Maryam & Behtash and Their Producer Sentenced | Iran, Drop the Charges Now!

The Iranian Revolutionary Court has sentenced Maryam, Behtash and their producer Gholamreza Mousavi to (suspended) multi-year prison sentences; the ICFR calls on the authorities to drop all charges and pardon them immediately.

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On March 30th, Iranian filmmakers Maryam Moghadam and Behtash Sanaeeha, as well as their producer Gholamreza Mousavi, have been sentenced by Iran's Revolutionary Court to a (suspended) prison sentence of more than two years, as well as hefty monetary fines, for their film My Favourite Cake. Despite a large outcry in their support both internationally and within Iran, the judge has not ruled in favor of the filmmaking team, although their prison sentences are suspended for five years as of the time of writing.

As Maryam and Behtash have communicated via their social media, the verdict includes the following:

•  14 months of discretionary imprisonment (suspended for 5 years) for "propaganda against the Islamic Republic through dissemination of false information intended to disturb public opinion", for Maryam & Behtash;
• 1 year of discretionary imprisonment (suspended for 5 years) for "participation in the production of obscene content", for Maryam, Behtash, and their producer Gholamreza Mousavi;
• Monetary fines amounting to 800 million IRR (approx. 17,000 EUR), as well as confiscation of film equipment, for "screening and distributing the film without an official exhibition license"
• Monetary fines for three other members of cast/crew.

The Directors Guild of Iran has condemned the verdict, stating, “The conviction of a film made with official permission from the Cinema Organization and internationally acclaimed does not help solve cinema’s problems, but signals concerning treatment of independent works.”

Last month, the ICFR instigated a large petition campaign, together with the international co-producers and distributors of My Favourite Cake, in support of Maryam & Behtash, which led to more than 18,000 signatures from all over the world - including such film luminaries as Pedro Almodóvar, Juliette Binoche, Hiam Abbass, Ali Abbasi and Jean-Pierre Dardenne, as well as film instutions such as the film festivals of Rotterdam, Venice, Berlin, Sydney, IDFA and Movies That Matter. The global outcry was quickly noticed by trade publications (Deadline, The Hollywood Reporter, Variety) as well as The New York Times. Organizations such as the Swedish Film Directors' union and the Berlinale, have publicly stated their support for the filmmakers as well.

The filmmaking team believes that the public international and Iranian support for their case has positively impacted their court proceedings, and they encourage every one to keep standing with them as they currently consult with their lawyers to decide on the best path forward. The ICFR continues to monitor and be in close contact with the filmmakers as they seek the best options for them, with the current suspended prison sentences hanging in the balance.

This should not, however, stop the rest of us from continuing our vocal and visible support for their situation. The ICFR thanks each and every supporter for their commitment to the fates of our Iranian colleagues, and we continue to demand that the Iranian authorities drop all their charges against the filmmakers and release them back into society — and back to a life in which they can travel freely and make the films that are true to them, as every filmmaker should be able to do.

International Coalition for Filmmakers at Risk