Marzieh Vafamehr: Iranian actress sentenced to 90 lashes | Daily Mail Online An Iranian actress who made a film challenging the limits imposed on artists in the Islamic republic has been sentenced to 90 lashes and a year in jail. Actress Marzieh Vafamehr was handed the sentence on Saturday, according to a Iranian opposition website Kalameh.com. 'A verdict has been issued for Marzieh Vafamehr, sentencing her to a year in jail and 90 lashes. Her lawyer has appealed the sentence,' the website stated. Scroll down for trailer Arrest: Marzieh Vafamehr was first questioned by police in July after appearing in My Tehran For Sale (pictured) which came under criticism in conservative circles Vafamehr was arrested in July after appearing in My Tehran For Sale, which came under harsh criticism in conservative circles. The film, produced in collaboration with Australia, tells the story of a young actress in Tehran whose theatre work is banned by the authorities. RELATED ARTICLES Share She is then forced to lead a secret life in order to express herself artistically. The film was part of the official selection for the Toronto International Film Festival in 2009.

The Fars news agency said the movie had not been approved for screening in Iran and was being distributed in the country illegally. Controversial plot: Vafamehr in a still from My Theran For Sale, which tells the story of a young actress whose theatre work is banned by the authorities Damning subtitles: In one scene, where Vafamehr's character returns to her family home, she is told that her visit is not appreciated by all Vafamehr was released in late July after posting unspecified bail. She is not the only person in the Iranian film industry to face harsh treatment. The government arrested a further six independent filmmakers last month, on charges of collaborating with the BBC to show the country in a poor light. Two of them, Naser Saffarian and Mohsen Shahrnazdar, who were accused of providing the BBC's Farsi foreign language service with information, films and secret reports to paint "a black picture of Iran and Iranians," were released Saturday, the Iranian Documentary Filmmakers Association said.

Criticism: My Tehran For Sale, a film about a young actress in Tehran, was being distributed in Iran illegally, according to Fars news agency Vafamehr's family had requested a Western media blackout of the case since her arrest, but Iranian opposition website Kalameh.com went public with news of the actress's punishment yesterday. The co-producer of the film, Kate Croser of Cyan Films, told News.co.au that she had offered assistance to the family. But she added: 'There is an appeal, which could be lengthy, and the family may still believe that public comment will be unhelpful - because they are going through all the official channels. 'We can say the charges were that there was no permit for filming, which is not true, and that in some scenes Marzieh was not wearing a hijab and had a shaved head.' Website: Iranian actress faces jail, lashing Website: Iranian actress faces jail, lashing KRISTEN GELINEAU - Associated Press Pin it Share SYDNEY (AP) — The Australian producers of a film critical of Iran said Tuesday that they are appalled at reports that an Iranian actress has been sentenced to a year in prison and 90 lashes for appearing in the movie.

Reports of the sentence against Marzieh Vafamehr appeared on the Iranian opposition website Kalameh.com on Monday, though no official statement from the government has been issued. The website said that Vafamehr was arrested in July and that her attorney has appealed the sentence. "My Tehran for Sale" was shot in the Iranian capital and is critical of the Islamic republic's hard-line policies. The film tells the story of a young actress whose stage work is banned by authorities The film was produced by the South Australia-based company Cyan Films and directed by Iranian-Australian Granaz Moussavi. It premiered at the Adelaide Film Festival in 2009, but is banned in Iran. On Tuesday, producers Julie Ryan and Kate Croser said they were "deeply shocked and appalled" by the reports of Vafamehr's sentence. Ryan and Croser said that they did not know the specifics of the charges against Vafamehr, but that they believe the accusations relate to scenes in which she appears without a hijab headscarf. The producers said that Marzieh's punishment appears to be unprecedented, and that actresses have appeared without a hijab in several other Iranian films.

"We would like to express our deep shock and sadness at the sentence imposed by the Iranian government against actress Marzieh Vafamehr," Croser and Ryan said in a statement. "And we continue to offer our support to Marzieh and her family by respecting their wishes to let the case and the appeal follow the proper legal channels." Cyan Films worked with an Iranian production company on the movie and obtained all necessary government permits, the producers said. "The accusations against Marzieh have no grounds," Moussavi, the director, said in a statement. "All the documentation has been provided to the Iranian court to show that permits were in place for the production of the film." Lashing sentences are not uncommon in Iran, but many are not carried out. Australian Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd also criticized the sentence. "The Australian government condemns the use of cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment and is deeply concerned by reports that Ms. Marzieh Vafamehr has been sentenced to one year in jail and 90 lashes for her role in an Australian-produced film," a spokeswoman for Rudd said in a statement.

