Iran Showbiz Latest News and Updates

Dissident Iranian filmmaker Jafar Panahi has gone on hunger strike to protest his ongoing detention at Iran’s notoriously harsh Evin prison, even though his sentence has been declared void by the country’s Supreme Court.

Holy Spider star Zar Amir Ebrahimi led a demonstration in support of the people of Iran and the artists who have been detained by the country’s political regime at the Göteborg Film Festival Tuesday evening.

The BBC’s Arabic radio service went off the air for the final time on Friday after 85 years of broadcasting.

The Sundance Film Festival returned to Park City after a two-year virtual hiatus and that means the in-person awards ceremony returned as well. Well, sorta.

Jafar Panahi’s wife Tahereh Saeedi issued a fresh appeal for her imprisoned husband to be released as his period of captivity entered 200 days, in an Instagram post on Thursday.

A few weeks after Zar Amir-Ebrahimi won the Best Actress Award in Cannes for her performance as journalist Arezoo Rahimi in crime thriller Holy Spider, the Iranian-French actor flew to Melbourne, Australia, to take part in what was set to be another urgent story from an Iranian filmmaker: Noora Niasari’s debut feature Shayda. 

Sam Asghari was spotted out and about grabbing a cup of coffee with a friend on Monday.The 28-year-old actor was seen in Calabasas — where wife Britney Spears is currently showing their mansion to prospective buyers — as he donned a bright sweatshirt.The Hot Seat star wore dark sunglasses and black gym shorts that bared his toned legs.  On the go: Sam Asghari was spotted out and about grabbing a cup of coffee with a friend on MondaySam, who hails from Tehran, Iran, looked handsome as he rocked his signature neatly trimmed beard.His shiny dark hair was cut low and styled in a deep side part with the longer part slicked over.  The TV star walked in a pair of black sneakers with a white sole, which complemented his shorts of the same color palette.His red sweatshirt featured an unexpected denim patch on one side of the hem, as well as the end of one sleeve. Unmissable: The 28-year-old actor was seen in Calabasas as he donned a bright sweatshirtAsghari, who wed Spears in a lavish ceremony last summer, sipped from a tall white cup.He refueled as he also held a sandwich wrap in his hand, along with his phone and another bottled item.The fitness enthusiast recently said to his three million Instagram followers that it was 'time to get back to this shape' as he shared a photo of his shredded abs.And he also gave his supporters a behind-the-scenes look at his health routine as he plunged into an ice bath.

The Persian Version, directed and written by Maryam Keshvarz stars Layla Mohammadi, and Niousha Noor as a mother and daughter at odds with one another.

The thorny, complicated history between the United States and Iran is infinitely more complex for those of the Persian diaspora living in America. It’s this nuanced tension trickling down to identity — between being too much this and not enough that in either homeland — that writer-director-producer Maryam Keshavarz (“Circumstance”) explores in her third film, “The Persian Version,” a decades and generation-spanning dramedy.

Maryam Keshavarz, Noora Niasari and Sierra Urich have films at Sundance this year, two narrative features and a doc, wrenching and joyful family stories of the Iranian diaspora threaded with longing, regret and rebellion. None deal with ongoing civil unrest there, but it colors the filmmakers’ work and life.  

Berlinale artistic director Carlo Chatrian and executive director Mariëtte Rissenbeck reveal the festival’s main Competition and Encounters selections at a press conference on Monday, January 23, as they gear up for their first fully in-person edition since 2020 from February 16 to 26.

Britney Spears' husband Sam Asghari shared a clip of himself taking an ice bath on Wednesday, a day after the pop star made headlines for alluding to her past relationship with Justin Timberlake.Asghari, 28, took to Instagram Stories to share a clip in which he used a device called the Ice Barrel, and filled it up with water, ice and Epsom salt, stirring it together with his arm before entering the barrel.The spouse of the Grammy-winning artist, 41 - who denied that she had a 'manic meltdown' at a Woodland Hills, California restaurant over the weekend - wore only black shorts as he acclimated himself to the frigid temperature inside the barrel. The latest: Britney Spears ' husband Sam Asghari, 28, shared a clip of himself taking an ice bath on Wednesday, a day after the pop star, 41, made headlines for alluding to her past relationship with Justin Timberlake, 41The Tehran, Iran-born actor and fitness professional first stood in the device for a few seconds before sitting in it and submerging his head under the water.He said that the practice - which appeared to take place after an intense workout he featured on the social media site - was 'very soothing' as he got in a second time.

Prince Harry, 38, has made a number of claims in his book, Spare, with many commenting on the Duke of Sussex's shocking claims about his royal life.

The Berlinale staunchly condemns Russia’s ongoing war of aggression, which violates international law, and expresses its solidarity with the people in Ukraine and all those who are campaigning against this war. The festival also stands with the courageous protesters in Iran as they defend themselves against a violent, undemocratic regime.In expressing this solidarity, the festival will not exclude filmmakers, artists, industry representatives or journalists because of their Russian or Iranian nationality.

EXCLUSIVE: Archer Gray has today announced the promotion of Rebecca Choi to Vice President of Narrative Film and the addition of Kelsey Jackson in the newly established role of Vice President of Narrative Television.

