The festival—and the presence of actors known for bashing Israel—follows backlash against U.S. comedians who performed at the Riyadh Comedy Festival in September despite Saudi Arabia’s strict speech controls and entrenched human rights abuses.

By Alana Goodman, The Washington Free Beacon

Some of Hollywood’s most ardent anti-Israel activists are flocking to Saudi Arabia this week for a government-sponsored film festival—and the kingdom is compensating them well for their time.

The Red Sea International Film Festival, which has been held annually in Jeddah since 2021 under the authority of the Saudi Ministry of Culture, has drawn a star-studded guest list, including actors like Riz Ahmed, Juliette Binoche, Michael Caine, Kirsten Dunst, and Idris Elba—all of whom have accused Israel of committing atrocities in response to Hamas’s Oct. 7, 2023, attack and none of whom have spoken about Saudi Arabia’s human rights record.

The festival has been known to pay large sums to celebrity guests. Filmmaker Spike Lee received between $2.5 million and $3 million for presiding over the festival’s jury last year, Puck reported, though it is unclear how much this year’s jury president, Oscar-winning director Sean Baker, has received.

A source familiar with the festival confirmed Saudi Arabia has compensated actors and filmmakers for attending, and NBC reported that “many [attendees are] set to receive checks.”

The festival said in a statement to NBC that it will “on occasion engage with talent on a contractual basis for work we ask them to do at the festival which includes labs, in conversations, mentorship sessions with emerging regional talent.”

Though representatives for the festival did not disclose the names of actors and filmmakers it is paying, Ahmed is a member of the jury, Dunst participated in a conversation on Thursday, and Elba will do so on Wednesday.

The film festival—and appearances from actors who frequently condemn Israel—comes after a group of U.S. comedians faced scrutiny for performing at the Riyadh Comedy Festival in September in the face of Saudi Arabia’s policing of speech and widespread human rights abuses.

Comedian Shane Gillis, who turned down a “significant” payout, said he declined the offer because most of the 9/11 hijackers were from Saudi Arabia.

“I’m not doing it,” he said. “Then they doubled the bag. It was a significant bag. But I’d already said no. I took a principled stand. You don’t 9/11 your friends.”

Dave Chappelle, meanwhile, used his performance at the festival to bash the United States—after signing a gag order shielding Saudi royals from criticism—because it was “easier to talk here than it is in America.”

Ahmed, born in the United Kingdom to Pakistani parents, has become one of the most outspoken anti-Israel activists in film.

In September, he signed a pledge to boycott Israel, vowing “not to screen films, appear at or otherwise work with Israeli film institutions—including festivals, cinemas, broadcasters and production companies—that are implicated in genocide and apartheid against the Palestinian people.”

Examples of “complicity,” the open letter states, “include whitewashing or justifying genocide and apartheid, and/or partnering with the government committing them.”

Also in September, Ahmed spoke at the “Together for Palestine” music festival in London.

Other speakers at the event included former Palestine Liberation Organization spokeswoman Diana Buttu—who has praised Hamas as a “movement for freedom, for liberation” and said “the first reaction” to Oct. 7 “was elation”—and U.N. Palestinian rights envoy Francesca Albanese, who has been under U.S. sanctions since July over a pressure campaign she carried out against a long list of corporations that do business in Israel.

The Sound of Metal star signed an open letter last May accusing Israel of committing a “genocide” in Gaza and promoting unsubstantiated claims that the Israeli military was “targeting civilians” and “deliberately killed” journalists.

“As artists and cultural players, we cannot remain silent while genocide is taking place in Gaza and this unspeakable news is hitting our communities hard,” the letter read.

It went on to state the entertainment community must speak out against “far right, fascism, colonialism, anti-trans and anti-LGBTQIA+, sexist, racist, islamophobic and antisemitic movements.”

Binoche, who received an award at the festival for her contributions to cinema, also signed the May letter and the September boycott pledge. She praised Saudi Arabia’s progress on gender equality in an interview with Screen Daily this week, saying there is an “opening that is happening with women, and that feels good.”

Binoche did not mention the second-class status women still face in the country even after reforms, nor the fact that adultery, apostasy, and homosexuality are all punishable by death in Saudi Arabia.