"The Australian government urges Iran to protect the rights of all Iranians and foreign citizens." Reblog Iranian actor sentenced to 90 lashes for featuring in banned film | World news | The Guardian Iran Iranian actor sentenced to 90 lashes for featuring in banned film Marzieh Vafamehr also given one-year jail term for appearing in My Tehran for Sale with a shaved head and without a hijab Marzieh Vafamehr has been sentenced to 90 lashes and one year in jail for her role in My Tehran for Sale. Photograph: Bonnie Elliott/Miranda Brown Publicity/EPA Iran Iranian actor sentenced to 90 lashes for featuring in banned film Marzieh Vafamehr also given one-year jail term for appearing in My Tehran for Sale with a shaved head and without a hijab Tuesday 11 October 2011 14.15 EDT First published on Tuesday 11 October 2011 14.15 EDT Close This article is 5 years old For one Iranian actor, life is mirroring art, in the most gruesome of ways. Two years ago Marzieh Vafamehr starred in a film about an actor whose theatre work is banned in Iran .

Now she faces a year in prison and 90 lashes after Iranian officials took exception to the film, which is itself banned inside the country. Her crime? Appearing in an Australian film which is critical of the Islamic regime with her head uncovered. Vafamehr, wife of the acclaimed film-maker Nasser Taghvai, was arrested in July after starring in My Tehran for Sale, which touches on many of the taboo issues of modern life in Iran. "A sentence of one year in jail and 90 lashes has been issued for Marzieh Vafamehr," said a report published on Kaleme.com, a news website close to opposition leader Mir Hossein Mousavi . Her lawyer has appealed against the sentence, it said. Iranian human rights activists have reacted with outrage to her conviction and in particular the fact that she faces 90 lashes. It comes only two days after a student activist, Peyman Aref, was lashed 74 times in Tehran's Evin prison for insulting the president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad . The film, directed by Granaz Moussavi, features Vafamehr as an actor who flees to Australia as an illegal immigrant after being persecuted in Iran.

She appears with a shaved head and without a hijab in some scenes. In the film, an underground party where men and women dance and drink is disrupted by a group of moral police who arrest some of the partygoers. My Tehran for Sale premiered at the Adelaide film festival in 2009 but remains banned in Iran. The Australian producers of the film, Julie Ryan and Kate Crose, said they were appalled by Vafamehr's sentence in a statement issued on Tuesday. "We would like to express our deep shock and sadness at the sentence imposed by the Iranian government against actress Marzieh Vafamehr," said the statement. "And we continue to offer our support to Marzieh and her family by respecting their wishes to let the case and the appeal follow the proper legal channels." Parviz Jahed, an Iranian film critic based in London, said Vafamehr's sentence was a "disgrace" for Iranian officials and a "tragedy" for the country's film industry. "It is a tragedy for an actress to be lashed and imprisoned solely for playing a role in a film," he told the Guardian.

"Iran is creating an atmosphere in which an actor will have fear for his or her future after starring in a film. "Other actors in the world are enjoying their career while Iranian actors should worry about the consequences of appearing in a film." Jahed described Vafamehr as a "hostage" held by Iranian officials rather than a prisoner. "They have no access to the film's producers in Australia, so they want to take revenge from its actress instead, she's taken as a ransom," he said. It is said that Iranian officials allege the film was illegally produced inside the country, but director Moussavi said she had all the necessary permits. "The accusations against Marzieh have no grounds," Moussavi said. "All the documentation has been provided to the Iranian court to show that permits were in place for the production of the film." In response to reports about Vafamehr's uncovered head, Moussavi said in an interview with an Australian newspaper: "It was not necessary to have the conventional hijab because technically there's no hair … It's a very harsh outcome for something that is not written in law." The Australian government condemned Vafamehr's sentence on Tuesday and said it was "deeply concerned" by it.

In September, Iran arrested four documentary film-makers and a distributor accused of secretly working for the London-based BBC Persian TV channel, but released two of them last week. Other members of Iran's film industry have also been arrested in recent years. Pegah Ahangarani, a popular actor was released from jail in July. Director Jafar Panahi received a six-year prison term and 20-year ban from film-making last year. Mohammad Rasoulof was also sentenced to six years in jail. Ramin Parchami, an actor who voiced support for the opposition, still remains in jail. In relation to the punishment meted out to Peyman Aref, Ahmadinejad criticised the flogging, saying that high-profile political figures often criticise the government with impunity. Iran's embassy in London did not return Guardian phone calls asking for comment over Vafamehr's sentence.

Iranian actress faces 90 lashes, prison - World - CBC News Iranian actress faces 90 lashes, prison The Associated Press Posted: Oct 11, 2011 2:17 AM ET Last Updated: Oct 11, 2011 6:14 AM ET Reports of the sentence against Marzieh Vafamehr, seen in a scene from the movie My Tehran for Sale, appeared on the Iranian opposition website Kalameh.com (Cyan Films/Bonnie Elliott) Related Stories Cannes peeks into Iran with covertly shot films The Australian producers of a film critical of Iran said Tuesday that they are appalled at reports that an Iranian actress has been sentenced to a year in prison and 90 lashes for appearing in the movie. Reports of the sentence against Marzieh Vafamehr appeared on the Iranian opposition website Kalameh.com on Monday, though no official statement from the government has been issued. The website said that Vafamehr was arrested in July and that her attorney has appealed the sentence. My Tehran for Sale was shot in the Iranian capital and is critical of the Islamic republic's hard-line policies.

