As a film critic with decades of experience under my belt, I have witnessed the evolution of the film industry from a front-row seat. However, nothing quite compares to the troubling trends I am observing today. The muzzling of voices and arbitrary boycotts based on nationality or political stance is not only detrimental to the art of cinema but also to the very essence of freedom of expression.
Around mid-October, the producer of “Fauda,” Liat Benasuly, sent an email to approximately 100 individuals who had recently gathered at the Los Angeles home of former Paramount chief Sherry Lansing. Among those present were Mayim Bialik from “The Big Bang Theory” and singer Montana Tucker. The main subject of their discussion was a topic seldom brought up in formal settings – the growing exclusion of Israeli content creators in international markets. This trend could potentially prevent the next successful series like “Fauda,” “Homeland,” or “Euphoria” from gaining popularity. In her email, Benasuly expressed concern and asked for financial contributions to a newly established organization called Friends of Israeli Film & TV Producers Association, which operates under section 501(c)(3) of the U.S. tax code.
She mentioned in her message that since October 7th, numerous investors and partners have halted their collaborations with Israeli storytellers and producers, leaving a considerable funding gap of about 20-30% for most projects in our industry. This financing shortage has caused significant problems within the industry, making it difficult to produce high-quality content. This issue is quite severe, impacting an industry that has been one of Israel’s remarkable success stories over the past decade and more.
The unforeseen struggles faced by film and TV creators in the country highlight a tense atmosphere within the entertainment industry following last year’s October 7 terror attack in Israel and the ongoing military actions in Gaza. In reality, both sides involved in the Israel conflict allege they are being boycotted and blacklisted as the conflict continues into its second year, with allegations that lists are being kept secretly by opposing factions to identify those deemed unfit for employment. On one side, Israeli creators are increasingly being shunned, especially on the film festival scene – even when their work and social media presence is apolitical. Conversely, pro-Palestinian figures in the industry who have been vocal about the issue are facing backlash and experiencing economic consequences.
As a passionate movie enthusiast, I’d rephrase it as:
Sarandon shares with EbMaster that she’s puzzled about how Nancy Gates and Shani Rosenzweig, my long-term friends and colleagues for a decade, decided to end our professional relationship. Nancy mentioned being a Zionist as her reason. Given my lifelong political activism, their sudden choice to publicize this through Page Six suggests they aimed to create a sensation. I support everyone’s right to boycott. It’s one of the few effective ways voiceless populations can express their views.” (UTA chose not to comment.)
The career reverberations were immediate for Sarandon. “I have lost work,” she adds. “I have lost friends and family, but I have also gained inspiration from those who care enough about humanity and believe enough in the possibility of a better world to raise their voices to stop genocide. I’m grateful for my new empathic, brave friends and family. I abhor violence against any population. Just as large of a threat is the crushing of our First Amendment rights. That is what makes fascism possible. No one is free until all of us our free.”
Concurrently, Israeli movie creators claim their works are intentionally overlooked in film festivals by gatekeepers who express backing for the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement on social media. The Toronto Film Festival, which started on September 5, lacked any noticeable Israeli productions, with the exception of Shemi Zarhin’s relationship drama “Bliss,” added at the last minute and not initially part of the August 6 lineup announcement that did include four films from Palestinian directors. TIFF has declined to comment on multiple requests for clarification.
Likewise, Tom Nesher’s drama “Come Closer,” about a young woman dealing with her brother’s accidental death, was turned down by Sundance last year. It is reported that former CEO of Sundance Institute, Joana Vicente, appreciated the drama, but it was rejected following intense discussions among programmers. (Sundance didn’t respond to comments.) Later this year, Tribeca was presented with the film, and an initial review committee declined it. However, after Jane Rosenthal, CEO of Tribeca Enterprises, requested a reevaluation, members from the senior programming team watched the film and eventually approved it. (Tribeca also didn’t comment on the matter.)
