It was a historic day at the 63rd New York Film Festival as Jafar Panahi returned to the festival for the first time in 25 years to present It Was Just an Accident. After a standing ovation, the Iranian director joined NYFF Artistic Director Dennis Lim to discuss his Palme d’Or winner, with interpretation by Sheida Dayani.

Panahi will return for Q&As at Film at Lincoln Center when It Was Just an Accident opens on October 15. Tickets are going fast.

Panahi (No Bears, NYFF60) reaffirmed his status as one of this century’s great cinematic heroes with perhaps his bravest film yet. Ever since he was arrested, imprisoned, and banned from making movies by the Iranian government 15 years ago, Panahi has found ways of producing films in secret and without official permission. Showing his political risk-taking as well as his confident command of craft, It Was Just an Accident is his most explicit attack on his country’s repressive regime, a cutting and darkly humorous thriller that concerns a mechanic, Vahid (Vahid Mobasseri), who believes he has reencountered by chance the government intelligence officer, Eghbal (Ebrahim Azizi), who had tortured him while under detainment. As Vahid enlists the services of acquaintances whose lives were also forever altered by Eghbal’s cruelties, the thirst for revenge and the sense of danger escalate—as do questions of moral choice and culpability. A NEON release.

The 63rd New York Film Festival is presented in partnership with Rolex.