The film tells the story of a young actress whose stage work is banned by authorities The film was produced by the South Australia-based company Cyan Films and directed by Iranian-Australian Granaz Moussavi. It premiered at the Adelaide Film Festival in 2009, but is banned in Iran. On Tuesday, producers Julie Ryan and Kate Croser said they were "deeply shocked and appalled" by the reports of Vafamehr's sentence. Ryan and Croser said that they did not know the specifics of the charges against Vafamehr, but that they believe the accusations relate to scenes in which she appears without a hijab headscarf. The producers said that Marzieh's punishment appears to be unprecedented, and that actresses have appeared without a hijab in several other Iranian films. "We would like to express our deep shock and sadness at the sentence imposed by the Iranian government against actress Marzieh Vafamehr," Croser and Ryan said in a statement. "And we continue to offer our support to Marzieh and her family by respecting their wishes to let the case and the appeal follow the proper legal channels." Cyan Films worked with an Iranian production company on the movie and obtained all necessary government permits, the producers said.

"The accusations against Marzieh have no grounds," Moussavi, the director, said in a statement. "All the documentation has been provided to the Iranian court to show that permits were in place for the production of the film." Lashing sentences are not uncommon in Iran, but many are not carried out. Australian Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd also criticized the sentence. "The Australian government condemns the use of cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment and is deeply concerned by reports that Ms. Marzieh Vafamehr has been sentenced to one year in jail and 90 lashes for her role in an Australian-produced film," a spokeswoman for Rudd said in a statement. "The Australian government urges Iran to protect the rights of all Iranians and foreign citizens." Marzieh Vafamehr - News 17 January 2017 8:34 AM, PST NEWS 30 October 2011 10:13 PM, PDT | Digital Spy | See recent Digital Spy - Movie News news » Marzieh Vafamehr has been released from prison.

The Iranian actress, who is best known internationally for starring in My Tehran for Sale , was imprisoned and sentenced to 90 lashes for her role in the Australian-produced movie earlier this year. Amnesty International's campaigns manager Hannah Harborow told Adelaide Now: "We are extremely pleased to hear that Marzieh has been released without being subjected to the cruel and degrading punishment of flogging, but the crackdown on filmmakers continues in Iran. "Marzieh seems to have been released after an appeal court reduced her imprisonment to three months and overturned the (more) » - By Rebecca Davies 29 October 2011 9:37 AM, PDT | The Guardian - Film News | See recent The Guardian - Film News news » Marzieh Vafamehr , who appeared in a film critical of Iran's repressive policies, has had her harsh sentence lifted An Iranian court has overturned the lashing sentence imposed an an actor after she appeared in a film critical of the Islamic republic's repressive policies, according to Amnesty International. Marzieh Vafamehr , who appeared with her head uncovered in the film My Tehran for Sale , was released from prison after her sentence of one year in prison and 90 lashes was overturned on appeal.

Amnesty said Vafamehr was released on Monday night, although there has been no report on her case in Iranian media. Vafamehr, wife of the acclaimed film-maker Nasser Taghvai , was arrested in July after Iranian authorities took exception to the film about an actor whose theatre work is banned in Iran. The film, directed by Granaz Moussavi , features Vafamehr as an actor who flees to Australia as an illegal immigrant after being persecuted in Iran. » - David Batty 29 October 2011 7:49 AM, PDT | MUBI | See recent MUBI news » "Two decades ago everything tasted better when drizzled with the special chocolate sauce of 'postmodernism,' and Twin Peaks was the most ironic cherry pie vehicle for that addictive popular culture had yet baked up," writes Dennis Harvey in the San Francisco Bay Guardian.

"It was so cool you could hardly believe it was actually being watched." Tonight, the Roxie and MIDNiTES For MANiACS present a "20th Anniversary Celebration for David Lynch 's Twin Peaks " that kicks off with Otto Preminger 's Laura (1944), the inspiration for Lynch and Mark Frost 's series, followed by the pilot and Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me (1922). "Plus, pie on sale all night courtesy of Three Babes Bakeshop!" How to Be a Retronaut points us to a fine set of photos at Welcome to Twin Peaks : "When Twin Peaks ' in-house photographer had quit and no further promotional shots were needed since the show was cancelled, » Marzieh Vafamehr Iranian actress Marzieh Vafamehr who was arrested for her role in the Australian film My Tehran For Sale has been released from jail, according to Amnesty International. The actress was arrested and sentenced to a year in jail and 90 lashes for a scene in the film where she didn’t wear a head covering. She was released on Monday without suffering the additional punishment of 90 lashes after her imprisonment was reduced to three months.

