Nader Saeivar’s drama, co-written with Jafar Panahi, follows a man who falls afoul of the state security services. 

Nader Saeivar’s Iranian drama No End has been dropped from the official selection of the Hainan Island International Film Festival in what filmmakers say was an act of censorship by Chinese authorities. 

ArtHood Entertainment, which is handling world sales for No End, told The Hollywood Reporter it received a confirmation from the Hainan Island festival on Nov. 19 that the Iranian drama had been picked to run in the main competition at the event. The 2023 Hainan festival runs Dec. 16-22 in the tropical resort city of Sanya in China’s southernmost province. 

But this week, the festival has pulled the film, citing “political pressure and censorship laws of the Chinese government,” said ArtHood. 

The Hainan festival is backed by the state-run China Media Group and the People’s Government of Hainan Province, under the guidance of the China Film Administration. The event’s competition jury this year includes international figures like Cannes regular Nuri Bilge Ceylan (About Dry Grasses), Iranian filmmaker Shahram Mokri (Fish & Cat) and French cinematographer Caroline Champetier (Holy Motors), along with major figures from the Chinese industry, such as actor-director Dong Chengpeng (Jian Bing Man) and actor Huang Xiaoming (The Message), among others. Past celeb attendees to the event, which appeared to be on the rise before the pandemic, have included Ethan Hawke, Johnny Depp, Jackie Chan, Aamir Khan, Nicolas Cage and Isabelle Huppert.