Amid conflict at home, Iranian director wins top prize at Sydney Film Festival
Panahi, who stepped back from festival Q&As during the Israel-Iran conflict to stay in touch with family and friends, came to Sydney after winning the Palme d'Or, the major prize at Cannes, with the same film last month.
It is a tense and twisting story with a darkly comic edge about former political prisoners who discover their intelligence agent torturer, living as a civilian, and have to decide whether they want revenge.
Made in secret to avoid submitting the script to a government censor, it is a savage critique of repression and abusive power that was officially slammed in Iran after winning at Cannes, raising the prospect of further sanctions against a filmmaker who has already served jail time for 'creating propaganda against the system' and supporting anti-government protesters.
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The standout of the 12 films in a competition for 'audacious, courageous and cutting-edge' cinema, It Was Just an Accident was a deserving winner at a festival where Panahi was also the subject of a 10-film retrospective.
Australian director Justin Kurzel, who headed the jury, described it as 'a courageous film with a deep soul and a powerful sense of forgiveness' that had 'outstanding performances and an understated authority which is brimming with truth'.
Kurzel said that in times of conflict and uncertainty it was more important than ever that filmmakers had freedom to express what they saw around them.
'The films we watched led with empathy, compassion and kindness,' Kurzel said. 'The directors trusted that their stories would make us feel first, connect to a personal point of view; they were political, but human first.'
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Sydney Morning Herald
3 days ago
- Sydney Morning Herald
‘It's looking pretty grim': What's the future of TV news in Australia?
It's been a bad few weeks for TV news and current affairs in Australia, with the cancellation of once-dominant shows such as Q+A and The Project. And if you consider the axing of other series such as The Drum, as well as several youth-focused ventures such as Tonightly and The Feed, there's a strong argument to be had that it's been a bad few years. In one of The Project 's final episodes last week, comedian Sam Taunton donned a black suit and top hat: 'I'm wearing it from the time when free-to-air was at its peak: 1912, I believe,' he joked. But how grim is the outlook really? I spoke to five people aged 40 and under, who work inside and outside traditional news media, to find out. Loading What's your impression of the Australian TV news landscape right now? Jan Fran, journalist and presenter who is launching independent company Ette Media: TV news and current affairs just can't seem to hold audiences in the way it used to. It's fragmenting. The fact is that a significant proportion of Australians just don't do appointment television, and the majority are getting their news from social media all day, every day. So why would they sit down and watch the news for an hour on television? It doesn't really make sense any more to the way that we live. That said, there are still quite a few people who watch the TV news bulletins. But I'd be interested in knowing the demographics of that audience. Leo Puglisi, teenage journalist and founder of 6 News, which operates on YouTube: There are plenty of news shows like A Current Affair that clearly have a very loyal audience. People laugh about it, but they do a good job keeping that. It's more my grandparents' demographic, though. It's a real shame to lose so many non-traditional news programs, especially when they're not being replaced with other news content. It really reflects that anything different is going online at this point. The audiences for these shows are just not on TV. 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I mean, The Project is gone, but Channel 10 is bringing in something new with a slightly different flavour to it. There's been a lot of change lately, but TV has always been in an atmosphere of constant change. I think the quality of the output is still incredibly high. The most recent research from the Australian Communications and Media Authority suggests only about a quarter of younger Australians (18-34) are watching news on free-to-air. Why do you think that is? Can anything be done to turn it around? Brooke Boney: I'm not surprised by that statistic at all. We've all got news in the palm of our hand whenever we want it. But I think it's a bit of a copout for us to say it's just about that. Young people can open TikTok or Instagram or YouTube and hear from people who they think sound more like them and look more like them. I would hope that people continue to watch news, but can we reverse these trends? Who knows? In moments of crisis, I only want to watch live news. You can't get that immediacy – and accuracy – from Reels or TikTok. Konrad Benjamin: I think there's still a good 20 years until the TV generation disappear. But that just leaves an ever-shrinking piece of the pie. Legacy media needs to go back to the drawing board about what is it they do. They've got the biggest competitive advantage against someone like me: they have money and full teams of people. They can produce the same kinds of content that I can with better journalism and better graphics. Leo Puglisi: Young people are going to continue moving online. In my age group, 17-18, it's all Instagram and TikTok (but mostly still from reputable sources). I don't think when these people turn 25, they'll become free-to-air watchers, so TV outlets will have to move with them and adapt. Some outlets are putting segments online, and they're doing well. 7News Spotlight does very good numbers on YouTube. Even things like Sky News – their online numbers are insane. 