Actress in My Tehran For Sale Released

The TriMedia Film Festival sends its best wishes to Iranian actress Marzieh Vafamehr, who starred in the film My Tehran for Sale, which we were proud to exhibit in the 2010 festival. Vafamehr was released from jail on Monday, October 24, 2011, and her sentence reduced. Her “crime” was appearing in a film that, ironically, depicted the plight of young people and artists under an Iranian government that views them with suspicion. In August, she was sentenced to a year in prison and 90 lashes. According to Amnesty International’s Web site (http://www.amnesty.org/en/news/release-iranian-actress-highlights-plight-detained-filmmakers-2011-10-27), the jail sentence was reduced to 90 days, and the flogging sentence overturned.

We applaud the courage of Marzieh Vafamehr, filmmakers, and artists around the world to make art despite the obstacles of a country or society that cannot tolerate criticism, an opposing view, or even the simple truth.