▲ Iranian filmmaker Jafar Panahi receives the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival for "It Was Just an Accident" on May 24, 2025, in this EPA file photo. (Yonhap)

By Woo Jae-yeon

   BUSAN, Sept. 18 (Yonhap) -- Celebrated Iranian filmmaker Jafar Panahi, known for his social critiques and defiance of government censorship and repression, affirmed Thursday his commitment to filmmaking in the face of immense pressure.

   "No one can ever stop filmmaking. Filmmakers, including myself, will always find a way," the acclaimed director said at a press conference at the 30th Busan International Film Festival (BIFF), where he was honored as the Asian Filmmaker of the Year.

   Panahi, who has faced a filmmaking ban and imprisonment for alleged propaganda against the Iranian regime, said even in hopeless situations, he cannot be silenced.

▲ Iranian filmmaker Jafar Panahi speaks during a press conference at the Busan Cinema Center in the southeastern city on Sept. 18, 2025. (Yonhap)

   He recounted the challenging periods of his career, including secretly shooting films, sometimes turning the camera on himself and famously directing "Taxi" from the driver's seat of a cab, a film that won him the Golden Bear at the Berlin Film Festival in 2015.

   "The first and most important step as a filmmaker is to truly understand himself and to know what he wants to say and how he wants to say it," Panahi said.

   In May, Panahi achieved a rare and monumental feat, joining the ranks of legendary directors who have captured the highest honors at all three of the world's major film festivals. He won the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival in 2000 with "The Circle," the Golden Bear at the Berlin Film Festival in 2015 with "Taxi" and this year the Palme d'Or at Cannes with "It Was Just an Accident."

   The director's struggles with political repression have been ongoing. In February 2023, he was released on bail after seven months in prison for protesting the detention of fellow filmmakers.

   At the press conference, he shared his special connection with BIFF, a festival he has frequently attended despite state restrictions. He was a guest at the inaugural festival in 1996, where his first feature, "The White Balloon," was screened.

   Remembering the city as "very beautiful and vibrant," he spoke of feeling "very warm and welcomed." He also recalled his personal memory of the late Kim Ji-seok, BIFF's former deputy executive director and a pivotal figure in BIFF's history.

   "When I was banned from leaving Iran, Kim Ji-seok came to visit me," he said. "He liked my films." 

   Panahi is set to present his Palme d'Or-winning film "It Was Just an Accident" in the gala section of the festival Thursday. The film, his first since his release from prison, is France's official submission for the Academy Awards' international feature category. 

   "It could be submitted to the Academy because it was co-produced with France," he explained, calling for collaboration among filmmakers in similar situations to overcome such challenges.

   "It Was Just an Accident" is set for its world's first theatrical release in South Korea on Oct. 1.

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