Iranian filmmaker dies from COVID-19 despite prison furlough

An Iranian doctor caught up in Europe’s migration crisis has told the Perthshire Advertiser he’d like to come and be a GP in Perthshire - but red tape means it is near impossible for him to get out of a Greek refugee camp.

Zidane Iqbal became Manchester United’s latest international player on Thursday as he made his debut for Iraq.

Nick Vivarelli International CorrespondentIranian actor Amir Jadidi, the breakout star of Asghar Farhadi’s Oscar-shortlisted “A Hero,” is no novice to the big screen. He previously appeared in more than a dozen films in Iran, where he also has a parallel career as a professional tennis player.Jadidi worked closely with the director on his character Rahim, who, while on furlough after being imprisoned for debt, returns a lost handbag full of gold coins. But his action sparks other actions that create turmoil.

Editors note: Deadline’s Read the Screenplay series debuts and celebrates the scripts of films that will be factors in this year’s movie awards race.

Nick Vivarelli International CorrespondentAsghar Farhadi, a two-time international Oscar winner for “A Separation” and “The Salesman,” is in the running for a third time with “A Hero,” which marks the Iranian auteur’s return to shooting in his country.It’s a drama about a man named Rahim (Amir Jadidi) who, while on furlough after being imprisoned for debt, returns a lost handbag full of gold coins. This apparently heroic act spirals out of control due to social media, which plays an important part in the pic as it exposes the pitfalls of media manipulation in Iran but also, by extension, the world. The fact that the movie made it up to this stage creates curiosity for audiences to watch the film.

Wyatte Grantham-Philips editorVachik Mangassarian, known for his work in “NCIS,” “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” “Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.” and more, has died. He was 78.

Vachik Mangassarian has sadly passed away at the age of 78.

Manchester United are taking a break from action this weekend due to the Premier League's winter break, which also doubles up as an international break for some.

Vachik Mangassarian has died at the age of 78, his representatives have confirmed.The Agents of SHIELD actor passed away on Saturday 22 January in Burbank, Los Angeles, in the US from Covid-19 related complications, according to his manager Valerie McCaffrey of McCaffrey Talent Management. Vachik was born in Iran of Armenian descent in 1943 and moved to the US in the mid-1960s at the age of 23. During his early 20s, he worked in a theatre and returned to Iran from time to time, where he bagged roles in Iranian director Samuel Khachikian's films.

Vachik Mangassarian, a character actor with dozens of credits including Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., Curb Your Enthusiasm and feature The Stoning of Soraya M., has died. He was 78.

Oscar international film shortlist right now, it would be the Cannes Film Festival. Nine of the 15 titles that made the cut came from the fest, even though the Palme d’Or winner, France’s submission “Titane,” did not.

Clayton Davis The Oscars have announced that 276 feature films are eligible for this year’s Academy Awards, with nomination voting set to begin Thursday, Jan. 27 until Tuesday, Feb.