This Is Not a Film

This Is Not a Film (Persian: In film nist - این فیلم نیست) is an Iranian documentary film by Jafar Panahi and Mojtaba Mirtahmasb. It was released on 28 September 2011 in France, distributed by Kanibal Films Distribution.

The film was smuggled from Iran to Cannes on a flash drive. It was specially screened at the 2011 Cannes Film Festival and later at the New York Film Festival, and others. It also took part in the International Competition of the 27th Warsaw International Film Festival.

The documentary was made while Panahi was under house arrest, waiting to hear the results of his appeal of a 6-year prison sentence and a 20-year ban on all further filmmaking — strictures imposed in retaliation for his open support of the opposition party in Iran's 2009 elections. His appeal was rejected, but the prison sentence was not enforced and Panahi continued to make films in secret under difficult conditions. In July of 2022 authorities chose to reimpose his six-year prison sentence after Panahi's inquiries about the arrests of Mohammad Rasoulof and another filmmaker, Mostafa Al-Ahmad. However, he was released on February 3rd, 2023 just two days after going on a hunger strike to protest his imprisonment.