In a powerful comeback 22 years in the making, Iranian filmmaker Jafar Panahi made a stunning in-person return to the 2025 Cannes Film Festival—and walked away with the Palme d’Or for his latest film, It Was Just an Accident.

Panahi, who was imprisoned in 2010 and sentenced to six years for supporting anti-government protests, was also banned for 15 years from working and making films. But that did not stop him from creating It Was Just an Accident, along with several other works.

“Let’s put all the problems, all the differences aside; the most important thing right now is our country and our country’s freedom,” said an emotional Panahi on the Lumiere stage and addressing all Iranians. 

The 64-year-old director is a known critic of the Iranian government, often using his films to highlight issues of censorship, injustice, and social repression. 

His resistance through art has made him both a celebrated figure internationally and a target of continued state surveillance at home

“Let’s reach that moment together when no one dares to tell us what we should completely include, what we should say, what we shouldn’t do… Cinema is a society. No one has the right to tell us what you should do, what you shouldn’t do,” Panahi added. 

With the Palme d’Or now added to his accolades, Panahi joins a rare circle of filmmakers who have won the top prizes at all three major European film festivals—having previously taken home Berlin’s Golden Bear for Taxi in 2015 and Venice’s Golden Lion for The Circle in 2000.

It Was Just An Accident centers on a man mistaken for a former torturer by his would-be victims. After a roadside mishap, he’s kidnapped by a garage owner and joined by others seeking revenge. As doubts about his identity grow, the group wrestles with justice, memory, and morality.

Neon, the film’s distributor, acquired It Was Just an Accident earlier this week. The company has won the Palme d’Or for six years in a row, showing their strong track record and confidence in the film’s quality and global appeal.