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Konrad Benjamin: I'm drawn to stories that give context. I never liked the whole 30-second news approach of 'here's what happened'. Like, 'the US bombed Iran'. OK. But tell me why it's important: why is the US involved, how did they get into it? New formats – YouTube and online media – have come and plugged that gap and legacy media companies have to reformat what they're doing. The ABC has pivoted a bit: Matt Bevan does If You're Listening, a YouTube channel and podcast. That's the change we're looking for: 10-15 minute context-driven work. The format is YouTube first. According to the ACMA research, almost half of those between 18-24 say social media is now their main source of news. What are the pros and cons of that shift? Konrad Benjamin: Diluting the power of corporations like major news networks over the Australian narrative is a good thing. But I think there's very low levels of media literacy across the board from most regular people. People are looking for authenticity, and I think their shorthand for authenticity is someone who speaks and talks like them. The problem with that is that there's a bunch of people who know nothing speaking very confidently about something on YouTube. I never really wanted to be in that space, but I can, at the very least, point out my sources and what I think is good verified journalism. With the rise of AI, the new conversation in media is all about trust. People will be looking for markers of trust. That's the future currency, and that's an advantage legacy media have over people like me. Leo Puglisi: A big con is the rise of AI. It's getting ridiculous trying to figure out what's real and what's not. And because of that, there's a rising level of distrust. The other thing is short-form content, as entertaining as it can be, risks not being able to tell the full story. Brooke Boney: The pros are that they're getting news at all. 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Brooke Boney: I think we've always had an issue with the diversity of not only newsrooms, but presenters as well. I saw a post on Instagram the other day from journalist Mawunyo Gbogbo criticising the lack of diversity in Ten's new show and the broader news landscape – I reflect the sentiment and lament that we're still asking for representation. If you're a young person from Western Sydney or the northern suburbs of Melbourne or even in the country, are you really going to want to turn on the TV and see that? Would you watch a Reel from someone who can't relate to you or have the same experiences or even understand what you need to hear? I don't know. We've still got a lot of work to do when it comes to reflecting audiences back to them. Jan Fran: The simple answer would be, well, news and television networks should start switching to digital. And yeah, certainly that is a strategy. But then you don't own the platforms that you publish on, and you're beholden to their rules and regulations and their whims and their algorithms. It's a huge risk, and I can understand a lot of TV networks not wanting to do that. But I think you have no choice but to meet people where they are. Chris Kohler: If I had the answer to this question, I'd be neck deep in trying to do it. But I think it's exciting there's a lot of thought going into what the next wave looks like.
The Age
3 days ago
- The Age
‘It's looking pretty grim': What's the future of TV news in Australia?
It's been a bad few weeks for TV news and current affairs in Australia, with the cancellation of once-dominant shows such as Q+A and The Project. And if you consider the axing of other series such as The Drum, as well as several youth-focused ventures such as Tonightly and The Feed, there's a strong argument to be had that it's been a bad few years. In one of The Project 's final episodes last week, comedian Sam Taunton donned a black suit and top hat: 'I'm wearing it from the time when free-to-air was at its peak: 1912, I believe,' he joked. But how grim is the outlook really? I spoke to five people aged 40 and under, who work inside and outside traditional news media, to find out. Loading What's your impression of the Australian TV news landscape right now? Jan Fran, journalist and presenter who is launching independent company Ette Media: TV news and current affairs just can't seem to hold audiences in the way it used to. It's fragmenting. The fact is that a significant proportion of Australians just don't do appointment television, and the majority are getting their news from social media all day, every day. So why would they sit down and watch the news for an hour on television? It doesn't really make sense any more to the way that we live. That said, there are still quite a few people who watch the TV news bulletins. But I'd be interested in knowing the demographics of that audience. Leo Puglisi, teenage journalist and founder of 6 News, which operates on YouTube: There are plenty of news shows like A Current Affair that clearly have a very loyal audience. People laugh about it, but they do a good job keeping that. It's more my grandparents' demographic, though. It's a real shame to lose so many non-traditional news programs, especially when they're not being replaced with other news content. It really reflects that anything different is going online at this point. The audiences for these shows are just not on TV. Konrad Benjamin, AKA Punter's Politics, a high school teacher turned content creator and politics podcaster: It's looking pretty grim. As younger people have stopped watching broadcast TV, it looks like they gave up on trying to cater for us. The modern-day version of The Chaser's War on Everything is now just on TikTok. Loading Brooke Boney, Today 's former news and entertainment reporter: There are a lot of incredible people who work very hard on these shows to bring