Director denied visa for his own London world premiere
The director will miss his own world premiere in London this week.
Iranian writer-director Mohsen Amiryousefi made The Banning Curse (Nefrin-e Toghif), which is set for its world premiere on Wednesday in the programme of the 70th BFI London Film Festival, according to The Hollywood Reporter. He and editor Kamy Saffari were denied UK visas and will not travel to London for the screening. A world premiere means the first public showing of a finished film.
Amiryousefi spoke about the film and its creation via Zoom through an interpreter. He described the shoot and his career history in that remote interview. He will not be in the room when the film plays.
The film runs 88 minutes and is listed as an Iran 2026 production, presented in Persian with English subtitles. Amiryousefi appears in front of the camera as an actor for the first time. In the story, an Iranian director discusses his eventful career with the Angel of Death, a set-up the BFI describes as hilarious cinematic autofiction — real life retold with invented scenes, according to the BFI.
It was shot indoors without shooting permits and made without requiring a big budget, Amiryousefi told the trade publication. That low-cost, closed-set method follows a career in which his films have been banned by state authorities in Iran. His earlier black comedy Bitter Dream won a Golden Camera special mention for best first feature at Cannes.
The London festival is staging its 70th edition, with films and events in London and around the UK from 7 to 18 October, according to the BFI. The festival offers £6 tickets for audiences aged 16 to 25. The Banning Curse is programmed in the 2026 edition.
What makes this stand out is the empty seat at the launch. The audience will watch a film-maker argue about bans, budgets and survival. The film-maker himself must stay away. His interview still gives viewers a direct account of how the film was made.
