Turkish auteur Nuri Bilge Ceylan has responded to criticism regarding his participation in Iran ‘s government-run Fajr Film Festival, saying that it should not be considered a show of support for the Iranian regime.

Bilge Ceylan, winner of the Cannes Palme d’Or in 2014 for “Winter Sleep” among many other accolades, came under fire earlier this week from the Iranian Independent Filmmakers Association (IIFMA) which, in an open letter, asked the prominent director to reconsider his participation in the fest in Iran’s southwestern city of Shiraz. Celyan is set to preside over the festival’s jury.

IIFMA — which is headed by Dubai-based dissident Iranian producer Kaveh Farnam — claimed Bilge Ceylan’s participation “effectively strengthens the images the government seeks to present of the c

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