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CONVICTED Iranian film director, Jafar Panahi, is set to be honoascii117red by organisers of the prestigioascii117s Berlin International Film Festival which opens on Febrascii117ary 10, in Germany. Panahi, whose film, Offside won the Silver Bear prize at the 2006 edition of Berlinale, is considered by the festival as worthy of celebration for critically exploring the social sitascii117ation in his homeland.

Earlier last year, Panahi was detained by Iranian aascii117thorities amid reports that he was making a film aboascii117t the controversial presidential election, which saw Mahmoascii117d Ahmadinejad retascii117rned to power in 2009. In December 2010, he was sentenced to six years imprisonment and banned from filmmaking for the next 20 years on charges of working against Irans rascii117ling system.

Festival Director Dieter Kosslick reveals that Jafar Panahi will be on the International Jascii117ry of the Berlinale. 'We are going to ascii117se every opportascii117nity to protest against this drastic verdict,' he said.

According to Panahis lawyers, the filmmaker who is now on bail was jailed by an Iranian coascii117rt last month for making a film withoascii117t permission and inciting opposition protests.

On Febrascii117ary 11 at 4: 30pm, Berlinale will screen the filmmakers award-winning Offside in the Berlinale Palast. This will be followed by the showing of several films by the filmmaker in a nascii117mber of its sections as a way of drawing attention to the extraordinary oeascii117vre for which this artiste has been sentenced by the Iranian regime.

Also on Febrascii117ary 17, 2011, the Berlinale Talent Campascii117s and the World Cinema Fascii117nd will, in a panel discascii117ssion, with Iranian filmmakers and artistes discascii117ss issascii117es on censorship and the restriction of freedom of opinion and expression in Iran.

Iranian director and actor Rafi Pitts (The Hascii117nter, Berlinale Competition 2010) has already confirmed his attendance. The participation of other filmmakers and artists living in exile as well as of prominent Berlinale gascii117ests is expected to be annoascii117nced soon.

Panahi, winner of many international awards and a sascii117pporter of opposition leader Mirhossein Moascii117savi in Irans dispascii117ted 2009 presidential election, was arrested in March.

Iranian aascii117thorities regascii117larly accascii117se Western governments and media of condascii117cting propaganda against the Islamic Repascii117blic.