“As filmmakers we believe in freedom of speech and support all artists who are imprisoned and punished in Iran for expressing themselves through their art,” said My Tehran For Sale producers Kate Croser and Julie Ryan of Cyan Films in a joint statement. The film was funded by the Adelaide Film Festival and South Australian Film Corporation, and premiered at the Adelaide Film Festival in 2009, without officially releasing in Iran. » 28 October 2011 3:56 PM, PDT | WENN | See recent WENN news » Iranian actress Marzieh Vafamehr has been released from jail - three months after she was taken into custody for starring in an acclaimed Australian film which has been banned in her native country. Vafamehr was sentenced to one year behind bars and ordered to receive 90 lashes after appearing in the 2009 drama My Tehran for Sale , the storyline for which is critical of the Islamic country's hard-line policies. The actress is believed to have been punished for featuring in the film without her traditional hijab headscarf. But the sentence was overturned by officials at an appeals court on Monday, when her jail term was reduced to the three months already served.

Human rights activists at Amnesty International have hailed the star's release, although they insist it is "deeply worrying" that other Iranian directors, including Jafar Panahi and Mehran Zinatbakhsh, were still imprisoned for speaking out against Iran's oppressive regime through the medium of film. Last week (begs17Oct11), officials at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, Directors Guild of America and the American Society of Cinematographers all joined forces to call for the immediate release of the filmmakers imprisoned in Iran. » 28 October 2011 3:06 PM, PDT | The Wrap | See recent The Wrap news » Iranian actress Marzieh Vafamehr was released from prison Monday after her sentence was overturned by an appeals court, Amnesty International reports. Vafamehr had been sentenced to a year in prison and 90 lashes for appearing in the 2009 Australian film " My Tehran for Sale ," which is banned in Iran. In the movie -- which was filmed in the Iranian capital -- Vafamehr is seen with a shaved head, and without the head covering that's required of Iranian women.

In one scene, she also appears to drink alcohol -- also a no-no » - Tim Kenneally 27 October 2011 6:16 PM, PDT | IF.com.au | See recent IF.com.au news » Iranian actress Marzieh Vafamehr has been released from jail, according to Amnesty International. Vafamehr was sentenced to 90 lashes and one year in jail for her role in the feature film My Tehran For Sale , sparking outrage among the local film community, which petitioned for her release. My Tehran For Sale was partially funded by the South Australian Film Corporation. Vafamehr had already served four months in jail but has now been released after her sentence was reduced to three months and no corporal punishment. Actors Equity Australia director Simon Whipp welcomed the news. .However, it is deeply disturbing that any performer could be found guilty of committing a crime and sentenced to three months in jail for appearing in a feature film," he said in a statement.

» - Brendan Swift 27 October 2011 12:55 PM, PDT | Alt Film Guide | See recent Alt Film Guide news » Marzieh Vafamehr , the Iranian actress sentenced to one year in jail and 90 lashes for taking part in Granaz Moussavi 's 2009 Australian drama My Tehran for Sale , was released on Monday night (Oct. 24). According to Amnesty International, an appeals court reduced Vafamehr's jail time to three months and overturned the flogging sentence. In My Tehran for Sale , Vafamehr is shown in one scene without the head-covering scarf. In another, she "appears to drink alcohol." Despite the good news regarding Vafamehr, Iran's filmmakers continue to be persecuted by that country's rabid Islamic regime. On September 17, documentary directors Hadi Afarideh, Naser Saffarian, Mohsen Shahrnazdar, and producer and distributor Katayoun Shahabi were arrested for having allegedly sold their films to several broadcasters, including the BBC. As per Amnesty International, the first three were released on bail, but Shahabi remains in custody.

Amnesty adds that director Mehran Zinatbakhsh "is also believed to have been arrested » - Andre Soares 19 October 2011 3:55 PM, PDT | Hitfix | See recent Hitfix news » Hollywood's most powerful organizations released a joint statement today calling for the release of six Iranian filmmakers including director Jafar Panahi and actor Marzieh Vafamehr . Lauded as one of Iran's greatest living filmmakers, Panahi is serving a six-year jail sentence under house arrest and is banned for making any films for 20 years. He recently appeared in the critically acclaimed pseudo-documentary " This Is Not A Film " which screened at the Cannes, Toronto and New York Film Festivals.

Vahamehr is an actress who was given a year in jail and 90 lashes for appearing in the 2009 film " My Tehran For Sale " (her » 17 October 2011 10:34 AM, PDT | Deadline | See recent Deadline news » Somehow this slipped past us this weekend, but Iran has taken another step toward silencing one of the country’s most important filmmakers after an appeals court upheld a six-year jail sentence, according to various reports that included the government-run newspaper Iran. According to that newspaper: “The charges he was sentenced for are acting against national security and propaganda against the regime.” His colleague Mohammad Rasoulof also faced a six-year sentence, and that was knocked down to one year. Panahi’s sentence includes a 20-year ban on making films, and traveling abroad. The convictions against Jafar Panahi and Rasoulof prompted an outcry among filmmakers, Amnesty International and international film festivals this year. Panahi’s lawyers reportedly will appeal again, but things are looking dire for an award-winning filmmaker who publicly mourned the deaths of protesters in the presidential elections, and reports say he and Rasoulof reportedly made a film about the aftermath.

