Directors Mock Sentence Against Director Saeed Roustaee

Iranian filmmakers have mocked a six-month suspended prison sentence handed down to director Saeed Roustaee and his producer for screening their film at the Cannes Film Festival last year without permission. They stated that "the verdict aims to distract attention with the anniversary of widespread protests in the country approaching." The Iranian Cinema Directors Association posted on Instagram that this is "the strangest judicial ruling in the history of Iranian cinema." They added, "The film 'Leila's Brothers' received government approval, and the Iranian government has been participating in Cannes for years." The association noted that "such a bizarre ruling is a failed attempt to humiliate this young creative Iranian filmmaker."