Caine, who received a lifetime achievement award at the festival, has accused Israel of “starving” children in Gaza.

Dunst, who signed a letter calling for a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas soon after the Oct. 7 attack, made headlines in April 2024 when she defended The Zone of Interest director Jonathan Glazer’s remarks at the Academy Awards.

Glazer, whose film was set next door to the Auschwitz death camp during the Holocaust, used his Best International Feature Film acceptance speech to attack Israel.

“Our film shows where dehumanization leads, at its worst,” Glazer said. “Right now, we stand here as men who refute their Jewishness and the Holocaust being hijacked by an occupation, which has led to conflict for so many innocent people.”

Dunst, a supporter of Sen. Bernie Sanders (I., Vt.) during the 2020 Democratic presidential primary election, said during an interview with Variety that her “interpretation was [Glazer] was saying that genocide is bad.”

Elba, who pulled out of a British Museum event after a group of anti-Israel activists protested the museum’s ties to companies supposedly connected to Israel’s “genocide” in Gaza, began attacking Israel even before Oct. 7 took vilifying the Jewish state mainstream.

The actor, slated to speak at the Saudi festival on Wednesday, accused Israel of “brutality and bloodshed” as it responded to riots in Judea and Samaria in 2021.

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Organizers say they were “stonewalled” by all cinemas in Malmö, which are unwilling to host Jewish-themed films.

By World Israel News Staff

A Jewish film festival set to be held in Malmö, Sweden, was canceled after multiple venues withdrew from hosting, citing security concerns. Organizers were ultimately unable to find any location willing to hold the screenings.

The Jewish International Film Festival, scheduled for November 29 to December 2, was intended to celebrate 250 years of Jewish life in Sweden.

However, local cinema Folkets Hus announced at the last minute that it would no longer host the festival, organizer Sofia Nerbrand confirmed.

Other potential venues, including the major cinema chain Filmstaden, also declined to host, reportedly due to fears of antisemitic violence.

“In this particular case, after thorough assessment, we concluded that we could not host the festival due to safety concerns,” Filmstaden said in a statement. “Our priority is always to ensure a safe and positive experience for both our guests and employees.”

In a post on social media platform X, Nerbrand said the organizers had been “stonewalled” by every commercial and arthouse cinema in Malmö — a city with a significant Muslim migrant population.

“It is outrageous if Sweden cannot protect cinema-goers who are interested in Jewish film,” she wrote.

“More people need to realize that violent antisemites are a serious societal problem, as they spread fear, silence and appeasement. It’s not just about Jews, but about Sweden,” she added.

Festival co-organizer Ola Tedin told Swedish outlet SVT that she doesn’t “understand what security threat there could be with showing Jewish films.”

Sweden’s Minister for Culture, Parisa Liljestrand, condemned the cancellation as “an absolute catastrophe for Swedish society.”

“It is alarming that we have reached this point — that one of our national minorities feels so vulnerable and that organizers believe it is not possible to hold cultural events with Jewish content,” she said in a statement.

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The film institute claimed that it initially canceled the screening ‘due to concern for public safety.’

By Shiryn Ghermezian, The Algemeiner

A film institute in Pennsylvania was forced by court order to screen a documentary as part of the 28th annual Israeli Film Festival (IFF) of Philadelphia, after initially cancelling the screening following pressure from a pro-Palestinian group.

The IFF announced on Tuesday it filed for and was granted a court order earlier in the day that required the Bryn Mawr Film Institute (BMFI) in Bryn Mawr, Penn., “to meet its commitment to the festival and the community, and proceed with the screening as planned.”

“IFF’s mission and mandate is to connect all of us through the beauty, vibrance, humor, history, and soul that shine throughout Israelis’ unforgettable films. For 28 seasons, we’ve shared these wonderful dramas, documentaries, and comedies and are deeply proud of the impact they’ve had in bringing people together,” the film festival said. “The show must (AND WILL) go on.”

