The Iranian Independent Filmmakers Association (IIFMA) has accused the country’s government of escalating its intimidation of diaspora filmmakers.
IIFMA says the regime in Iran has begun confiscating the assets of exiled artists to silence dissent.
It cited 11 filmmakers and actors who have had their assets confiscated, according to reports published by Mizan, the regime’s judiciary news agency.
They include filmmaker Shirin Neshat, who co-directed 2021 Venice premiere Land Of Dreams, Hamid Farrokhnezhad who won the best actor prize at Karlovy Vary in 2000 for Bride of Fire, and Niki Karimi, whose 2006 film One Night played in Cannes’ Un Certain Regard.
The list also includes actresses Mahnaz Afshar, Leila Otadi, Parasstou Salehi and Baharak Salehnia; actors Barzou Arjmand, Abbas Ghazali and Ehssan Karami; and actor and theatre director Ashkan Khatibi.
IIFMA says four filmmakers were killed by the regime during the January uprising, and more than 50 artists were detained, many of whom remain unaccounted for and whose whereabouts are still unknown.
IIFMA was founded in November 2022 in response to the “Women, Life, Freedom” uprising to foster independent cinema both in Iran and within the diaspora. It has had a regular presence at major film festivals since then, and had a stand at the recent Berlinale.
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