Jafar Panahi Urges Oscars to Cut Ties With Government Film Committees

Fresh off France’s decision to submit his Cannes-winning “It Was Just an Accident” for Oscar consideration, Jafar Panahi leveraged his appearance at a Busan International Film Festival press conference to advocate for fundamental reform in how the Academy selects films. Expressing dissatisfaction with the government-controlled film committees in Iran, Panahi urged the Oscars to sever ties with these committees to ensure fair and independent selection processes. His call for reform comes after France opted to bypass Iran’s selection process and submit his film directly, highlighting issues with the current system.