BMFI is among a number of venues screening select films as part of the festival, which began on April 6 and will continue through Sunday. The controversy surrounded the institute’s screening on Tuesday of The Child Within Me, a documentary about Israeli musician Yehuda Poliker

The Philly Palestine Coalition on Monday began a petition that demanded the cancellation of the film festival, which is co-sponsored by Israel Bonds, the Consulate General of Israel, and the Jewish Federation of Greater Pennsylvania.

The pro-Palestinian group falsely claimed that Israel Bonds “finances the Israeli government’s budget” and “directly contributes to the displacement of Palestinians, the expansion of unlawful settlements, and unchecked settler violence.”

The petition also falsely accused the state of Israel of genocide, apartheid, and occupation in its treatment of Palestinians living in the Gaza Strip.

According to the Israel Bonds website, proceeds from the sale of bonds have contributed to Israel’s growth in high-tech, cleantech, and biotech.

Capital from Israel bonds have also “helped strengthen every aspect of Israel’s economy, enabling national infrastructure development … [and] expanded transportation networks enabled by investments in Israel bonds help facilitate shipment of ‘Made in Israel’ technology around the world, enhancing national export growth.”

Soon after facing pressure from the Philly Palestine Coalition, the BMFI announced on Monday it pulled the screening of The Child Within Me — a day before the scheduled event.

“Bryn Mawr Film Institute is not a political organization. We don’t endorse or oppose any causes,” the BMFI said in a released statement.

“In past years, we have not regarded hosting a screening from the Israeli Film Festival as a political partnership or taking a stance on any issues. This was our feeling when we arranged the 2024 screening many months ago. However, as the situation in Israel and Gaza has developed, it has become clear that our showing this movie is being widely taken among individuals and institutions in our community as an endorsement of Israel’s recent and ongoing actions. This is not a statement we intended or wish to make.”

“BMFI is a safe place for civil and nuanced conversations about diverse stories,” the film institute added.

“For the well-being and safety of all patrons, BMFI will not be a location for anger and violence. For those who wish to partake in an IFF screening, there are upcoming screenings at other venues.”

The Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia and the Anti-Defamation League’s chapter in Philadelphia were outraged by the move. They urged the BMFI to immediately reverse its decision to cancel the screening.

“Although BMFI states that this decision was made in an attempt to avoid controversy, this action only serves to blacklist Israeli culture, playing into the hands of antisemites who try to deny the Jewish people their voice and existence,” the two Jewish organizations said in a joint statement on Tuesday.

“The IFF intentionally offers a multifaceted view of Israeli society. Each season, carefully curated feature films and documentaries provide glimpses into the intricate tapestry of Israeli life, allowing audiences to form their own informed opinions … Let us celebrate cultural diversity, promote dialogue, and recognize the transformative power of film in connecting us all.”

Following the court order, the BMFI posted another statement on its website, this time confirming the screening of The Child Within Me.

It also admitted that it “handled all of this very badly” and claimed that it initially cancelled the screening “due to concern for public safety.”

“BMFI is an institution run by human beings. We are flawed and have blind spots. Sometimes we made bad calls,” the film institute added.

“We understand that our actions have hurt and offended many. That was the opposite of our intention, and we apologize for disappointing so many members of our community.”

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After the release of the statement slamming the ‘river to the sea’ slogan, a number of pro-Palestinian producers and the PFI announced their withdrawal from the film festival. This sparked the IDFA to call for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, accusing Israel of ‘occupation.’

By Shiryn Ghermezian, The Algemeiner

Organizers of the 2023 International Documentary Film Festival (IDFA) currently taking place in Amsterdam have walked back their criticism of a rallying cry widely known as a call for the destruction of Israel after a number of pro-Palestinian directors withdrew their participation in the film festival.

The IDFA’s Artistic Director Orwa Nyrabia told The Hollywood Reporter on Tuesday that “around 10” directors have pulled their films from the festival’s lineup. The Palestine Film Institute (PFI) announced on Sunday that it too has withdrawn from all activities at the IDFA film market. The PFI additionally organized a protest outside the main IDFA headquarters on Monday to demand an immediate ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, amid the ongoing Israel-Hamas war, and to criticize the IDFA.

