'It Was Just an Accident' Nominated for 4 Categories at the 2026 Golden Globes!

The masterpiece of director Jafar Panahi, 〈It Was Just an Accident〉 has been nominated for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Screenplay, and Best Foreign Language Film at the 2026 Golden Globe Awards, announced on December 8 (local time).

Having premiered worldwide on October 1 (Wednesday), Jafar Panahi's 〈It Was Just an Accident〉 has surpassed 40,000 viewers and is currently in long-term screening, while being nominated for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Screenplay, and Best Foreign Language Film at the 2026 Golden Globe Awards. Additionally, 〈It Was Just an Accident〉 has recently been nominated for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 2026 Critics' Choice Awards, won the Best International Feature Film at the 2025 National Board of Review Awards, won the Best Screenplay at the 2025 Los Angeles Film Critics Association Awards, and won the Best Director, Best Screenplay, and Best International Feature Film at the 2025 Gotham Awards, marking a successful Oscar race, with an Academy Award nomination almost certain.

Meanwhile, director Jafar Panahi is currently sentenced to one year in prison, a two-year travel ban, and a prohibition on joining political or social organizations or factions through a trial in absentia for propaganda activities against the Iranian regime. Jafar Panahi plans to follow the necessary legal procedures to appeal the verdict and has stated that he intends to complete his Oscar campaign and return to Iran as soon as possible.

〈It Was Just an Accident〉 is a revenge drama that begins when 'Vahid', who returned to an ordinary life, discovers the man who led him to hell by a certain sound. It was selected for the competition section of the 78th Cannes Film Festival and received rave reviews from international media and critics, being called "Jafar Panahi's best work" and "a new world opened by Jafar Panahi", winning the prestigious Palme d'Or. With this, Jafar Panahi has achieved the 'Triple Crown' record of winning the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival, the Golden Bear at the Berlin International Film Festival, and the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival. Only four directors in film history have achieved this record, and Jafar Panahi is the only one among currently active directors.

〈It Was Just an Accident〉 is a work that began based on Jafar Panahi's second imprisonment experience. During his seven-month imprisonment from 2022 to 2023, Jafar Panahi conversed with people and created the film based on their voices and memories. This work, which goes beyond simple personal testimony, depicts the conflict that arises when a man confronts the one who tortured him, based on the lives of those he met in prison. Jafar Panahi secretly filmed 〈It Was Just an Accident〉 without official permission, and despite facing pressure from plainclothes police on set, he never stopped the camera. The actors also recognized these risks and credited their real names.