TEHRAN – Iranian director Ida Panahandeh’s latest series had its world premiere at the 9th edition of Canneseries Festival, which was held in Cannes, France, from April 23 to 28.

Titled “The Red and the Black,” the Iranian drama written by the real-life creative couple Panahandeh and Arsalan Amiri competed with seven other series at the international television festival, Mehr reported.

A 2026 production, the first two episodes of the of the historical drama series were screened with French and English subtitles to the audiences.

The story takes place in mid-19th century Iran. The gifted painter Nowruz becomes consumed by his obsession with a Gypsy fortune teller. When her fearless defiance draws the wrath of the city’s tyrant, their desperate flight through poverty and peril sets a tragic saga in motion that will echo across generations.

The first Iranian series selected at CANNESERIES, “The Red and The Black” immerses the viewers into 19th-century Iran with grandeur and mastery. The atmosphere of the era comes to life through its magnificent costumes and a perfectly attuned cast. 

The cast includes Parsa Pirouzfar, Ali Shadman, Neda Jebraeili, Reza Behboudi, and Pardis Pourabedini

A production of HA International and Asar Production Company, the series will be broadcast in Iran by FILIMO.

This is the second series by Panahandeh, which is presented in the international scene. Her 2024 series “At the End of the Night,” a romance drama, took part in three foreign festivals including the Top Ten TV section of the 35th Film Festival Cologne in Germany last October, the 40th Valencia International Film Festival - Cinema Jove in Spain last June, and the Series Mania Festival in France last March.

“At the End of the Night” delicately and skillfully dissects the separation of a couple shattered by the disillusionment of their social situation. The series was praised for its deeply authentic characters and the exceptional performance of its lead actor Parsa Pirouzfar who performs in “The Red and the Black” as well.

Ida Panahandeh, 47, was born in Tehran. She holds a master's degree in film direction from the Arts University of Tehran. In 2009, she took part in the Berlin Talent Campus.

Throughout her work, she has focused on women's rights. This she did with her debut feature film “Nahid” (2015), which won her worldwide acclaim. It was screened in the Un Certain Regard section at the 2015 Cannes Film Festival, where it won a special prize (Prix DE l'Avenir) and was released in France by Memento Films. “Nahid” was also released in theatres in many European countries afterward.

Her second feature “Israfil” (2017) was screened at the BFI London Film Festival and won several awards at international festivals.

“The Nikaidos' Fall” (2018), her third feature, is a co-production of Japan and Hong Kong with Naomi Kawase as the executive producer. The film debuted at the Nara International Film Festival and was released in Japan in January 2019, and then in a few East Asian countries.

“Titi” (2020), her fourth feature film, premiered at the 33rd Tokyo International Film Festival. It won three awards at the national and international festivals in 2022.

This year’s Canneseries Festival received more than 300 submissions from 41 countries, with the final lineup drawing from 17 nations. “Despite the economic difficulties facing all the producers we work with, across every region, the level of ambition and the quality of the series remain unchanged,” said Albin Lewi, artistic director of Canneseries.

This year’s festival competition lineup included British relationship dramedy “Alice and Steve,” staring Jemaine Clement and Nicola Walker as unlikely friends; the Finnish/Slovenian psychological drama “Guts”; Danish series “Harvest,” described as a Succession-style drama set on a family farm; the Spanish coming-of-age dramedy “I Always Sometimes”; Danish real-life crime drama “Snake Killer”; Swedish period series “Summer of 1985”; the Spanish comedy thriller “Many People Need to Die”; and “The Red and the Black” from Iran.

Spanish director Isabel Coixet (“My Life Without Me”) headed up this year’s competition jury, together with director Lesli Linka Glatter (“Homeland,” “Mad Men”); actors Simon Astier (“Hero Cop”), Vincent Elbaz (“The Hundred-Foot Journey”), and Mamadou Sidibé (“A Prophet: The Series”); and composer Ruth Barrett (“The Terminal List”).

Beyond the Official Selection, the festival featured an expansive lineup spread across several sections. The Out of Competition slate brought together six high-profile titles, including “Half Man,” Richard Gadd’s new series for BBC and HBO; “Star City,” created by Ronald D. Moore for Apple TV, and “The Terror: Devil in Silver” (AMC+). Also in this section: “Paris Police 1910” (France Télévisions), “Prisoner” (Sky/Canal+), and “California Avenue,” produced by Drama Republic for Mediawan were shown.

The program rounded out with a Short Film Competition, featuring six titles from Belgium, Australia, France, Austria, and Finland, and a Docuseries Competition.

The Canneseries industry section featured discussions and panels on K-Drama, artificial intelligence, and vertical, mobile-phone-first series, among others.

The Cannes International Series Festival, usually called the Canneseries, is an international television festival held annually in Cannes, France. The festival aims to showcase and promote television series from around the world. The festival is usually held parallel to MIPTV Media Market.

SS/SAB