» - MIKE FLEMING 12 October 2011 8:13 PM, PDT | MUBI | See recent MUBI news » The Viennale posted its full program last night. Besides this year's festival standards (Kaurismäki's Le Havre, Cronenberg's A Dangerous Method and so on), there'll be a Chantal Akerman retrospective, a strand devoted to new work by Jean-Marie Straub , another to Sasha Pirker, and another to Lee Anne Schmitt , a focus on Austrian silent films of the 1920s, another on Reinhard Kahn and Michel Leiner, tributes to Soi Cheang , producer Jeremy Thomas and Harry Belafonte , and Ulrich Seidl will screen a work-in-progress.

In A Short History of Cahiers du Cinéma (2009), Emilie Bickerton "restates the main polemical point" of her essay that originally appeared in the New Left Review in 2006, namely, as Bill Krohn puts it at Kino Slang, "that the Cahiers is dead as a doornail… As someone who has been writing for the Cahiers during the thirty-year period that Bickerton judges to have been one of steep decline, I'd better » 11 October 2011 11:53 PM, PDT | Digital Spy | See recent Digital Spy - Movie News news » A number of Australian filmmakers have revealed that they are "appalled" at the recent sentencing given to an Iranian actress for her role in a movie. The company behind Australian-produced My Tehran for Sale , which tells the story of Iran's harsh rulings on the arts, said it is "deeply shocked" that the film's leading actress Marzieh Vafamehr will face a year in jail and 90 lashes as a punishment.

Executives told The ABC: "Adelaide-based company Cyan Films worked with an established Iranian production company to produce the film and all proper government permits were obtained for filming." Producers Julie Ryan and Kate Croser said: "The producers would like to emphasise that Marzieh's involvement in the film was limited to her role as an actress and she was not in any other way involved in the behind-the-scenes filmmaking. (more) » - By Rebecca Davies 11 October 2011 5:35 PM, PDT | The Wrap | See recent The Wrap news » An Iranian actress has been sentenced to 90 lashes and a year in jail for starring in an Australian movie with a shaved head -- and no head-covering. Marzieh Vafamehr , who appeared in " My Tehran for Sale ," has appealed the sentence. According to Amnesty International, Vafamehr also appears to drink alcohol in the movie. Consuming alcohol is banned under Iranian law. The penalty is 80 lashes -- for the first offense. The Australian movie, oddly enough, is about an actress in Iran who is forced to live a secret life in order to » - Joshua L.

Weinstein 11 October 2011 4:06 PM, PDT | The Guardian - Film News | See recent The Guardian - Film News news » Marzieh Vafamehr also given one-year jail term for appearing in My Tehran for Sale with a shaved head and without a hijab For one Iranian actor, life is mirroring art, in the most gruesome of ways. Two years ago Marzieh Vafamehr starred in a film about an actor whose theatre work is banned in Iran. Now she faces a year in prison and 90 lashes after Iranian officials took exception to the film, which is itself banned inside the country. Her crime? Appearing in an Australian film which is critical of the Islamic regime with her head uncovered. Vafamehr, wife of the acclaimed film-maker Nasser Taghvai , was arrested in July after starring in My Tehran for Sale , which touches on many of the taboo issues of modern life in Iran. "A sentence of one year in jail and 90 lashes has been issued for Marzieh Vafamehr ," said a report published on Kaleme.

» - Saeed Kamali Dehghan 11 October 2011 4:05 PM, PDT | IF.com.au | See recent IF.com.au news » Australian filmmakers have offered their support to Iranian actress, Marzieh Vafamehr , who has been sentenced to one year in prison and ninety lashes for her role in the film My Tehran for Sale . The charges against Vafamehr, who was originally arrested in July of this year, remain unclear but the film.s Australian producers, Julie Ryan and Kate Croser of Cyan Films , believe they relate to scenes in which the actress appears with a shaved head and no headscarf. My Tehran for Sale , which won the 2009 If Independent Spirit Award, tells the story of Marzieh (Vafamehr), an actress struggling under her country's controls over artistic expression.

The government has banned her work, and her romance with an Iranian-Australian expat ( Amir Chegini ) leads her to consider life outside » - Danii Logue 11 October 2011 4:02 PM, PDT | FilmInk.com.au | See recent FilmInk.com.au news » The Australian filmmakers and investors behind My Tehran For Sale are deeply shocked and appalled at the news of Iranian actress Marzieh Vafamehr 's sentence over the weekend. The actress was sentenced to a year in prison and 90 lashes for her role in the South Australian-produced movie critical of the Islamic republic's hard-line policies. The film, which was shot on location in Tehran in 2008, sees Vafamehr (a real life friend of director Granaz Moussavi ) play a stage actress struggling to reconcile her love for her country with her desire for cultural freedom. After meeting an Iranian man with Australian citizenship, she begins planning to escape - first by orderly means and then via ways that see her in detention.

