What was the duration of the film - making ban on Panahi ?
Although his films were often banned in his own country , he continued to receive international acclaim from film theorists and critics and has won numerous awards , including the Golden Leopard at the Locarno International Film Festival for " The Mirror " ( 1997 ) , the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival for " The Circle " ( 2000 ) , and the Silver Bear for Best Director at the Berlin Film Festival for " Offside " ( 2006 ) .