In response, Nyrabia said, “We respect the choices and the decisions of all filmmakers, whether that is to speak their minds on stage or online or to withdraw their films. All forms of peaceful protest, including criticism of our work, we honor and respect.”

The IDFA is the world’s largest documentary film festival. At its opening night on Nov. 8, pro-Palestinian protesters rushed on stage and held a banner that read, “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free.” The slogan has been widely interpreted as a call for Israel, which is located between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea, to be eradicated and replaced by “Palestine.” It has also been used to defend the deadly Hamas terrorist attacks against Israel that took place on Oct. 7.

Last week, the US House of Representatives voted to censure Palestinian-American Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI) for her use of the slogan. A resolution passed by 22 Democrats and most Republicans called the slogan “a genocidal call to violence to destroy the state of Israel and its people to replace it with a Palestinian state.”

A day after the incident at the film festival’s opening night, 16 prominent members of the Israeli film community — including the chair of the Israeli Film Academy, chairwoman of the Israeli Documentary Forum, and chairman of the Israeli Producers Union — wrote a letter to the IDFA. They asked the festival and its director to “clearly and resoundingly distance themselves, reject and denounce these calls for violence and withdraw any platform from those who knowingly incite for the annihilation of Israel, instigating violence and giving rise to antisemitic sentiments against Jews everywhere.”

IDFA organizers afterwards condemned the slogan in a statement released on Nov. 10.

“That slogan does not represent us, and we do not endorse it in any way. We are truly sorry that it was hurtful to many,” the statement read in part. “We understand that the slogan was hurtful, and sincerely apologize for how this happened. There are many ways that people use or read this slogan, and that various sides use it in opposing ways, all of which we do not agree with, and we believe that this slogan should not be used in any way and by anybody anymore.”

Nyrabia added that the slogan is “a triggering statement and an offensive declaration for many, regardless of who carries it. It does not represent IDFA, and was and will not be endorsed.” The Syrian-born filmmaker also denied allegations that he was applauding the banner that featured the slogan on opening night, saying that he did not see the words on the sign until afterwards and “clapped to welcome freedom of speech, and not to welcome the slogan.”

In a separate statement released on Nov. 10, the film festival called for an immediate ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip.

After the release of the statement slamming the “river to the sea” slogan, a number of pro-Palestinian producers and the PFI announced their withdrawal from the film festival. PFI additionally accused the IDFA of engaging in “institutional violence and censorship.” It said that by condemning the actions of the anti-Israel protesters at the festival’s opening night, the IDFA was responsible for the “vilification of Palestinian voices.”

The IDFA responded to the backlash in its most recent statement published on Nov. 12, when it repeated its call for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, accused Israel of “occupation,” and clarified its stance regarding the slogan, appearing to somewhat justify its usage.

“Many filmmakers, Palestinians, Israelis, and others, whose work featured at IDFA over the years, showed the world how occupation is the core of this tragedy, and that ending the occupation and respecting all human lives as equal and sacred, are the essential steps,” the statement read.

The festival then said it recognizes that the controversial slogan “is at the heart of the on-going discussion is used by various parties in different ways and is perceived by various people in various manners.”

“We are not ignoring, undermining, nor criminalizing any of these positions, and we fully respect and acknowledge the pain that is going around and the extreme urgency of these discussions while war is still on, and innocent civilians are still dying,” the statement added. “Our aim is to make sure everybody feels welcome and safe to express themselves and to listen openly to others, even when in disagreement. Our hope is that everybody feels entitled to use this platform, seriously and responsibly, lovingly and sincerely.”

Iranian filmmaker Maryam Tafakory is among the directors to withdraw from the IDFA after it criticized the anti-Israel slogan. She pulled her film Mast-del from the film festival’s lineup and said in an Instagram post that she is “heartbroken, betrayed, and outraged by the damaging slander” of the “from the river to the sea” phrase. In the same social media post, she accused Israel of being an “apartheid state,” of “ethnic cleansing,” and of committing an “ongoing genocide” agains Palestinians.

The International Documentary Film Festival is taking place Nov. 8-19. On Wednesday, it awarded top prizes to a film about a “stateless Palestinian child” living in a refugee camp in Beirut, titled Son of the Streets, and another film titled Coexistence, My Ass! about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, but with a comedic twist.

