Neon has taken North American rights on revered Iranian auteur Jafar Panahi’s Cannes competition title “It Was Just an Accident,” which marks Panahi’s first film since being released from prison in Iran.
The film, starring Mariam Afshari, Ebrahim Azizi, and Vahid Mobasser, was greeted with a long standing ovation and is a Cannes standout title.
“It Was Just an Accident,” which centers around an outpouring of strong feelings by a group of former prisoners toward a torturous guard, is produced by Jafar Panahi and Philippe Martin and co-produced by Sandrine Dumas and Christel Henon, with David Thion and Lilina Eche serving as associate producers. The film is a Les Films Pelléas and Jafar Panahi Production from Iran/France and Luxembourg. MK2 Films is representing the international sales rights to the film.
The deal was negotiated by Neon’s Sarah Colvin and Jeff Deutchman with MK2 Films’ Fionnuala Jamison on behalf of the filmmakers.
“It Was Just An Accident” marks the second collaboration between Neon and Jafar Panahi, following “The Year of the Everlasting Storm” which played in Cannes Special Screenings in 2021.
Panahi is is considered one of his country’s greatest living film masters.
In 2010, the auteur — known globally for prizewinning works such as “The Circle,” “Offside,” “This is Not a Film,” “Taxi” and most recently “No Bears” — was banned from making movies, speaking to the press and traveling, though he surreptitiously kept making them anyway. The ban was lifted in April 2023, and now Iranian authorities allowed him to travel to Cannes to launch “It Was Just an Accident.”
