Movies
De Niro, Spielberg petition for director
Published Sunday, May 2 2010, 18:58 BST | By Marcell Minaya
© Rex Features
The Iranian director was arrested after the police raided his home in Tehran on March 10 and has since allegedly been held in the city's Evin prison, reports Contactmusic.
Actors and directors including De Niro and Spielberg have come together to fight for the filmmaker's freedom, signing a petition calling for Panahi's release.
The document reads: "We... stand in solidarity with a fellow filmmaker, condemn this detention, and strongly urge the Iranian government to release Mr Panahi immediately. Like artists everywhere, Iran's filmmakers should be celebrated, not censored, repressed and imprisoned."
Other filmmakers who have signed include Martin Scorsese, Francis Ford Coppola, Joel and Ethan Coen, Ang Lee, Oliver Stone and Michael Moore.
Related Stories
Movie Reviews
'Top Cat: The Movie' reviewHanna-Barbera's classic cartoon makes a disastrous comeback on the big screen.
Movies Interviews
'Prometheus': Fassbender video interviewMichael Fassbender tells Digital Spy about his android role in Ridley Scott's Prometheus.
At the Movies
How many Snow White dwarves can you name?Nick Frost, Ray Winstone and more try to guess Snow White's classic dwarves.
Movies Galleries
'Prometheus' review: Does it live up to the hype?Digital Spy gives its verdict on Ridley Scott's much-anticipated sci-fi.