In a statement about awarding Son of the Streets at the IDFA Forum Awards, jurors Zdeněk Blaha and Nada Riyadh explained “with our decision, we would like to support not only a specific aspiring talent but also a cause,” in a clear reference to supporting the Palestinians. “If there was one project that needs support at this moment the most, it is this one. We would like to recognize the struggle of a nation forced to live as ghosts caught between the walls. Without home, without identity, without land.”

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During his time with the toy giant, 14 live-action motion pictures in active development with major studio partners have been announced.

By Shiryn Ghermezian, The Algemeiner

The 36th annual Israel Film Festival (IFF), set to take place in Los Angeles, is giving its 2023 Industry Leadership Award to Ynon Kreiz, the Israeli-American chairman and CEO of the toy giant Mattel.

Kreiz will receive the award, which honors individuals with outstanding leadership skills who have achieved notable success while inspiring others, at IFF’s opening night gala at the Saban Theatre in Beverly Hills on November 1.

Kreiz joined Mattel in 2018. During his time with the global toy and entertainment company, Mattel Films has announced 14 live-action motion pictures in active development with major studio partners. Mattel Television has also expanded its content and now reaches audiences in 191 countries in 37 languages.

Mattel’s first major theatrical movie, Barbie, starring Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling in the lead roles, was released last month and broke records for Warner Bros. Pictures and filmmaker Greta Gerwig. Barbie became the highest-grossing female-directed film at the domestic box office in its opening weekend after making a staggering $162,022,044.

The film exceeded the billion-dollar mark globally just 17 days after its release and is currently the highest-grossing movie of the year in Israel. It also recently surpassed the Batman movie The Dark Knight to become the highest-grossing domestic release in Warner Bros. history.

IFF Founder and Executive Director Meir Fenigstein said in a statement that Kreiz’s “visionary leadership and incredible achievements at Mattel” are “exciting beyond imagination,” noting most recently Barbie‘s success at the box office.

“In just over five years, Ynon has transformed Mattel into an IP powerhouse, with its first theatrical release shattering records and becoming a showcase for the expertise of the Mattel Films division he created,” Fenigstein added. “On a personal note, I fondly recall Ynon as a UCLA Anderson MBA student volunteering at the Israel Film Festival. Now, 30 years later, I am proud to be recognizing and honoring him at the festival for his own amazing accomplishments.”

Kreiz praised the IFF in his own statement about the honor.

“I have long admired the work of the [Israel Film] Festival to promote and celebrate Israel’s thriving film and television industry, introducing the nation’s inspiring content, creators, and artists to US audiences,” he said. “I am honored to be receiving this award from an organization whose mission I so strongly support.”

The 36th Israel Film Festival will run in Los Angeles from November 1-15.

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Documentaries with clear anti-Israel messages and shaky facts to be screened at New York film festival.

By Adina Katz, World Israel News

Several films demonizing the Jewish state are set to be featured during the Other Israel film festival, which will be screened at the Marlene Meyerson Jewish Community Center (JCC) in Manhattan, New York.

Israeli filmmaker Alon Schwarz’s documentary Tantura will debut at the festival. The film charges that in 1948, Israeli soldiers massacred Arabs in a coastal village near Zichron Ya’akov and that the mass killing was later covered up.

Schwarz admitted in a recent Haaretz article that his ”film doesn’t focus on the question of whether 12, 20 or 200 people were killed in Tantura” and argues that the actual facts of the massacre – such as the number of people who were allegedly murdered – is irrelevant.

Prominent Israeli historian Benny Morris revealed in an October op-ed for Haaretz that Schwarz had interviewed him on camera for two to three hours while making the film. Morris said that he was surprised to see that he didn’t appear in the final cut of the movie, attributing his absence to the fact that he disproved many of Schwarz’s claims in the film.

“To me it is clear that he simply didn’t like what I said, because my comments weren’t compatible with the narrative about Tantura that he wanted to sell his viewers: a sensational, earthshaking tale – ‘the Jews behaved like Nazis’ – that would garner him extensive publicity and perhaps even prizes from so-called Israel lovers abroad,” wrote Morris.

