Press Release by
www.oscar.org
Beverly Hills, CA (October 19, 2011) -
In September 2011, the Iranian government arrested six independent filmmakers
for allegedly working with the BBC, on charges including espionage and treason.
Along with the ongoing house arrest of director Jafar Panahi and the prior
arrest of actress Marzieh Vafamehr, who was later sentenced to one year in
prison and 90 lashes, the arrests sparked outrage from filmmaking communities
within Iran and around the world. Prior to the release of two of the filmmakers,
all six were denied access to their lawyers and families, who were forced to
remain silent.
The detained members of Iranian film community
The following entertainment industry organizations stand
united in their support for the rights of these artists and call for their
immediate release.
Statement from the Board of Governors of the Academy
of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences
As an international organization representing over 6000 artists in 35 countries,
the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is deeply concerned whenever and
wherever the rights of filmmakers are threatened. The recent arrest of six
Iranian filmmakers, the sentence of "one year in jail and 90 lashes" to an
actress just for playing a role in an acclaimed film, and the continued house
arrest of Jafar Panahi, among others, is a situation that demands our serious
attention. These filmmakers - and others - are artists, not political
combatants. We join our colleagues around the world in calling unequivocally for
these filmmakers' safety, release, and return to filmmaking. They deserve the
same, full freedom of expression that the overwhelming majority of our members
enjoy every day, no matter where they are from, no matter where they work, no
matter what their beliefs.
Statement from the Board of Directors of American
Cinema Editors
The American Cinema Editors is an organization of more than 500 professional
film editors in the United States and around the globe. We join with the other
members of the filmmaking community in expressing our deep concern whenever and
wherever the basic human rights of free expression are threatened.
As storytellers, we feel that the arrest of fellow artists for
expressing their beliefs, revealing truths and pursuing creative freedom, no
matter how controversial, is a story that should no longer have to be told in
the 21st century.
Statement from the Board of Governors of the American
Society of Cinematographers
The American Society of Cinematographers is an organization of more than 300
professional directors of photography in the United States and throughout the
world. We foster the collaboration of cinematographers and the creative exchange
of ideas and issues of mutual concern to our members and to the global
filmmaking community. We are deeply concerned whenever and wherever the rights
of filmmakers are threatened. We share these concerns with our fellow guilds and
film organizations: The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), The
Directors Guild of America (DGA), The Producers Guild of America (PGA), The
Screen Actors Guild (SAG), The Writers Guilds of America East and West (WGA),
the American Cinema Editors (ACE) and the International Documentary Association
(IDA).
We are deeply concerned regarding the recent arrest of six
Iranian filmmakers. The sentence of "one year in jail and 90 lashes" to an
actress just for playing a role in an acclaimed film, and the continued house
arrest of Jafar Panahi, among others, is a situation that demands our serious
attention. These filmmakers - and others - are artists, not political
combatants. We join our colleagues and cinematographers around the world in
calling unequivocally for these Iranian filmmakers' safety, release, and return
to filmmaking. They deserve the same, full freedom of expression that the
overwhelming majority of our members enjoy every day, no matter where they are
from, no matter where they work, no matter what their beliefs.
Statement from the Directors Guild of America
The Directors Guild of America joins our colleagues and fellow artists around
the world in condemning the baseless and cruel imprisonment or detainment of
filmmakers by the Iranian government.
We first raised this issue last year immediately after the
sentencing of prominent Iranian filmmaker Jafar Panahi. We are extremely
concerned that not only does Panahi remain under arrest, but the Iranian
government continues to detain filmmakers and other artists without cause.
As an organization representing 14,500 directors and members
of the directorial team who live and work all over the world, it is our belief
that for a society to flourish, artists must have the freedom to live and work
without fear of imprisonment, retribution or censorship. Creative freedom is an
essential building block of liberty, culture, civil and human rights, and we
join the world community in opposing any attempt to suppress the rights of
artists to engage in creative expression. We hope the Iranian government will
release these filmmakers and recognize that their creative works can only
strengthen and enrich Iranian society.
Statement from the International Documentary
Association
The International Documentary Association believes that the power and artistry
of film is vital to cultures and societies globally, and we fiercely defend the
rights of filmmakers and artists everywhere to practice their art and to seek
and reveal truth in their work, however provocative that truth may be. We
strenuously uphold the principles of free speech and freedom from censorship.
The expression of truth should never be silenced by the exercise of power by a
State or system of authority that may feel threatened by the content of the
artistic or journalistic work-both essential elements of democracy. Together
with our entire international community of documentary filmmakers, The
International Documentary Association calls for the release and fair treatment
of Iranian filmmakers, artists, and actors. These artists, and other filmmakers,
actors and journalists like them, must be immediately released and allowed to
continue their artistic and journalistic work without restriction or penalty. We
stand united with them, as do artists across the globe. And we will continue to
fight for their fundamental human right of self-expression.
Statement from the Producers Guild of America
As supporters of creative freedom, the Producers Guild of America, on behalf of
its more than 4,800 members, wishes to express its profound dismay over the
treatment of producer Katayoun Shahabi, directors Jafar Panahi, Naser Saffarian,
Hadi Afarideh, Mojtaba Mirtahmasb and Shahnam Bazdar, and journalist and
documentarian Mohsen Shahrnazdar at the hands of their Iranian government. The
silencing of these voices and others via arrest, coercion and political pressure
is unacceptable, and we stand steadfast with our colleagues within the industry
and around the world in calling for their release. We look forward to the day
when these storytellers are permitted to resume their callings, and hope that
even in their captivity, these artists know that they have the sympathy, respect
and support of our creative community.
Statement from Screen Actors Guild
Iran has a strong tradition of artistic expression reaching back thousands of
years. That tradition is under attack in a contemporary Iran that has
seemingly turned against its own artists. Screen Actors Guild deeply deplores
the persecution of actor Marzieh Vafamehr and the filmmakers and other
entertainment and media industry representatives now under attack in Iran. We
add our voices to the thousands of artists worldwide calling on the Iranian
government to immediately free Marzieh and the other artists and filmmakers
imprisoned because of their artistic and cultural endeavors. We urge Iran to
refrain from stifling the artistic expression of its citizens and to let their
unique and valuable voices be heard once again.
Statement from the Writers Guilds of America, West and
East
The Writers Guilds of America West and East add their voices to the calls for
the release of writer/director Jafar Panahi, now under house arrest, and all
other members of Iran's creative community unjustly imprisoned or detained.
The art of Iran is one of the great treasures of humankind.
Its cinema has a long and vibrant history--and in recent years, the Iranian
cinema has been one of the very brightest lights illuminating the art form for
the rest of the world. Its filmmakers represent the richness of Iranian culture
and the extraordinary imagination of the Iranian people. All of us are poorer
when their voices are stilled.
We urge the government of Iran to remember that these are
artists, not political enemies, that they have, as all free people do, the right
to hold and express opinions. And we urge the government of Iran to remember
that their work is the most powerful ambassador of understanding between the
people of Iran and the people of the world.
Nothing is more dangerous to a society than the silencing of
art. Therefore, we ask the government of Iran to release its filmmakers and to
allow them to live and to work freely, as they have previously done in their
country and as most of their fellow artists do in the rest of the world.
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