us the very best, and it's sad to see those jobs go. I also think TV news is so under-resourced, so it makes it really hard for the people who remain to do the best job they can. People are having to do more than they ever had with less than they ever had. Chris Kohler, 9News finance editor, presenter and popular social media creator: It still feels like the powerhouse of TV, for me, is well-researched news and current affairs. I mean, The Project is gone, but Channel 10 is bringing in something new with a slightly different flavour to it. There's been a lot of change lately, but TV has always been in an atmosphere of constant change. I think the quality of the output is still incredibly high. The most recent research from the Australian Communications and Media Authority suggests only about a quarter of younger Australians (18-34) are watching news on free-to-air. Why do you think that is? Can anything be done to turn it around? Brooke Boney: I'm not surprised by that statistic at all. We've all got news in the palm of our hand whenever we want it. But I think it's a bit of a copout for us to say it's just about that. Young people can open TikTok or Instagram or YouTube and hear from people who they think sound more like them and look more like them. I would hope that people continue to watch news, but can we reverse these trends? Who knows? In moments of crisis, I only want to watch live news. You can't get that immediacy – and accuracy – from Reels or TikTok. Konrad Benjamin: I think there's still a good 20 years until the TV generation disappear. But that just leaves an ever-shrinking piece of the pie. Legacy media needs to go back to the drawing board about what is it they do. They've got the biggest competitive advantage against someone like me: they have money and full teams of people. They can produce the same kinds of content that I can with better journalism and better graphics. Leo Puglisi: Young people are going to continue moving online. In my age group, 17-18, it's all Instagram and TikTok (but mostly still from reputable sources). I don't think when these people turn 25, they'll become free-to-air watchers, so TV outlets will have to move with them and adapt. Some outlets are putting segments online, and they're doing well. 7News Spotlight does very good numbers on YouTube. Even things like Sky News – their online numbers are insane. A lot of those viewers aren't Australians, but it would still bring in revenue through YouTube. That's the model a lot of other outlets might start looking to. At this point, you've got to put digital first. You can't wait until six o'clock. Jan Fran: Honestly, I'd like to see a news and current affairs show that exists outside the scaffolding of the mainstream media. In the US, there are some that are fairly massive on YouTube, and they're sustainable, and they're scalable, and they're consistent because they can pull an audience. That hasn't been tried and tested in the same to the same degree in Australia. I'd like to see something like that, or maybe, have someone explore the idea of what a news and current affairs show – be it nightly or weekly – looks like on a streaming service. Chris Kohler: It's like that Mark Twain quote, 'the reports of my death have been greatly exaggerated'. I started in newspapers 15 years ago, and people were saying then this is all going down the gurgler, no one will be picking up the newspaper in two or three years. But I think it's not really a zero-sum game any more: there's an insatiable appetite for content, whether it's on the phone, the TV or picking up a newspaper. Loading I mean, Channel Nine* will tell you that its total TV audience for the 6pm bulletin is up 11.5 per cent year-on-year [data supplied by the network showed similar rises in viewers aged 16-39, but it's worth noting that demographic represents just 10.8 per cent of the total audience]. Who knows what it'll all look like five, 10 or 20 years? Right now, I think there's still optimism. What kind of news is the most engaging for young Australians today? What should we be making more of? Jan Fran: People connect with other people on the internet much more than what they do on television. There's a certain style of presentation on television that, in my view, is quite antiquated: you know, the 'news voice', the way that they dress, the 'reporter hands'. I don't find that particularly engaging any more. Chris Kohler: The first threshold to walk through is, 'Is this authentic?' I always think journalists are at their best when they're being an individual as well as a carrier of news. We still need to have a line drawn between opinion, analysis and news, but it doesn't mean you can't do multiple things in multiple different settings. I was trying stuff on social media for a really long time, and about two years ago I just decided that I could be a bit sillier about it. I printed out a piece of paper that said, 'Philip Lowe', sticky taped it to my chest, wrote 'interest rates' on the blinds and lifted the blind while dancing to Pump Up the Jam. To my genuine surprise, it got a lot more views than anything I'd done in the past. Konrad Benjamin: I'm drawn to stories that give context. I never liked the whole 30-second news approach of 'here's what happened'. Like, 'the US bombed Iran'. OK. But tell me why it's important: why is the US involved, how did they get into it? New formats – YouTube and online media – have come and plugged that gap and legacy media companies have to reformat what they're doing. The ABC has pivoted a bit: Matt Bevan does If You're Listening, a YouTube channel and podcast. That's the change we're looking for: 10-15 minute context-driven work. The format is YouTube first. According to the ACMA research, almost half of those between 18-24 say social media is now their main source of news. What are the pros and cons of that shift? Konrad Benjamin: Diluting the power of corporations like major news networks over the Australian narrative is a good thing. But I think there's very low levels of media literacy across the board from most regular people. People are looking for authenticity, and I think their shorthand for authenticity is someone who speaks and talks like them. The problem with that is that there's a bunch of people who know nothing speaking very confidently about something on YouTube. I never really wanted to be in that space, but I can, at the very least, point out my sources and what I think is good verified journalism. With the rise of AI, the new conversation in media is all about trust. People will be looking for markers of trust. That's the future currency, and that's an advantage legacy media have over people like me. Leo Puglisi: A big con is the rise of AI. It's getting ridiculous trying to figure out what's real and what's not. And because of that, there's a rising level of distrust. The other thing is short-form content, as entertaining as it can be, risks not being able to tell the full story. Brooke Boney: The pros are that they're getting news at all. Any way we can get people engaged in the stories that affect them is important and worthwhile. Obviously, the cons are that there's less journalistic rigour. People can consume a lot of information that hasn't been fact-checked. It's a huge concern. Jan Fran: While I'm happy to see spaces exist outside the mainstream media, sometimes I do worry about how you do journalism natively on social media. It takes time and money and expertise, and these things are not particularly rewarded on social media. So what you have is a morphing of journalism into commentary, and they're two very, very different things. Loading If good public interest investigative news and current affairs disappears from TV, is there scaffolding enough outside the mainstream media to still preserve it? I think that remains to be seen. If we accept that news consumption is shifting to social media, how can Australian TV networks ensure they stay relevant to a new generation? Brooke Boney: I think we've always had an issue with the diversity of not only newsrooms, but presenters as well. I saw a post on Instagram the other day from journalist Mawunyo Gbogbo criticising the lack of diversity in Ten's new show and the broader news landscape – I reflect the sentiment and lament that we're still asking for representation. If you're a young person from Western Sydney or the northern suburbs of Melbourne or even in the country, are you really going to want to turn on the TV and see that? Would you watch a Reel from someone who can't relate to you or have the same experiences or even understand what you need to hear? I don't know. We've still got a lot of work to do when it comes to reflecting audiences back to them. Jan Fran: The simple answer would be, well, news and television networks should start switching to digital. And yeah, certainly that is a strategy. But then you don't own the platforms that you publish on, and you're beholden to their rules and regulations and their whims and their algorithms. It's a huge risk, and I can understand a lot of TV networks not wanting to do that. But I think you have no choice but to meet people where they are. Chris Kohler: If I had the answer to this question, I'd be neck deep in trying to do it. But I think it's exciting there's a lot of thought going into what the next wave looks like.
Sydney Morning Herald
26-06-2025
- Sydney Morning Herald
‘When did people get so frightened of ideas': Inside the final days of The Project
'The conventional wisdom was that the show wouldn't last six months because on paper, it's bonkers,' he says. 'But what it had was a spirit and an irreverent attitude that felt of this country and of this place. It chimes with the Australian character in so many ways.' Loading In recent weeks, commentators have suggested the program's declining ratings – due largely to shifting viewer habits driven by technological change – were a result of it being 'too woke'. Such claims were rubbished by Steve Price, who told the Herald Sun that he was both a 'conservative old white guy' and The Project's longest-serving panel member. 'You're not usually talking about people who've spent their time watching the show before forming a view,' Aly says of its more vocal critics, 'so then it becomes something independent of what the show actually is – an avatar, basically. Then people react to that avatar, or to headlines about the show, rather than the show itself. But the response [from viewers] has been overwhelmingly lovely.' Privately, some producers believe the increasingly hostile tenor of public debate – underpinned by an assumption that anyone with an opinion contrary to one's own is not just misguided but morally deficient – contributed to the cancellation of The Project and ABC's Q+A. It's a theme that Langbroek picks up on during Tuesday's episode. 'It's very unusual to [broadcast] work live now, and increasingly so as more and more people have gotten scared about expressing themselves,' she says. 'When this show is gone, I can't think of where that will happen … when did people get so frightened of ideas?' Soon, the conversation shifts to a lighter topic. 'There's a definite 'school muck-up day' vibe,' says a techie as he munches on one of the homemade sausage rolls Langbroek brought in for the team. Behind the desk, Langbroek is throwing M&Ms at Taunton's face during a break. After she lands one in his mouth, Harris crosses off 'Kate throws a lolly in Sam's mouth' from that evening's Project bingo card, which a producer created to brighten the mood ahead of Friday's farewell. 'We've got a different card for every night,' Harris says, pointing to other items on Tuesday's list including 'Sam's hair needs fixing' and 'Kate references a conspiracy theory'.