Another film set to make its North American debut at the Other Israel film festival is H2: The Occupation Lab.

A synopsis of the documentary, which is set in Hebron, explains that the movie covers the “policy of ethnic separation implemented by the military.” How Hebron has become “the test site for the methods of control Israel is implementing throughout the West Bank” is also a focus of the film.

The synopsis does have a vague reference to the “1929 massacre” of local Jews by Arabs, calling it “year zero” of the conflict. However, the synopsis pointedly avoids naming the perpetrators and the victims of the incident.

The festival’s organizers claim that airing the movies is important for sparking conversation about the Jewish State among diaspora communities.

“With Israel once again in an election year, the importance of amplifying messages of social change through these films feels more needed than ever,” Isaac Zablocki, executive director of the festival and JCC Manhattan’s senior director of film programs, told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency (JTA) in a statement.

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Zelensky referenced films like Francis Ford Coppola’s “Apocalypse Now” and Charlie Chaplin’s “The Great Dictator” as not unlike Ukraine’s present circumstances.

By Associated Press

The 75th Cannes Film Festival kicked off Tuesday with an eye turned to Russia’s war in Ukraine and a live satellite video address from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who called on a new generation of filmmakers to confront dictators as Charlie Chaplin satirized Adolf Hitler.

After tributes and musical numbers, Zelensky was streamed live for the formally attired audience who had gathered for the premiere of Michel Hazanavicius’ zombie comedy “Final Cut.”

Zelensky, dressed in his signature olive green shirt, drew a thunderous standing ovation and spoke at length about the connection between cinema and reality. He referenced films like Francis Ford Coppola’s “Apocalypse Now” and Charlie Chaplin’s “The Great Dictator” as not unlike Ukraine’s present circumstances.

Zelensky quoted Chaplin’s final speech in “The Great Dictator,” which was released in 1940, in the early days of World War II: “The hate of men will pass, and dictators die, and the power they took from the people will return to the people.”

“We need a new Chaplin who will demonstrate that the cinema of our time is not silent,” implored Zelensky.

The Ukrainian president pushed filmmakers not to “stay silent” while hundreds continue to die in Ukraine, the largest war in Europe since WWII, and show that cinema “is always on the side of freedom.”

The war is to be a regular presence in Cannes, where the festival has barred Russians with ties to the government from attending this year. Set to screen are several films from prominent Ukrainian filmmakers, including Sergei Loznitsa’s documentary “The Natural History of Destruction.”

Footage shot by Lithuanian filmmaker Mantas Kvedaravičius before he was killed in Mariupol in April will also be shown by his fiancée, Hanna Bilobrova.

Even “Final Cut,” the latest film from “The Artist” filmmaker Hazanavicius, was renamed from its original title, “Z,” after Ukrainian protesters noted that the letter Z to some symbolizes support for Russia’s war in Ukraine.

Formally attired stars including Eva Longoria, Julianne Moore, Bérénice Bejo and “No Time to Die” star Lashana Lynch were among those who streamed down Cannes’ famous red carpet Tuesday. More star-studded premieres — “Top Gun: Maverick!” “Elvis!” — await over the next 12 days, during which 21 films will vie for the festival’s prestigious top award, the Palme d’Or.

‘Let’s come out of this dark together’

But Tuesday’s opening and the carefully choreographed red-carpet parade leading up the steps to the Grand Théâtre Lumiére again restored one of the movies’ grandest pageants after two years of the pandemic that has challenged the exalted stature Cannes annually showers on cinema.

“Dear friends, let’s come out of this dark together,” said opening ceremony host Virginie Efira.

After last year requiring regular COVID-19 testing and masks in theaters — and no kisses on the red carpet — Cannes has largely done away with pandemic protocols. Masks are recommended inside but are rarely worn.

Cannes presented an honorary Palme d’Or to Forest Whitaker, who received a standing ovation. Whitaker, who won best actor at Cannes 34 years ago for his performance as Charlie Parker in Clint Eastwood’s “Bird,” said that while ascending the steps to the Palais des Festivals on Tuesday, he could still hear chants of “Clint! Clint!” ringing in his ears. Eastwood is one of few others who have been awarded an honorary Palme.

