Jafar Panahi’s Cannes-winner ‘It Was Just An Accident’ scoops Sydney Film Prize

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Iran’s Autjafarpanahi won the top award with 72^nd Sydney Film Festival and It was just an accident3 weeks after scooping out the Palme d’Or at Cannes.

The award was announced Sunday (June 15th) at Sydney State Theatre and includes a $39,000 ($60,000) prize.

Scroll down for the full list of winners

The competition judges led by Australian filmmaker Justin Kruzel awarded the award in unorthodox fashion when the ju umpire left the stage in the grand 2,000-seat theatre to the audience and handed the trophy to Panahi, acknowledging his distress in the attack on Iran two days ago.

It also included New Zealand actor-director Rachel House, producer and director of the Marrakech Film Festival Merita Toscan du Plantia, Australian actor Thomas Weatherall, and Hong Kong-based film distributor Winnie Tsang.

It was just an accident Mark marks the first character of Panahi since his release from prison in Iran in February 2023 after seven months of incarceration. Inspired at the time, the story deals recall the torture and imprisonment, while using comic undertones to deal with the dark events, giving some former political prisoners the opportunity to revenge against the brutal prisoners – they never have the right person.

Panahi announced some of the screenings at the 10th Philharmonic Retrospective of his work at the festival before the Israeli-Iraq conflict suddenly escalated on June 13th. It was just an accident. However, he gave him a master class.

Following Sunday’s awards, the festival was closed with the premiere of Australia’s Michael Angelo Covino’s sex comedy Split Building.

Additionally, the prize was the Sustainable Future Award, the world’s largest environmental film award, for $26,000 ($40,000). Floodlands. The film took its world premiere in Sydney, exploring the effects of repeated flooding on the residents of the town of Northern Lismore, the writer/director’s hometown.

First Nations Award – The biggest world award for Indigenous filmmaking at $22,800 ($35,000) – sent to Lisa Jackson’s Canadian Hybrid Documentary Wilfred Buckit centers around the honorable Cree educator, knowledge number and elders.

Shalom almonds Song inside He won the documentary Australia Award worth $13,000 ($20,000). The film chronicles the music learning and writing songs, as well as performances at the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra, which helped a group of imprisoned women get back on their feet. Previously, he won the Audience Award at the Adelaide Film Festival.

Record attendance

Francis Wallace, CEO of the Sydney Film Festival, said this year’s edition, held from June 4-15, is the best selling version in its 72-year history. The 150,000 participants increased by 11% in 2024. 448 screenings and a third of the events sold out.

Even before the deadline, the audience voted for 242 selected films also broke records.

On the night of the festival’s closing night, Australian politician and New South Wales treasurer Daniel Mookey said that over $65 million ($100 million) would find a partner and a second Sydney film studio location towards the capital fund.

Since it was taken over by Fox in the 20th century, the space is lacking as existing renamed Disney studios are inaccessible. Production had been pushed “even worse” to the warehouse or Victoria, he added.

Mookhey added that Australia’s screen and digital gaming industry is worth $780 million ($1.2 billion) and supports more than 13,500 jobs. Additional commitments will result in the government’s contribution of $247.5 million ($380 million) for 2025/26.