The recent election of Hassan Rouhani and the reopening of House of Cinema prompted speculation that Iran's film industry may be on the cusp of a progressive new era. Such optimism looks likely to be dampened, however, by the news that director Mohammad Rasoulof has been banned from leaving the country to receive a lifetime achievement award.
Rasoulof, one of Iran's most prominent film-maker, was sentenced with fellow director Jafar Panahi to five years in prison and a 20-year ban on film-making for alleged anti-regime propaganda in 2011. Now out on bail, he was booked to attend this month's Nuremburg International Human Rights film festival (NIHRFF) in Germany. Organisers were expecting Rasoulof to pick up his award in person and present his latest film, Manuscripts Don't Burn.
Screen Daily reports that Rasoulof's passport was confiscated by authorities upon his return to Tehran on September 19. The film-maker, who according to the report has been freely travelling between his homeland and Germany, is therefore unable to return to Europe as planned this weekend.
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