» 11 October 2011 9:20 AM, PDT | Movies.com | See recent Movies.com news » Surprise, Surprise: In a rare, work-in-progress "secret screening" last night, the New York Film Festival debuted Hugo , Martin Scorsese 's 3D children's film (pictured above, not in true 3D). The director introduced the screening; audience reaction was evidently favorable; the film will be released to the general public on November 23. Movies was in attendance, and you can check out our initial reaction here. Iranian Actress Sentenced: Opposition website Kalameh.com reports that actress Marzieh Vafamehr has been sentenced to one year in prison and 90 lashes for appearing without a hijab headscarf in My Tehran for Sale , a film critical of Iran's policies. (AP via CBS News) Theaters Strike Back : Open rebellion by exhibitors continues against... Read More 11 October 2011 8:00 AM, PDT | eyeforfilm.co.uk | See recent eyeforfilm.co.uk news » Marzieh Vafamehr will also be jailed for starring in controversial film.

In a continuation of their crackdown on perceived dissident filmmakers, the Iranian courts have sentenced actress Marzieh Vafamehr to 90 lashes and a year in prison for starring in a film about censorship. Vafamehr, who is married to director Nasser Taghvai , has been condemned in part because she appeared in one scene without wearing a hijab. The film, My Tehran For Sale , was made by an Australian company but included filming done in the Iranian capital. It explores issues relating to Iran's censorship » - Jennie Kermode 10 October 2011 11:51 PM, PDT | Women and Hollywood | See recent Women and Hollywood news » Folks- this is not going away and I will do my best to keep this alive until Marzieh Vafamehr and others held in Iran are released. Yesterday, I wrote that the lead actress of My Tehran for Sale Marzieh Vafamehr was sentenced to 90 lashes and a year in jail. That sentence was imposed for acting in a film. The film was shot in Iran and produced by two Australian women Julie Ryan and Kate Croser and directed by an Iranian-Australian woman Granaz Moussavi .

It was partially funded by the Australian government. The producers have released a statement in light… » Iranian Actress Faces Flogging Over Film | Deadline Iranian Actress Faces Flogging Over Film My Tehran For Sale An Iranian actress has been sentenced to 90 lashes and a year in prison for appearing in an Australian film showing her not wearing a headscarf. Marziah Vafamehr, star of 2009 film My Tehran For Sale , was imprisoned in July. Her sentence has been revealed by Iranian opposition website Kalameh.com . Australian Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd said the Australian government was “deeply concerned” about Vafamehr’s arrest. Cyan Films, the South Australia-based production company which made the award-winning film, said it was “deeply shocked and appalled” by her sentence. Ironically, My Tehran For Sale follows an actress who finds herself banned from working on stage by the Iranian authorities. The film shows Iranian young people going to underground raves, smoking hashish and having sex before marriage – behaving, in short, like most young people around the world do. The producers have said the film was never intended for distribution within Iran, and its dissemination on the black market in Tehran has been totally outside their control.

“We continue to offer our support to Marzieh and her family by respecting their wishes to let the case and the appeal follow the proper legal channels,” producers Kate Croser and Julie Ryan said in a statement. There is confusion as to what Vafamehr has been arrested for: she appears to have been arrested on grounds that My Tehran For Sale was shot in the Iranian capital without proper shooting permits. Both Cyan Films and Vafamehr’s husband, Iranian filmmaker Nasser Taghvai, deny this. Vafahmehr’s sentence comes the day after Islamist protestors in Tunisia tried to set fire to a TV station that screened Oscar-nominated film Persepolis: That film follows a young girl as she comes of age against the backdrop of the Iranian revolution. According to Kalameh.com, Vafamehr’s lawyer has appealed the sentence. Here is the trailer: Iranian actress sentenced to 90 lashes, 1 year in jail | Reuters Tue Oct 11, 2011 | 10:01 PM EDT Iranian actress sentenced to 90 lashes, 1 year in jail By Joshua L.

Weinstein LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - An Iranian actress has been sentenced to 90 lashes and a year in jail for starring in an Australian movie with a shaved head -- and no head-covering. Marzieh Vafamehr, who appeared in "My Tehran for Sale," has appealed the sentence. According to Amnesty International, Vafamehr also appears to drink alcohol in the movie. Consuming alcohol is banned under Iranian law. The penalty is 80 lashes -- for the first offense. The Australian movie, oddly enough, is about an actress in Iran who is forced to live a secret life in order to express herself. In a written statement to TheWrap, producers Julie Ryan and Kate Croser said Tuesday that the actress's involvement in the film "was limited to her role as an actress and she was not in any other way involved in the behind-the-scenes filmmaking." "As producers of the film 'My Tehran for Sale' we would like to express our deep shock and sadness at the sentence imposed by the Iranian government," they wrote.

Richard Harris, CEO of the South Australian Film Corp., wrote, "We are deeply disturbed by Marzieh Vafamehr's sentence for appearing in Granaz Moussavi's groundbreaking film, which is itself about the risks that artists are prepared to take for creative expression." Amnesty International on Tuesday criticized the sentence -- and flogging in general. "If Vafamehr is held solely on account of the peaceful exercise of her right to freedom of expression, she should be released immediately and unconditionally," the human rights organization said in a written statement. Vafamehr's sentence is only the most recent example of the Iranian regime's ongoing crackdown on the entertainment industry. On September 17, Iran arrested five documentary directors and a producer and distributor. Among them was Mojtaba Mirtahmasb, who was detained at the Tehran airport as he prepared to go to the Toronto Film Festival. And in December 2010, director Jafar Panahi was arrested. He has been sentenced to six years in prison and was banned from filmmaking and from speaking with the foreign press for 20 years.

