The director will receive the FIPRESCI Platinum Special Award and will host a masterclass.
In the spring of 2024, Iranian director Mohammad Rasoulof took a tremendous risk by personally attending the Cannes Film Festival, as he was still under an outstanding sentence and a travel ban imposed by Iranian authorities. His film, The Seed of the Sacred Fig, offers a dramatic and profound analysis of the reality he and his fellow citizens are forced to endure. The film, which evolves from a tense drama into a gripping thriller, is indirectly influenced by the "Women, Life, Freedom" protest movement. The story revolves around a family whose two daughters begin to uncover the truth about their father’s involvement in the country’s political regime.
Mohammad Rasoulof—an independent director, screenwriter, and producer—was born in Shiraz, Iran, in 1972. Before pursuing filmmaking, he studied sociology. His debut feature, The Twilight (2002), won the Best Film Award at the Fajr Film Festival in Iran. However, following the release of his second film, Iron Island (2005), Rasoulof faced censorship issues in Iran, which severely limited his ability to make films, leading to an outright ban. Although his works are not screened in Iran, they enjoy widespread recognition at international festivals.
In March 2010, Rasoulof was arrested on set alongside fellow Iranian director Jafar Panahi. Following a trial, he was sentenced to six years in prison, later reduced to one year, and was eventually released on bail. Along with Jafar Panahi and Saeed Roustayi, he is among the Iranian filmmakers who have won major festival awards but face persecution in their homeland for their opposition to the regime.
Rasoulof's accolades include: Best Director Award in the "Un Certain Regard" section at Cannes 2011 for Goodbye, FIPRESCI Award at Cannes 2013 for Manuscripts Don’t Burn, Grand Prize in "Un Certain Regard" at Cannes 2017 for A Man of Integrity, "Golden Bear" at Berlinale 2020 for There Is No Evil, along with the Ecumenical Jury Award and the Guild Film Prize.
Following yet another conviction—this time an eight-year sentence, with five years to be served for “conspiring against national security”—Rasoulof made the daring decision to flee Iran in May 2024. He described his dangerous escape to The Guardian as an “exhausting and extremely perilous journey” through mountainous border regions, cutting off all mobile and internet communication, before finally seeking refuge in Germany.
Thanks to this risky choice, he was able to personally present The Seed of the Sacred Fig at Cannes 2024, where it won five major awards: Special Jury Prize, FIPRESCI Prize, Ecumenical Jury Award, François Chalais Prize for Best Film, Award from the French Art House Cinema Association.
The film has since earned 20 more awards and over 50 nominations, including nods for the Academy Awards (Oscar), BAFTA, and Golden Globe for Best International Feature Film.
"My mission is to tell the stories of what is happening in Iran and the reality we face as Iranians," Rasoulof told The Guardian. "That is something I cannot do from prison."
Mohammad Rasoulof will personally attend the Sofia Film Festival to receive the FIPRESCI Platinum Special Award, dedicated to the 100th anniversary of the International Federation of Film Critics. He will also host a masterclass.
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