Overview

• Jafar Panahi's 'It Was Just an Accident' premiered in competition at the Cannes Film Festival to a 10-minute standing ovation.
• The film explores the trauma of wrongfully incarcerated individuals seeking justice after a minor accident triggers escalating events.
• Mubi acquired international distribution rights (excluding North America), while Neon secured North American rights for a planned 2025 theatrical release.
• Panahi employed clandestine methods to film in Iran, defying authorities who attempted to seize the footage during production.
• This marks Panahi’s first Cannes appearance in over 20 years, following the lifting of his filmmaking, travel, and interview bans in April 2023.