ADVERTISEMENT UPDATE: MARZIEH VAFAMEHR, 90 LASHES « Jon Rappoport's Blog UPDATE: MARZIEH VAFAMEHR/90 LASHES OCTOBER 12, 2011. Iranian actress sentenced to a year in prison and 90 lashes by the government of Iran—for acting in a film portraying the plight of free-thinking artists in her country. Many brief press reports, no major media campaign on her behalf, fellow actors in America fail to organize, remain silent. Well, I spoke with spokesperson Megan Mattson at the US State Department a few minutes ago, and she released the following statement: “We are deeply disturbed by today’s news that independent filmmaker and actress Marzieh Vafamehr was sentenced to 90 lashes and one year for her work in the independent film ‘My Tehran for Sale.’ “Her sentence is a clear example of Iran’s increasing crackdown on its media and cultural figures. Bloggers, students, religious figures, artists, journalists and civil society activists are all suffering at the hands of a regime that hypocritically champions freedom in neighboring countries but fails to grant such liberties at home.

“These actions only intensify Iran’s isolation in the international community. We continue to stand with those Iranians who want nothing more than to make their voices heard and hold their government accountable for its actions.” What to make of this? First of all, the US government has no diplomatic relations (along ordinary channels) with the government of Iran, so whatever US authorities may be doing to secure Marzieh’s release (and I’m not holding my breath) is passing through the hands of the Swiss, as a third party. But why am I not reading this State Department statement anywhere, except on this page? Why aren’t the NY Times, Washington Post, LA Times, and the TV networks carrying it and exerting pressure? They don’t think it’s an important story? They don’t think their readers would be interested? I have news for their numb editors—it could become a major story if they gave it enough space and exposure. For example: WHAT DO 90 LASHES FEEL LIKE? 90. WHAT KIND OF GOVERNMENT DOLES OUT THAT SENTENCE FOR ACTING IN A FILM? How disconnected and circumspect do you have to be to not see at least the storyline possibilities?

And suppose, God forbid, you also saw the human side of it. There was a time when what is happening to Marzieh Vafamehr would have been front-page news. But that was when people in media still thought about individual freedom—now a defunct concept. Reporters have been educated and trained out of it. Editors shrug at it. Tehran punishes actress in Adelaide film - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation) Tehran punishes actress in Adelaide film Posted October 11, 2011 21:28:00 Marzieh Vafamehr has reportedly been sentenced to one year in prison and 90 lashes for her role in a film that is critical of Irani authority. Mike Sexton Transcript LEIGH SALES, PRESENTER: A little-known arthouse movie produced for the Adelaide Film Festival is causing grief for its Iranian lead actress. Marzieh Vafamehr has reportedly been sentenced to a year's prison and 90 lashes for starring in My Tehran for Sale, which is critical of the Iranian Government. Even though the film was never released in Iran, the actress was arrested after pirated copies appeared on the black market.

The Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd says Australia's concerned about the reports, as Mike Sexton reports. MIKE SEXTON, REPORTER: In her lead role in the film My Tehran for Sale, Marzieh Vafamehr plays an actor in Tehran whose work is banned by the authorities, forcing her to lead a secret life before eventually fleeing to Australia. GRANAZ MOUSSAVI, WRITER/DIRECTOR (2009): This is a film about a woman who reaches a point where she's prepared to put everything she's got for sale to change the situation, she thinks, for better. MIKE SEXTON: Now in a cruel case of life imitating art, the film's been banned by authorities in Tehran and the actor faces a year in prison and 90 lashes for her role in it. ANDREW BESWICK, AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL: It seems to be the case that more recently filmmakers have been particularly targeted and that goes along with the persecution that's been happening with other people who speak out such as student activists or lawyers or other sorts of human rights defenders.

KATRINA SEDGWICK, ADELAIDE FILM FESTIVAL DIRECTOR: It seems quite extraordinary to me obviously from the perspective of Australia. I mean, we have such a freedom in terms of our artistic community to be able to explore all sorts of complex questions in all sorts of ways, and so obviously it's very disturbing and difficult to understand when somebody is treated so harshly for doing exactly that. MIKE SEXTON: The film was part-funded by the South Australian Film Corporation for the Adelaide Film Festival in 2009. It was written and directed by Granaz Moussavi, who migrated to Australia from Iran in the 1990s. GRANAZ MOUSSAVI: My hopes for Iran would be definitely having a better life for people, comfort, their comfort and a free society where people can talk what they think, they wear what they want, they drink and eat what they want. My hopes for Iran are really basic in a glorious way under this umbrella of freedom. MIKE SEXTON: That umbrella of freedom included filming a majority of the movie on location in Tehran.

