Iranian director Saeed Roustayi jailed for 'unauthorised' Cannes film screening

A court in Iran has issued a six-month prison sentence to renowned film director Saeed Roustayi. This sentence pertains to the screening of his film "Leila's Brothers" at the 2022 Cannes film festival. Reports local media. 

Leila's Brothers, a rich and complex tale of a family struggling with economic hardship in Tehran, has been banned in Iran since its release last year. The film was in competition for the Palme d'Or at last year's Cannes Festival, winning the International Federation of Film Critics award, reports The Guardian. 

The reformist daily Etemad said on Tuesday that Roustayi, along with the film's producer Javad Noruzbegi, "were sentenced to six months in prison for screening the movie at Cannes". 

Both Roustayi and Noruzbegi were convicted of "contributing to propaganda of the opposition against the Islamic system." "Leila's Brothers" faced a ban for violating regulations by participating in international film festivals without authorization. The director declined to make the requested "corrections," as outlined by the culture ministry, according to official media reports.

The filmmakers will serve approximately nine days, while the remaining period "will be suspended over five years," as reported by Etemad. The verdict is open to appeal.

During the suspension period, the defendants will be required to take a film-making course while "preserving national and ethical interests" and refrain from associating with other cinema professionals, the newspaper said.

Roustayi, 34, has gained international renown since his 2019 film Law of Tehran (AKA Just 6.5), an uncompromising look at Iran's drug problem and the brutal, and fruitless, police response.

In 2022, award-winning filmmaker Jafar Panahi was sentenced to six years in jail after inquiring about the detention of fellow directors Mohammad Rasoulof and Mostafa Aleahmad, and was released on bail in February after going on hunger strike.