AN IRANIAN actor has been sentenced to one year in prison and 90 lashes for her starring role in Australian film My Tehran for Sale.

In an outcome that could have been lifted from the pages of the movie's script, Marzieh Vafamehr was arrested in July and received her sentence at the weekend, according to reports quoting Iranian opposition website kalameh.com.

The exact nature of the crime she was charged with is unclear and the Iranian embassy in Canberra did not respond to The Age's request for comment. Vafamehr often appears with a shaved head and no headscarf in the film, which also explores cultural oppression in Iran and taboos such as drug use.

One of the film's Australian producers, Kate Croser from Adelaide production house Cyan Films, confirmed the sentence. Neither the producers nor the film's Melbourne-based director, Iranian-Australian Granaz Moussavi, would comment because of Vafamehr's family's wishes to let the case follow the proper legal channels. Vafamehr will appeal her sentence.