On Tuesday, Cannes also unveiled the jury that will award the Palme d’Or. French actor Vincent Lindon is leading a jury that includes Deepika Padukone, Rebecca Hall, Asghar Farhadi, Trinca, Ladj Ly, Noomi Rapace, Jeff Nichols and Joachim Trier.

Surprising guest at the festival

Questions of gender equality have long surrounded the Cannes Film Festival, where no more than five female filmmakers have ever been a part of the Palme competition lineup and only two women directors have won it.

On Monday, Fremaux defended the festival, arguing that it selects films purely on the basis of quality. Hall, who last year made her directorial debut with the film “Passing,” was asked about her opinion on Cannes’ record.

“I believe that it is a work in progress. I mean for the whole film industry, not just the Cannes Film Festival,” replied Hall. “The way of dealing with these things needs to be addressed on a grassroots level as well. It’s not just the festivals or public-facing situations. It’s about all the minutiae of what goes into the industry at large.”

Farhadi, the Oscar-winning Iranian director, also spoke for the first time about an ongoing plagiarism suit regarding his previous film, “A Hero,” which won the Grand Prix in Cannes last year. A former film student of Farhadi’s, Azadeh Masihzadeh, has accused him of stealing the idea of the film from a 2018 documentary she made in a workshop taught by Farhadi.

Speaking at length, Farhadi said “A Hero” was not based on the documentary.

“It was based on a current event so this documentary and this film are based on an event that happened two years prior to the workshop,” said Farhadi. “When an event takes place and is covered by the press, then it becomes public knowledge and you can do what you like about the event. You can write a story or make a film about the event. You can look up the information on this event. ‘A Hero’ is just one interpretation of this event.”

At the tradition-upholding Cannes, the world’s largest and most glitzy temple to film, cinema, controversy and glamour swirl together in a 12-day spectacle of red carpet premieres and rampant movie deal-making up and down the Croisette. Theatrical release is a requirement of any film vying for the Palme, which has prevented streaming services from playing a big role at Cannes.

But this year, one new festival partner — TikTok — has raised some eyebrows. The festival is hosting TikTok creators from around the world and holding a separate contest for best (very short) videos created during the festival. Thierry Fremaux, artistic director of Cannes, granted TikTok wasn’t the future of cinema.

“The cinema remains the final art,” said Fremaux.

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Successful Arab-Israeli actor says he does not identify with the State of Israel.

By Adina Katz, World Israel News

A prominent Arab-Israeli actor who rose to fame on Israeli television programs, including the international hit Fauda and the critically acclaimed Arab Work, said he does not consider himself an Israeli entertainer and identifies as a Palestinian during an interview with Channel 12 News on Wednesday.

Salim Daw, 71, has made a name for himself in Israel’s film industry, beginning with theater roles and then gradually recurring spots on mainstream Israeli sitcoms.

He’s slated to play the father of Princess Diana’s lover Dodi Al-Fayed in an upcoming season of the British royal family drama The Crown, marking his biggest role to date.

But despite studying acting at the storied Beit Zvi Hebrew-language acting school and earning his stripes in Israeli productions, Daw said he does not identify with the State of Israel.

Daw told Channel 12 that although he had a leading role in the HBO series Oslo, he was excluded from promotions of the movie within Israel.

“Screenings of the film [for critics] did not mention me at all,” he said. But then, when [news] about [my role] in The Crown came out, suddenly I was an Israeli actor, an Israeli success story.

“I said, ‘Let’s calm down, guys.’ You made me disappear recently. I’m not an Israeli success, I’m not an Israeli actor. I’m a Palestinian, I’m a Palestinian actor.’”

Notably, Daw had a major role in the movie Let There Be Morning, which featured a predominantly Arab-Israeli cast but was directed and produced by Jewish Israelis.

Although they have Israeli citizenship and the production occurred in Israel, many of the actors in the film objected to the movie being categorized as Israeli at the Cannes Film Festival.