GRANAZ MOUSSAVI: I didn't do anything wrong in the film, according to the rules and regulations of film-making in Iran. I tried to tell my stories, but I'm a filmmaker. My job as a filmmaker is to deliver the stories in a way that are possible for that film industry to tolerate it. MIKE SEXTON: That tolerance didn't run to screening the film in Iran, but the film's producers say it wasn't meant to be released in that country. But in July apparently after copies of My Tehran for Sale began appearing on the black market, Marzieh Vafamehr was arrested. In a statement today, Granaz Moussavi said the accusations were groundless and that documents were shown to the Iranian court that permits were in place for the production of the film. SIYAMAK GHAHREMAN, CHAIR, AUSTRALIAN-IRANIAN COMMUNITY: Granaz, who is the core producer of this movie, is trying to do something in Australia against that sentencing and we are just hoping for her to be successful with her appeal.

MIKE SEXTON: The film's producers say they believe the charges were laid in relation to scenes where Marzieh Vafamehr appears without wearing the hijab, a practice that has been allowed previously in Iranian films. Those who commissioned the movie say 49 different countries were represented in features at the Adelaide Film Festival. They say such events are created to explore political and social ideas from around the world. KATRINA SEDGWICK: And that's the whole point about censorship: it's not up to us to censor a project obviously other than to decide whether or not we support it or not. I think that this is a very interesting film, it's by a very talented team, it explores ideas that have, you know, a resonance for us. NASIM NASR, ARTIST: Well it's so sad and I think this news wouldn't make anyone happy in the world. And - but also there is a strong message in this news that we should be more appreciative of Australian culture. MIKE SEXTON: One woman who understands the cross-cultural tension is Iranian born artist Nasim Nasr. Her work features on the streets of her adopted home in Adelaide, but most of her family remains in Tehran.

Is it possible to be an artist without being political when it comes to Iran? NASIM NASR: Well, I think being an Iranian-born, anything we do as an artist, it might have some political sides to it. But because I'm a contemporary artist and I make conceptual art, it can be read in lots of different ways. MIKE SEXTON: Nasim Nasr discovered this earlier this year when her production, Women in Shadow, reworked the idea of a fashion parade and questioned the connections between culture, language and appearance. WOMAN: And I'm so glad new generation can talk like this. MIKE SEXTON: However soon afterward, excerpts of the show appeared on the internet and the artist found herself under heavy criticism. NASIM NASR: There is always negative responses, and I'm sure there's always people who not believe in what I believe. And I just hope that people can have capacity to accept others' opinion, whether it's against them or whether it's completely opposite. MIKE SEXTON: Nasim Nasr, Marzieh Vafamehr and Granaz Moussavi are all artists in a tradition that stretches back centuries in Iran.

It seems the only differences is the country in which they express themselves. KATRINA SEDGWICK: Clearly there is a lot of courage within the artistic community in Iran. We really hold out hope that the appeal will be successful. LEIGH SALES: Mike Sexton reporting. Top Stories Iranian Actress Freed From Prison on Reduced Sentence | Reuters Fri Oct 28, 2011 | 12:36 PM EDT Iranian Actress Freed From Prison on Reduced Sentence Iranian actress Marzieh Vafamehr was released from prison Monday after her sentence was overturned by an appeals court, Amnesty International reports. Vafamehr had been sentenced to a year in prison and 90 lashes for appearing in the 2009 Australian film "My Tehran for Sale," which is banned in Iran. In the movie -- which was filmed in the Iranian capital -- Vafamehr is seen with a shaved head, and without the head covering that's required of Iranian women. In one scene, she also appears to drink alcohol -- also a no-no in her culture.

Also read: Iranian Actress Sentenced to 90 Lashes, 1 Year in Jail According to Amnesty International, the appeals court reduced Vafamehr's sentence to three months, and removed the lashing aspect of her sentence. Vafamehr was arrested in early July. In the film, Vafamehr plays an actress who is forced to live a secret life. When news of the arrest broke, the film's producers, Julie Ryan and Kate Croser, expressed their "deep shock and sadness at the sentence imposed by the Iranian government" in a statement to TheWrap. They also emphasized that Vafamehr's participation in the film "was limited to her role as an actress, and she was not in any other way involved in the behind-the-scenes filmmaking." While Vafamehr has been freed, Amnesty International points out that Iran has been cracking down on filmmakers. Hadi Afarideh, Naser Saffarian, Mohsen Shahrnazdar and Katayoun Shahabi were arrested Sept. 17 on suspicion of having sold their films to foreign broadcasters.

Doing so without permission from the government is prohibited in Iran; recently, the country's police chief, Esma’il Ahmadi-Moghaddam, equated dealings with the BBC and Voice of America with conspiring with enemy security services, Amnesty International said. Related Articles: 'Iranium' Filmmakers Hit Back at Iranian Government After Screening is Cancelled Berlin Film Festival to Protest Jailing of Iranian Filmmaker ADVERTISEMENT

Question: Actress Marzieh Vafamehr was sentenced to 90 lashes and a year in prison after appearing in an Australian film critical of what country, her homeland?
Answer: Iran