House of Cinema

December 28, 2011
December 28, 2011
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DEC — Iran’s House of Cinema Declared Illegal

The Iran Public Culture Council ruled that Iran's House of Cinema was illegal. The decision was made to settle a lawsuit filed in early December against the organization by the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance.The House of Cinema, which began as a government sponsored initiative becoming independent in 1993, has been criticized a number of times for its positions. A few months earlier, in September, the organization received an official rebuke for its statement about the arrest of six Iranian documentary filmmakers, accused of "collaboration with the BBC Persian service."Later, the minister of culture and Islamic guidance questioned the organization's legitimacy, claiming the real issue was amendments to the House of Cinema's charter."Consequently, the guild faces a serious question about its legitimacy," stated the culture minister, Mohammad Hosseini.As a result, a lawsuit was filed by the ministry against the House of Cinema.
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October 9, 2011
Marzieh Vafamehr
October 9, 2011
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OCT — Actress Marzieh Vafamehr Sentenced

Actress Marzieh Vafamehr was sentenced to one-year in prison and 90 lashes. After international protest, this sentence was reduced to three months with no lashes.Maziar Vafamehr was arrested for appearing in the film "Tehran for Sale" without hejab, but with her head shaved. Appearing in films without hejab was not unprecedented in Iran.
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September 24, 2011
September 24, 2011
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SEPT — House of Cinema Issues Statement in Support of Detained Documentary Filmmakers

The House of Cinema issued a statement in support of several filmmakers detained for contact with the BBC. They question the legal basis for the arrests, pointing out that the government itself has contact with international news organizations.An excerpt from the statement reads:"In all parts of the world governments support sale and export of films and artworks by offering a variety of incentives to artists. Iranian artists do not expect the government to help them; they only expect that sale of films to television networks is not treated as serious security offense, and are not announced by the media as confirmed violations of law even before the offense has been considered at the court."Read more...
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February 5, 2011
February 5, 2011
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Feb — House of Cinema Protests Ruling Against Panahi

Iran's House of Cinema files formal complaint against the 20 year ban on producing new films handed down to director Jafar Panahi.A source for the Hollywood publication Variety states:
“Twenty years is a lifetime for a filmmaker. It’s like prison.“The Iranian cinema guild wrote a letter to the Minister of Justice saying that to tell a filmmaker he can’t do his job is like killing him. We’re awaiting the results. Panahi has asked all his friends not to contact him or to talk about him to any festivals … because he doesn’t want to create any problems for anyone else.”
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December 20, 2010
December 20, 2010
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DEC-OCT — Panahi Receives 6-Year Prison Sentence and 20-Year Ban on Filmmaking

In December of 2010, filmmaker Jafar Panahi is handed the harsh sentence of six years in prison and a 20-year ban on filmmaking. This decision is upheld on appeal in October of 2011.The US-based board of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences released a statement saying:
"The recent arrest of six Iranian filmmakers, the sentence of 'one year in jail and 90 lashes' to an actress just for playing a role in an acclaimed film, and the continued house arrest of Jafar Panahi, among others, is a situation that demands our serious attention."These filmmakers -- and others -- are artists, not political combatants. We join our colleagues around the world in calling unequivocally for these filmmakers' safety, release, and return to filmmaking. They deserve the same, full freedom of expression that the overwhelming majority of our members enjoy every day, no matter where they are from, no matter where they work, no matter what their beliefs."
Read more here.
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