'' Sight & Sound '' film magazine placed it eighth on its list of the best films of 2012 . Calling '' This Is Not A Film '' one of the top 10 movies of 2012 , critic Ann Hornaday of '' The Washington Post '' said it " uses Brechtian staging , blurred lines between documentary and drama , and an iPhone to explore the notion of physical and political boundaries , the aesthetic and technological contours of cinema , and the enduring power of self-expression . " Critic A. O. Scott of '' The New York Times '' rated '' This Is Not a Film '' the fourth best documentary of 2012 , calling it a " brave and witty video diary , an essay on the struggle between political tyranny and the creative imagination . " Peter Debruge of '' Variety '' called the film " a courageous act of nonviolent protest . " Deborah Young of '' The Hollywood Reporter '' called it " an unusual documentary " that finds a creative solution to Panahi 's ban on filmmaking . Jacques Mandelbaum of '' Le Monde '' wrote that the film shows audiences Panahi 's courage and dignity . In December 2012 it was shortlisted as one of 15 films eligible for Best Documentary Feature at the 85th Academy Awards
85th Academy Awards
85th Academy Awards
This Is Not a Film