Iranian filmmaker Jafar Panahi was unable to attend the U.S. premiere of his latest film It Was Just an Accident at the New York Film Festival, after visa processing stalled amid the U.S. government shutdown.
He had been scheduled for a conversation with Martin Scorsese and a retrospective appearance at the Mill Valley Film Festival, but both events were disrupted when routine visa services were suspended.
Organizers later confirmed that Panahi’s visa was issued, and he has since arrived in the United States to participate in Beyond Fest in Los Angeles, with plans to join rescheduled screenings and events in New York.
Panahi is best known for earlier works like Taxi (2015) and Three Faces (2018). His Cannes 2025 entry It Was Just an Accident won the Palme d’Or and was selected by France as its official submission for the 2026 Academy Awards.
He had been scheduled for a conversation with Martin Scorsese and a retrospective appearance at the Mill Valley Film Festival, but both events were disrupted when routine visa services were suspended.
Organizers later confirmed that Panahi’s visa was issued, and he has since arrived in the United States to participate in Beyond Fest in Los Angeles, with plans to join rescheduled screenings and events in New York.
Panahi is best known for earlier works like Taxi (2015) and Three Faces (2018). His Cannes 2025 entry It Was Just an Accident won the Palme d’Or and was selected by France as its official submission for the 2026 Academy Awards.