'It Was Just An Accident' is Iranian auteur Panahi’s first film since his release from prison in Iran in February 2023 after seven months’ incarceration.
MUBI has secured the distribution rights to Iranian filmmaker Jafar Panahi’s latest feature It Was Just an Accident in several key regions, including Latin America, the UK, Ireland, Germany, Austria, Turkey and India. The acquisition was finalised through a deal with MK2 Films, which is managing the film’s international sales.
The film made its world premiere in competition at the Cannes Film Festival and has already attracted significant global attention. US distributor Neon previously picked up the North American rights. It Was Just an Accident is Panahi’s first film since his release from prison in Iran in February 2023, where he had been detained for seven months. Deeply influenced by his second imprisonment, the film delves into the societal and psychological toll faced by political dissidents in Iran.
The story centers on a man, his pregnant wife, and their young daughter, whose lives are disrupted by a seemingly minor car accident. What follows is a cascade of events that underscore the pervasive fear and repression experienced by those living under authoritarian rule. The lead roles are played by Mariam Afshari, Ebrahim Azizi and Vahid Mobasseri.
Produced by Panahi’s own Iranian production company in collaboration with France’s Les Films Pelléas and Luxembourg-based partners, the film is co-produced by Philippe Martin, Sandrine Dumas and Christel Henon, with associate producers David Thion and Lilina Eche.
It Was Just an Accident marks MUBI’s latest acquisition of a high-profile auteur work, reaffirming its commitment to distributing bold international cinema. It is also the second Panahi film Neon has backed, following The Year of the Everlasting Storm, and part of a broader wave of interest in politically charged Iranian cinema, as seen with the distributor’s recent release of Mohammad Rasoulof’s The Seed of the Sacred Fig, a BAFTA- and Oscar-nominated film.
