IT WAS JUST AN ACCIDENT

(Un simple accident)

Special Screening | France, Iran, Luxembourg | 2025 | Drama | 102 min | In Persian with English subtitles |
France’s Official Entry for Best International Feature – Academy Award 2026 |

Directed by: Jafar Panahi
Written by: Jafar Panahi
Produced by: Philippe Martin & David Thion (Les Films Pelléas), Sandrine Dumas (Pio & Co), Christel Henon & Lilian Eche (Bidibul Productions), Jafar Panahi (Jafar Panahi Film Productions), Arte France Cinéma
Cinematography: Amin Jafari
Film Editing: Amir Etminan
Cast: Vahid Mobasseri (Vahid), Maryam Afshari (Shiva), Ebrahim Azizi (Eghbal), Hadis Pakbaten (Golrokh), Majid Panahi (Ali), Mohamad Ali Elyasmehr (Hamid), Georges Hashemzadeh, Delnaz Najafi
International Sales: mk2 films
US Distributor: Neon

Synopsis

This year’s stunning Cannes Palme d’Or-winner, It Was Just an Accident, opens on a dark road at night. Driving along with his wife and daughter in tow, Eghbal hits a stray dog that jumps onto the road in front of his car. His daughter is horrified.  But his wife insists, “What will be will be. God surely put it on our path for a reason.” Indeed. Thus begins a masterful morality tale from virtuoso Iranian filmmaker Jafar Panahi, circling questions of vengeance and humanity, political repression, life and death, violence and forgiveness, and simply doing the right thing.

Director’s Biography

Acclaimed writer/director/film editor Jafar Panahi is widely recognized as a pivotal figure in the Iranian New Wave movement, exploring themes of social injustice and political oppression. He began by making short films, then worked as an assistant to renowned Iranian filmmaker Abbas Kiarostami. His directorial debut came with the feature The White Balloon, which won the 1995 Caméra d’Or in Cannes. The Circle (2000), depicting the harsh reality faced by women in his country, walked off with the Golden Lion in Venice. Taxi (2015), a creative fusion of documentary and narrative filmmaking, won the Golden Bear in Berlin. Now that It Was Just an Accident has been honored with this year’s Palme d’Or in Cannes, Panahi is one of just four filmmakers in cinema history to win the top prize at all “Big Three” film festivals. Despite those many accolades, Panahi has faced significant challenges due to his outspoken criticism of the Iranian government. In 2010, he was arrested, then banned from making films for 20 years, and sentenced to six years in prison. Despite that ban, Panahi continued to make films secretly, using innovative techniques to elude those restrictions. It Was Just an Accident is his first film since that ban has been lifted. It is also a strong contender for the Oscars in the TAFFF selection this year.