Daw participated in a boycott along with his Arab-Israeli castmates, refusing to attend the opening screening of the film at Cannes shortly after the May 2021 Israel-Gaza clash Operation Guardian of the Walls.

In a statement, the cast said they were skipping the event in protest of Israel’s alleged apartheid, ethnic cleansing, and colonial oppression of Palestinians,

Daw demurred when asked by Channel 12 if he agreed with that sentiment.

“They’re not ethnically cleansing me, but I belong to the [Palestinian] people. I cannot leave the house and say: I do not care, I do not hear, I do not see. I see, my heart aches for what is happening.”

He added thateven though he is a “part of Israeli cinema,” he feels like he is “unwanted” and doesn’t “belong to this country.”

“I do not belong to either side,” he said. “That is my bitter truth.”

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The TLVFest annually features Palestinian films, including two short films this year. 

By Shiryn Ghermezian, The Algemeiner

More than 200 actors, Hollywood studio executives and other members of the entertainment industry have signed an open letter in support of this year’s Tel Aviv International LGBTQ Film Festival (TLVFest), following efforts to boycott the annual event.

The open letter, penned by the non-profit entertainment industry organization Creative Community For Peace (CCFP), was released on Wednesday in direct response to anti-Israel boycott efforts targeting the film festival, which will take place Nov. 11-20 at the Tel Aviv Cinematheque and, this year, at Ennis Jaffa’s Stage, which is run by a Palestinian activist.

Palestinian members of the LGBTQIA+ community are part of the festival’s juries and organizers, and TLVFest annually features Palestinian films, including two short films this year. The opening night’s hosts also include Palestinian gay actress and filmmaker Samira Saraya.

The open letter said, “In Israel, movies have the unique power to bring together Jews, Arabs, and people of all races, ethnicities, and backgrounds in collaboration under a shared love of the arts, working together towards the common goal of telling their stories, and building bridges of compassion and understanding. The annual Tel Aviv International LGBTQ Film Festival (TLVFest) embodies this spirit of unity and truth, featuring films from filmmakers of all backgrounds, including Palestinians.”

Signatories include Mila Kunis, Neil Patrick Harris, Greg Berlanti, Jeremy Piven, Lance Bass, Melissa Rivers, Mayim Bialik, Billy Porter, Dame Helen Mirren, Zachary Quinto, Sherry Lansing, Emmanuelle Chriqui, Dana Goldberg, Gene Simmons, Greg Berlanti, Tracy Ann Oberman and Diane Warren.

“We stand united with all the participating filmmakers against the divisive rhetoric espoused by boycott activists who seek to misinform, bully and intimidate artists into removing their films from the festival or shame them for participating in the festival,” the letter continued. “We believe that anyone who works to subvert TLVFest merely adds yet another roadblock to freedom, justice, equality, and peace that we all desperately desire, especially for the LGBTQ community that is persecuted throughout the Middle East and around the world. Artists should never be silenced, and art should not be subverted for political goals.”

CCFP Director Ari Ingel said supporting the boycott movement against Israel is “counterproductive” and that “instead of amplifying the voices of coexistence trying to effect real change on the ground, those who support the calls for a boycott are only creating more hostility and division.”

In a statement posted on the festival’s official website, TLVFest director Yair Hochner said TLVFest will continue to collaborate with “queer Palestinian filmmakers who are interested in coexisting peacefully and building a much more tolerant and inclusive Middle East, both for Israelis and Palestinians.”

Hochner also criticized boycott movements that he argued spread “selective analysis of hand-picked facts out of context, if not out-right lies,” about the festival. He said about these movements, “instead of promoting the Palestinian cause, they try to silence the ones who fight for freedom of speech. We are here to continue spreading LGBTQI+ culture and cinema across the country, introduce tolerance & pluralism, provoke thought, bring down walls, and build bridges between different cultures … Anyone who tries to shut down the festival, fights against the hope for freedom, justice, equality and peace.”

In 2020, more than 130 filmmakers and members of the film industry pledged to boycott TLVFest “in solidarity” with Palestinian members of the LGBTQIA+ community. Filmmakers and artists did the same in 2018 and similar efforts were made in 2017, with some guests cancelling their participation.

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