More than 100 key figures from the UK film and TV industry have signed a letter urging the UK government to take “immediate action” against Iranian authorities for “gross violations of human rights and women’s rights” in their response to the wave of public protests that erupted last year.

J. Ralph has debuted the music video for “Dust & Ash” — his original tune penned for the documentary The Voice of Dust and Ash, which has been shortlisted for the Best Original Song Oscar in 2023.

Welcome to Deadline’s International Disruptors, a feature where we’ll shine a spotlight on key executives and companies outside of the U.S. shaking up the offshore marketplace. This week, we’re talking with German indie producer Sol Bondy of One Two Films. Bondy, whose credits include Angry Indian Goddesses and The Tale, most recently produced Iranian crime thriller Holy Spider which is Denmark’s submission to the 2023 Academy Awards and he tells us how challenging it was to get this impactful project off the ground. 

The Oscars declined to give a platform to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky last year, but the Golden Globes made up for it tonight, offering him an opportunity to speak directly to an American and world audience.

Lupin star Omar Sy has hit back at critics of comments he made about differing attitudes to the war in Ukraine and further afield conflicts, saying the attacks against him are simply an example of racism.

EXCLUSIVE: Jason Clarke (Winning Time, Oppenheimer) will star opposite Kiefer Sutherland in The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial from Paramount Global and Showtime.

WhatsApp will allow users to connect to the messaging app via proxy servers for the first time to allow users to stay online without the internet.

Holy Spider breakout Zar Amir Ebrahimi will head the jury of the Nordic Competition at the 46th Göteborg Film Festival, running from January 27 – February 5.

Acclaimed Iranian actress Taraneh Alidoosti has been released from prison.

Barbara Walters died on Friday at age 93, but her brilliance and tenacity in many of her iconic interviews will live on.The legendary journalist sat down with an impressive array of entertainment industry stars and world leaders in her career, which reached all the way back to the 1950s.Walters managed to get to the heart of interview subjects known for being on the other end of the questions, including Oprah Winfrey, and she conducted major interviews with major figures including Fidel Castro and the Shah of Iran.But the pathbreaker also developed a reputation for asking unnecessarily probing questions and ignoring the feeling of her guests in some of her more infamous sit-downs. Legend: Barbara Walters had a string of iconic interviews throughout her decades long career with politicians and entertainment stars.

Iran’s Supreme Court has accepted the death sentence appeal for Iranian Kurdish rapper Saman Seydi Yasin, which was issued in connection with ongoing widespread anti-government protests, the country’s judiciary said Saturday as reported by Reuters.

Robert Niro and his Tribeca Festival Co-Founder Jane Rosenthal have joined the chorus of calls for Iranian actress Taraneh Alidoosti to be released from prison, along with “other members of Iran’s art and entertainment community who have risked their lives to speak out against the government.”

Iranian director Jafar Panahi has been incarcerated since July 2022 for “propaganda against the system” after he visited authorities to inquire about another detained filmmaker, Mohammad Rasoulof. This is far from Panahi’s first brush with a repressive system that has been trying to silence him for years, and the director is perhaps better known for his ability to make films despite these unfair odds than for the films themselves.

SAG-AFTRA has condemned the arrest by the Iranian government of Taraneh Alidoosti, the internationally acclaimed actress who starred in the Oscar-winning film The Salesman.

Could blockbusters rule at this year's Oscars?It certainly seems possible after an advance shortlist revealed on Wednesday that Top Gun: Maverick, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever and Avatar: The Way of Water are all in the running. Pop stars like Lady Gaga, Taylor Swift and Rihanna also got one step closer to getting Oscar nominations.The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced shortlists in 10 categories for the 95th Oscars, including documentary feature, international film, makeup and hairstyling, score, original song, sound, visual effects and shorts.Alejandro González Iñárritu´s "Bardo, False Chronicle of a Handful of Truths" was along the 15 films shortlisted in the international film category, one of the most competitive. The category also includes already decorated films like "Holy Spider" (Denmark), "All Quiet on the Western Front" (Germany), "Saint Omer" (France), "Corsage" (Austria), "EO" (Poland), "Return to Seoul" (Cambodia), "Decision to Leave" (South Korea), "Close" (Belgium) and "Argentina, 1985" (Argentina).

The body of an unidentified man was shockingly discovered in the undercarriage of a plane after it landed at an airport in London. Police confirmed the horrifying discovery was made in the early hours of December 8 when the TUI aircraft landed at Gatwick airport after travelling from Gambia to England, the Daily Star reports.

The Film Academy has unveiled its 15-track shortlist for the Best Original Song Oscar in 2023, which marks a confluence between stars old and new.

The Amsterdam-based International Coalition For Filmmakers At Risk (ICFR) has issued a statement protesting the arrest of Iranian actress Taraneh Alidoosti and demanding her immediate and unconditional release.

What’s the true test of an artist? In 2022, many artists get upset if their work doesn’t get good reviews or doesn’t make money. There are artists who are purists, who say they don’t care about those things, also.

Oscar-winning director Asghar Farhadi has demanded the release of actress Taraneh Alidoosti, who was arrested in Iran.

Hainan Island International Film Festival (HIIFF) in China’s Sanya has returned as an in-person event, following a relatively short Covid-related postponement, with separate competition sections for features, documentaries and shorts.