Focus on Jafar Panahi

Resilient, unwavering, uncompromising. Join us for a Jafar Panahi retrospective as we celebrate the profound 30-year career of the Iranian filmmaker who has risked his freedom for his art.

A leading figure in Iranian New Wave cinema, Panahi has now won the "grand slam" of filmmaking: the highest honours at all four of the world's most prestigious international film festivals.

Join us at ACMI Cinemas, Federation Square 13 Nov – 2 Dec 2025, as we honour a filmmaker whose spirit has never wavered against unsurmountable odds.

Focus on Jafar Panahi includes early-career films The White Balloon and The Circle through to his latest film It Was Just an Accident. Book tickets and program passes online.

Tickets & passes

• Single tickets: Full $20, ACMI Member $14, Concession $16
• Programme passes: 3-session $48, 6-session $90
• Booking online is recommended. Session times are listed when you book tickets

Why see Jafar Panahi on the big screen

Focus on Jafar Panahi is a rare opportunity to see the full scope of Jafar Panahi’s cinematic vision across 30 years, as he has continuously created films through imprisonment, regime hostility, and decades where he was banned from both travel and filmmaking.

Explore his early career, the remarkable works made in defiance of censorship, and his latest film, the critically-acclaimed It Was Just an Accident, marking a powerful new chapter in his career.

Curator’s Note

When he visited Australia earlier this year his ban on leaving Iran had just been lifted, Panahi said: “When I look at people, I always look at the social context they come from”.

Not only does this illustrate his compassion, but it also mirrors his approach to filmmaking. In his films, characters aren’t merely functional; they bring their class, family and upbringing to the story, which all influence the decisions they make – good and bad.

This comment is particularly profound in its humanism given the oppression that Panahi has faced throughout his career. In 2010, he was arrested, imprisoned and banned from filmmaking by Iranian authorities after he filmed protesters opposing the president of Iran.

Fifteen years on, he’s still prohibited from making films – although he’s directed six features in secret during that time – and this year, Panahi was finally free to attend the Festival, where he won the Palme d’Or for his latest film, It Was Just an Accident.

- Reece Goodwin, Curator (Film & TV)

Accessibility

• Wheelchair-accessible routes and seating are available
• Companion tickets available
• Films screen in the original language with English subtitles
• Free hearing devices are available for use at the ticket desk

For detailed information see our Frequently asked questions