The Cinema Organization of Iran or COI (سازمان سینمای ایران) is a state body operating under Iran’s Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance, the agency that controls access to media on the basis of Iranian religious ethics and political considerations. The COI serves as the primary regulatory authority for the Iranian film industry, responsible for issuing production and screening permits for both domestic and international films. Examples of COI has exercising its authority in recent years include the banning of the 2022 family and feminist drama “Leila’s Brothers” after its director brought the film to Cannes without government approval, a decision that led to the film’s director and producer being sentenced to criminal penalties by an Islamic Revolutionary Court in August 2023.