Iranian filmmaker, Saeed Roustayi, has been sentenced to six-months in prison on charges of “anti-regime propaganda activity” for screening his film, LEILA’S BROTHERS at the prestigious 2022 Cannes International Film Festival. He’s set to serve nine days and the rest of the sentence “will be suspended for over five years,” according to the Iranian daily Etemad and Radio Free Europe.  During that time, he will effectively be prohibited from filmmaking and required to take a filmmaking course for the sake of “preserving national and ethical interests.”

LEILA’S BROTHERS was banned after it “broke the rules by being entered at international film festivals without authorization,” and the director refused to “correct” it as requested by the culture ministry, official media said at the time.

Giving a glimpse into Iranian society, LEILA’S BROTHERS focuses on an Iranian woman who tries to help her family as they struggle with economic hardships, the impact of international sanctions, and corruption, in Tehran. 

Roustayi, gained international acclaim for his film LAW OF TEHRAN (AKA JUST 6.5) which examined Iran’s drug problem and the brutal and ineffective response from police. 

Roustayi is one of the most recent Iranian filmmakers being censored and imprisoned by the authoritarian regime.  Previously, Internationally renowned Iranian filmmaker, Jafar Panah, was banned from leaving Iran and sentenced to six years in jail.  He went on a hunger strike and was ultimately released in 48 hours.

We now have less than 20 DAYS to help garner enough attention to appeal his sentence.  Please sign and share this petition seeking justice for Roustayi, so he can continue to be a force of good in the world. 

His voice needs to be heard. 

Read more here:

• https://www.theguardian.com/film/2023/aug/16/iranian-director-saeed-roustayi-jailed-cannes-film-screening-leilas-brothers
• https://deadline.com/2023/08/saeed-roustayi-leilas-brothers-filmmaker-jailed-iran-1235520772/
• https://www.iranintl.com/en/202308159301
• https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/iranian-director-saeed-roustayi-jailed-leilas-brothers-cannes-1235567855/