Latest news with #TigerCompetition
Yahoo
31-01-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Rotterdam Festival Head Says ‘The Seed of the Sacred Fig' Actor Soheila Golestani Is ‘Victim of Oppression' Following Travel Ban
Soheila Golestani, the Iranian actor who stars in Mohammad Rasoulof's Oscar-nominated drama 'The Seed of the Sacred Fig,' has been banned from leaving Iran to serve on the Tiger Competition jury at this year's International Film Festival Rotterdam. Festival director Vanja Kaludjercic spoke against the travel ban on Friday, saying the festival team is 'saddened but not surprised' that the actor has been forbidden from leaving Iran. 'Having seen Mohammad's journey with this vital project is to have witnessed time and again the real consequences of speaking truth to power,' continued Kaludjercic, referring to Rasoulof's film, which won the Jury Special Prize at Cannes. 'Mohammad joins us [at Rotterdam film festival] both to share his film and also participate on a panel about cinema in the face of a rise of authoritarianism — and Soheila's experience underscores how real and urgent these issues are.' More from Variety Indian Director Nishanth Kalidindi Explores Artists' Double Lives in Rotterdam-Bound 'Theatre' Indian Folk Horror 'Bokshi' Lands at Alief Ahead of Rotterdam Premiere, Clip Unveiled (EXCLUSIVE) Michiel ten Horn's Rotterdam Opener 'Fabula' Offers a Darkly Humorous Look at Redemption: 'It's Like 'A Christmas Carol'' She added: 'We stand with her in solidarity and hope that she is supported by the global film community at this time — as she is the victim of oppression and a backlash for speaking out that many artists know all too well.' Variety understands that Rasoulof is still scheduled to appear at the festival, not only in support of 'The Seed of the Sacred Fig' but as a special guest and speaker at a Tiger Talk titled 'Cinema and the Rise of Authoritarianism' held in partnership with the International Coalition for Filmmakers at Risk, of which IFFR is a founding member together with IDFA and the European Film Academy. Other speakers include Albertina Carri, Pier Giorgio Bellocchio and Erhan Örs. The talk is scheduled for Feb. 3. Golestani was to have served on the Tiger Competition jury alongside British director Peter Strickland, Indonesian producer and filmmaker Yuki Aditya, Hong Kong singer and actress Winnie Lau, and German artist and filmmaker Andrea Luka Zimmerman. Rasoulof fled his home country of Iran for Germany last year after being sentenced to eight years in prison by the country's authorities, who pressured him to pull 'The Seed of the Sacred Fig' from the Cannes Film Festival and harassed the film's producers and actors. The filmmaker is still wanted by authorities. As for Golestani, the charges aren't yet clear. Variety learned the actor is currently accused of propaganda against the Iranian regime and promoting immorality through her role in Rasoulof's latest. The court case has been held but no verdict has been issued yet. Golestani has also not yet released an official statement. Best of Variety New Movies Out Now in Theaters: What to See This Week What's Coming to Netflix in February 2025 What's Coming to Disney+ in February 2025
Yahoo
31-01-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Rotterdam Fest Director Expresses Solidarity For ‘The Seed Of The Sacred Fig' Actress Soheila Golestani Following Iran Travel Ban
Rotterdam Film Festival director Vanja Kaludjercic has spoken out against the travel ban preventing The Seed of the Sacred Fig actress Soheila Golestani from leaving Iran to serve on this year's jury. Golestani was originally unveiled as part of the festival's Tiger Competition jury, alongside Yuki Aditya, Winnie Lau, Peter Strickland and Andrea Luka Zimmerman. More from Deadline Rotterdam Heads Vanja Kaludjercic & Clare Stewart Talk Balancing Mainstream & Niche; Budgets, Dutch Cinema Spurt & Guests Lol Crawley, Cate Blanchett & Mohammad Rasoulof Rotterdam Film Fest Opens With Dutch Crime Comedy 'Fabula' & Plea To Save Historic Cinerama Site 'The Seed Of The Sacred Fig' Actress Soheila Golestani Barred From Leaving Iran To Serve On Rotterdam Jury 'We are saddened but not surprised that Soheila has been unable to leave Iran and join us in Rotterdam for the Tiger Jury — having seen Mohammad's journey with this vital project is to have witnessed time and again the real consequences of speaking truth to power,' said Kaludjercic, referring to director Mohammad Rasoulof. He is currently living in exile in Germany, after fleeing Iran last year, shortly after completing the underground shoot of The Seed of the Sacred Fig. 'Mohammad joins us both to share his film and also participate on a panel about cinema in the face of a rise of authoritarianism — and Soheila's experience underscores how real and urgent these issues are. 'We stand with her in solidarity and hope that she is supported by the global film community at this time — as she is the victim of oppression and a backlash for speaking out that many artists know all too well,' added Kaludjercic. Deadline understands that Golestani has been accused of propaganda against the Iranian regime and promoting immorality because of her role in the film, charges which she denies. The court has been held, but no verdict has been issued yet. Rasoulof is accompanying a screening of his film and is also scheduled to speak on a panel titled 'Cinema and the Rise of Authoritarianism' on February 3. The filmmaker fled Iran last year and is wanted by authorities. He has been sentenced him to eight years in prison alongside a series of physical punishments. The Seed of the Sacred Fig is nominated for Best International Feature Film at the upcoming Oscars and premiered in Cannes last May, where it won the Special Jury Prize. Best of Deadline 'Bridgerton' Season 4: Everything We Know So Far 'Knives Out 3': Everything We Know About The Second Rian Johnson Sequel 2025 Awards Season Calendar: Dates For Oscars, Spirits, Grammys, Tonys, Guilds & More
