Cannes Festival: Iran's Jafar Panahi Wins Best Film Award For It Was Just An Accident

"It Was Just an Accident" by Iran's Jafar Panahi won the prestigious Palme d'Or for best film at the Cannes Festival on Saturday.

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The highly political but wry film tells the tale of five ordinary Iranians confronted with a man they believed tortured them in jail.

"It Was Just An Accident" follows Vahid, played by Vahid Mobasseri, who kidnaps a man with a false leg who looks just like the one who tortured him in prison and ruined his life.

Vahid sets out to verify with other prison survivors that it is indeed their torturer, and then decide what to do with him.

The Grand Prix, the second-highest prize after the Palme d'Or, was awarded to "Sentimental Value" from acclaimed director Joachim Trier.

Twenty-two films in total were competing for the prize at the 78th Cannes Film Festival, with entries from well-known directors Richard Linklater, Wes Anderson and Belgium's Dardenne brothers.

• Palme d'Or: Jafar Panahi for "It Was Just an Accident" (Iran)

• Grand Prix: Joachim Trier for "Sentimental Value" (Norway)

• Jury prize: Oliver Laxe for "Sirat" (Spain-France) and Mascha Schilinski for "Sound of Falling" (Germany)

• Best director : Kleber Mendonca Filho for "The Secret Agent" (Brazil)

• Best actress: Nadia Melliti for "The Little Sister" (France)

• Best actor: Wagner Moura for "The Secret Agent" (Brazil)

• Special prize: Bi Gan for "Resurrection" (China)

• Best screenplay: Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne for "Young Mothers" (Belgium)

• Camera d'Or for best first film: Hasan Hadi for "The President's Cake" (Iraq). Special mention for "My Father's Shadow" by Akinola Davies (Nigeria-Britain)

• Best short film: Tawfeek Barhom for "I Am Glad You're Dead Now" (Palestine-Greece-France)

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