicted of a ridiculous charge in his home country and was sentenced to a 20-year ban on making films and traveling. Of course, over that time, the director has still produced films, with his last outing “Taxi,” winning the Golden Bear at the Berlin International Film Festival in 2015.

Continue reading ‘3 Faces’ Trailer: Iranian Filmmaker Jafar Panahi Is Back With A Feel-Good Road Film Debuting At Cannes 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.

CANNES – There were a number of interesting issues brought up at the official jury press conference for the 71st Festival de Cannes.  The effect of the #MeToo movement on the festival to the fact there are five women and four men on this year’s competition jury were noteworthy, but perhaps the most interesting response came at the end of the 30-minute Q&A and from none other than jury president Cate Blanchett.

Continue reading Cate Blanchett: “This Isn’t The Nobel Peace Prize, It’s The Palme d’Or” [Cannes] at The Playlist.

Watch: Take A Ride In New Trailer For 'Jafar Panahi's Taxi'

Continue reading Watch: Take A Ride In New Trailer For ‘Jafar Panahi’s Taxi’ at The Playlist.

Berlin Awards: Jafar Panahi's 'Taxi,' Pablo Larrain's 'El Club' & Andrew Haigh's '45 Years' Are Big Winners

Continue reading Berlin Awards: Jafar Panahi’s ‘Taxi,’ Pablo Larrain’s ‘El Club’ & Andrew Haigh’s ’45 Years’ Are Big Winners at The Playlist.

Berlin Review: ​​Jafar Panahi's ​Enjoyable Act Of Dissidence​ 'Taxi'​

Continue reading Berlin Review: ​​Jafar Panahi’s ​Enjoyable Act Of Dissidence​ ‘Taxi’​ at The Playlist.

Review: 'Closed Curtain' Directed by Jafar Panahi And Kambuzia Partovi

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The 5 Most Anticipated Movies Of The 2013 Berlin Film Festival

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Gabe Toro's Ten Best Films Of 2012

Continue reading Gabe Toro’s Ten Best Films Of 2012 at The Playlist.

Review: 'This Is Not A Film' Is Jafar Panahi's Highly Moving Depiction Of His Own House Arrest

Continue reading Review: ‘This Is Not A Film’ Is Jafar Panahi’s Highly Moving Depiction Of His Own House Arrest at The Playlist.

Jailed Iranian Filmmaker Jafar Panahi Was Set To Make Hollywood Debut On Steve Zaillian-Scripted 'A Thousand Splendid Suns'

Continue reading Jailed Iranian Filmmaker Jafar Panahi Was Set To Make Hollywood Debut On Steve Zaillian-Scripted ‘A Thousand Splendid Suns’ at The Playlist.