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They Went too Far

Partners in Genocide? The Outrageous Letter Sent to Israeli Directors Banned from IDFA

IDFA denies entry to Israeli film industry figures due to state funding connections, sparking debate over cultural boycotts and artistic independence in documentary filmmaking.

Emma Stone and Joaquin Phoenix

Prominent figures from the Israeli film industry, including representatives from the Docaviv Festival, Copro Market, and the Israeli Public Broadcasting Corporation (Kan), have been denied entry to the International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam (IDFA), one of the world's most prestigious documentary events.

The highly controversial decision marks a significant victory for the growing Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) movement targeting Israeli cultural institutions.

IDFA’s Stance on State Funding

According to a report in Variety magazine, the rejection came from IDFA's new leadership under Director Isabella Rota Fernández, who appears to be supporting a boycott initiated last month by the organization Film Workers for Palestine. That initiative, signed by nearly 4,000 industry figures, including Hollywood stars like Emma Stone and Joaquin Phoenix, pledges to refuse work with Israeli film institutions deemed "involved in war crimes in Gaza."

IDFA refused accreditation to the Israeli delegates on the grounds that their institutions receive partial funding from the Israeli state budget.

Michal Weitz, a documentary filmmaker and the Artistic Director of Docaviv, confirmed receiving a letter of refusal from IDFA. Weitz stated the letter claimed the festival would deny them participation because "we are partners in genocide, which is of course not true."

Israeli Director Defends Independence

Weitz, who directed the 2021 documentary The Blue Box about land acquisition by the Jewish National Fund, strongly defended the independence and critical nature of Israeli cinema.

"Even if 25 percent of our budget comes from public sources, we screen films that are highly critical of the government, against the war," Weitz told Variety.

She insisted that the Israeli government does not dictate the festival's content, noting that Docaviv has always faced political pressure.

"We are still not a dictatorship. We are a democratic country, unlike Russia, and therefore we can hold an independent film festival even with public funding."

Weitz, whose home was destroyed by a missile during the Israel-Iran conflict in June, revealed she was offered an individual accreditation but refused, believing the boycott to be unfair and unwilling to set a precedent.

IDFA Justifies Decision

IDFA Director Isabella Rota Fernández addressed the controversy, saying that this year,

"accreditation was not given to organizations from Israel that receive government support, but the decision will be re-examined next year."

She claimed the festival reviews "independent films and creators on a case-by-case basis" and clarified the policy:

"If a project has direct ties to governments involved in serious human rights violations, for example, through direct government funding – it is usually not selected."

She added that this policy has previously led IDFA to reject films from Iran and, since the Russian invasion of Ukraine, also from Russia and other countries.

The boycott further complicates international collaboration for Israeli filmmakers. Weitz lamented that since the boycott began, options for co-productions have severely diminished:

"Everyone is afraid to cooperate with Israel, and therefore it is much harder today to create joint productions or work with partners outside Israel."

She concluded by emphasizing the importance of cultural communication:

"Culture and cinema are the only ways to communicate with each other. But the boycott wants us to be isolated and disappear, and I think our voice is important."
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