A group of 85 Iranian film-makers called for the release of acclaimed director Jafar Panahi, in jail since March and reportedly on hunger strike for seven days, ILNA news agency reported Saturday.
"The undersigned, a group of independent film-makers, want the release of Jafar Panahi and quick action on his situation and demands in jail," said a letter signed by a group of mostly young and upcoming directors.
Panahi went on a hunger strike on Sunday in protest against the conditions of his detention, demanding to be released until a trial date is set.
His lawyer and his family told AFP they still expected to hear whether he will be granted bail on Saturday.
Panahi, who won an award at the 1995 Cannes festival for "The White Balloon" and scooped the Venice film festival's top gong in 2000 for "The Circle," has been a vocal backer of Iran's opposition movement.
He was detained, according to Iran's culture minister, for making an "anti-regime" film about the unrest that rocked the country last year after the disputed presidential election that returned Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to power.
Panahi had been invited to Cannes in France this week to join the jury that decides the winner of the festival's top prize, the Palme d'Or, but was prevented from going by his continued detention.
His mentor, Abbas Kiarostami -- whose movie "Certified Copy" is a candidate for this year's Palme d'Or -- on Tuesday denounced the Iranian authorities' crackdown on artists and called for Panahi's release.
Prominent international and Iranian film-makers as well as France have called for him to be freed.
Copyright 2010 AFP Global Edition
