Iran film officials are boycotting the Oscars following the release of a controversial anti-Islam short film online.
US resident Nakoula Basseley Nakoula's 14-minute trailer for Innocence of Muslims has sparked violent anti-American clashes throughout the Middle East and now Iran's culture minister Mohammed Hosseini has announced his country will not be looking to defend it's Best Foreign Film title at the 2013 Academy Awards.
He claims the low-budget film is an "intolerable insult to the prophet of Islam," and urged other Islamic countries to follow Iran's lead and boycott the Oscars.
Director Asghar Farhadi won gold for Iran at the Oscars in February for his film A Separation.
WENN.com
source: newshub archive
