Release Samira Norouznasseri Now!

The ICFR condemns the treatment of Samira Norouznasseri and her fellow cultural workers in Iran

The International Coalition for Filmmakers at Risk (ICFR) condemns the arrest of Iranian filmmaker Samira Norouznasseri, detained on June 1, 2026, when security forces raided her home in Tehran without a warrant, seized her laptop and other professional materials, and transferred her to an undisclosed location. Her whereabouts and any charges against her remain unknown.

Samira Norouznasseri is a graduate of the Art University of Tehran and a distinctive independent voice in short fiction and experimental cinema. Her 2023 short film The Valley of the Wind has screened worldwide at festivals such as the Iranian Short Film Association (ISFA) Festival and the Linz International Short Film Festival in Germany.

The search of Samira's home without judicial warrant, and her subsequent transfer to an undisclosed location, raise urgent concerns for Samira's physical safety and wellbeing. The ICFR condemns these actions as an undeniable violation of Samira's human rights, in line with the ongoing campaign of the Islamic Republic regime to silence filmmakers, artists and cultural workers.

The ICFR is equally alarmed by the ongoing detention of theatre actress and poet Sima Anbaei Farimani, held since March in Vakilabad Prison in Mashhad, denied access to a lawyer and to her family, and facing serious charges she has had no opportunity to contest.

We endorse the position of our colleagues at the Iranian Independent Filmmakers Association (IIFMA), who are tracking the full scope of this ongoing crackdown, and we urge all film and cultural institutions to do the same.

We demand the immediate and unconditional release of Samira Norouznasseri, Sima Anbaei Farimani, and all detained filmmakers and cultural workers in Iran. We urge the global film community to keep up their support for all our colleagues in Iran.

International Coalition for Filmmakers at Risk