Government Shutdown Makes ‘It Was Just an Accident’ Director Skip NYFF
Iranian director Jafar Panahi had to skip the New York Film Festival premiere of “It Was Just an Accident” because his visa could not be processed in time for the Oct. 2 screening. In addition, the festival announced it was cancelling an Oct. 3 conversation between Panahi and Martin Scorsese.
The culprit is the government shutdown, which kicked off on Sept. 30 after congressional leaders failed to reach a funding deal. “It Was Just an Accident” follows a mechanic (Vahid Mobasseri), who believes he has run into the intelligence officer (Ebrahim Azizi) who tortured him. The film is Panahi’s first since being incarcerated for several months in 2023 for criticizing the Iranian government. He was banned from making movies for 14 years and shot his latest production in secret. “It Was Just an Accident” debuted at this year’s Cannes Film Festival, where it won the Palme d’Or. It has been selected as France’s entry for the Academy Awards.
The French producers were able to attend the premiere of “It Was Just an Accident.” In an introduction to the film, NYFF Artistic Director Dennis Lim paid tribute to Panahi. “He’s the person we need in this moment,” he said.
Neon bought the North American distribution rights to “It Was Just an Accident.” Despite facing repression in his native country, Panahi is one of the world’s leading auteurs. His films include “The Circle,” “Offside,” “This is Not a Film,” and “Taxi.” Scorsese is the subject of “Mr. Scorsese,” a five-part series about his work from Rebecca Miller that will screen at NYFF.
