Iranian director Jafar Panahi’s ‘It Was Just An Accident’ wins Palme d’Or at Cannes
Dissident Iranian filmmaker Jafar Panahi’s thriller It Was Just An Accident has won the Palme D’Or at the 78th Cannes Film Festival.
Panahi received a standing ovation as the annual French event drew to a close on Saturday after the jury, led by the French actress Juliette Binoche, announced he had won Cannes’ top prize for his movie — a strong critique of oppression in his home country.
Panahi has been repeatedly arrested and imprisoned in Iran for speaking out against the regime. His films have been banned in the country. The director was forbidden from leaving the country until 2023. And, though in 2010 he was subject to a 20-year filmmaking ban for “propagandizing against the government,” he continued to make films anyway.
It’s his first Cannes appearance in over two decades. He last appeared in person at Cannes in 2003, when his movie Crimson Gold was screened.
In a brief speech in Persian following the announcement of his win, the 64-year-old filmmaker said he was dedicating It Was Just An Accident to all the artists who have been involuntarily deported from Iran, and expressed the hope that they might return to make films in their home country in the future.
Other winners at this year’s festival include Nadia Melliti, the winner of the best actress prize for The Little Sister and Wagner Moura, who took best actor for his role in The Secret Agent. Kleber Mendonça Filho won the best director title for that same film.
The awards ceremony came just hours after a regional power outage threatened the festival’s final day. In a statement on social media on Saturday morning, RTE, which manages France’s electrical grid, said the temporary outage had affected 160,000 homes in the Cannes area. It disrupted the festival’s morning screenings and caused local businesses to shutter. French police are investigating a possible arson attack as the principle cause of the loss of power.
The Energy Department canceled billions in funding. Democrats say it’s retribution
Office of Management and Budget Director Russ Vought said the funding was for projects in 16 states, all of which voted for former Vice President Kamala Harris.
Sean Combs, in custody for a year, to face sentencing on split verdict
The music mogul, who was convicted on two counts of transportation for prostitution but acquitted of more serious charges, will be in court on Friday, Oct. 3 for a sentencing hearing.
What’s behind the health care fight that led to the government shutdown
It's Obamacare health insurance prices — and how much help 24 million Americans will get with their premiums — that are in dispute.
Birmingham’s Furnace Fest celebrates big milestone and new beginnings
Twenty-five years ago, Furnace Fest roared from the belly of Birmingham’s historic Sloss Furnaces for the very first time. It's revival returns this weekend.
At least two people have been killed in an attack at a U.K. synagogue
The attack took place outside a synagogue in Manchester. Prime Minister Keir Starmer called the attack "appalling" and "all the more horrific" for taking place on Yom Kippur, Judaism's holiest day.
VIDEO: Trump’s tariffs, changing markets and what an uncertain economy means for you
Eight months into Trump's second term, it's unclear what the larger impact of these tariffs will have on the economy. Despite that, the president keeps promising to roll out new ones.
