Berlinale to protest jailing of Iranian filmmaker

The Berlin Film Festival will screen several of Iranian director Jafar Panahi's award-winning films, including his 2006 film, Offside, in an effort to support the imprisoned filmmaker and protest his incarceration. Panahi had been selected to be a member of festival's jury, but that was before he was imprisoned in his home country for inciting protests and making films without state permission. "We are going to use every opportunity to protest against this drastic verdict," Berlinale director Dieter Kosslick said in a statement. In addition, there will be a panel with Iranian artists discussing censorship and the restriction of freedom of opinion in Iran on Feb. 17.

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