“Come Closer” went on to win the Viewpoints Award at Tribeca and has been embraced in Israel. It took the top prize at the Ophir film awards, the country’s equivalent of the Oscars, and will represent Israel as its selection for best international feature at the 97th Academy Awards. Still, it continues to face backlash along the festival circuit. Last month, pro-Palestinian activists in Greece demanded that the film be pulled from the Thessaloniki Film Festival. When it wasn’t, they protested at the event, calling the apolitical film a form of “artwashing.”
As a dedicated film enthusiast, I’ve noticed that seasoned Hollywood dealmaker, Craig Emanuel – currently an in-house legal advisor at Ryan Murphy Productions and who’s previously consulted for Sundance – is making waves by highlighting a shift in the festivals’ approach. Far from being covert, these events are now openly embracing a new mandate.
“During my participation at the Jerusalem Film Festival in July, filmmakers and producers shared with me that they are being told by programmers for the major festivals, including Sundance and Toronto, that they are not comfortable taking Israeli films or documentaries at this point in time. Programmers are saying they are concerned about pushback and demonstrations regardless of whether [a film] is political or not,” Emanual says. “That’s just not a healthy thing for us as an industry or a society.”
If the organizers of the festival had aimed to prevent protests, they were unsuccessful. A crowd gathered at the Princess of Wales Theatre during TIFF’s opening night, expressing their dissatisfaction with the festival sponsor Royal Bank of Canada, by shouting “RBC funds genocide” and disrupting the festivities.
Conversely, on the other side of the Israel debate, some individuals who spoke with EbMaster argue that Hollywood is penalizing talent for expressing pro-Palestinian viewpoints. For instance, EbMaster previously disclosed that marketing executive Ashlee Margolis advised her team to avoid collaborating with those “posting against Israel.” Similarly, Snow White producer Marc Platt inquired from WME leadership about the continued representation of Boots Riley, a writer-director who criticized a screening of Hamas atrocities as “murderous propaganda.” Despite these concerns, Riley remains a client at the agency.
In my perspective as a movie enthusiast, it’s unfortunate to witness the fallout in the entertainment industry. For instance, Melissa Barrera was let go from the “Scream” series due to divisive social media posts regarding certain issues. Similarly, Creative Artists Agency (CAA) dropped an assistant and authors Saira Rao and Regina Jackson following contentious public statements about Israel. Rao chose not to comment for this particular piece, but in earlier conversations with EbMaster, she expressed her viewpoint that the ongoing conflict involves a genocide, stating, “The genocide is indisputable. You can witness it live on television. CAA will be on the wrong side of history.
Roger Waters, a well-known figure in the music industry, experienced a significant career setback. In January, his publishing company BMG ended its partnership with him due to his ongoing criticism of Israel, which was met with disapproval from his ex-bandmate David Gilmour. This separation between Waters and BMG, the details of which are still being discussed, carries substantial financial repercussions for both the publisher and the artist. Waters claims that the Anti-Defamation League, a prominent organization with extensive connections in Hollywood, and represented by UTA, influenced BMG’s parent company Bertelsmann to cut ties with him. “Certainly, it affects me financially,” Waters said to EbMaster. “Whether it’s $50 million or $100 million, I don’t know.” He was taken aback when he learned of this, saying, “You’re joking, right?” … [ADL CEO] Jonathan Greenblatt responded to this by stating: “It’s important to clarify that there’s a significant distinction between artists facing repercussions for expressing antisemitism or other forms of hate compared to being ostracized merely for their origins or religious beliefs.
It’s been observed that Hollywood might not be particularly welcoming towards Israelis, even when they are fictional characters. This summer, Disney faced criticism for altering the Israeli identity of Sabra/Ruth Bat-Seraph, a superheroine in the upcoming Marvel movie “Captain America: Brave New World”. Originally a Mossad agent, her background has been changed to that of a Widow, which is a role associated with KGB training in the comics. The character is portrayed by Israeli actress Shira Haas.
Hen Mazzig, an Israeli influencer, comments that over the past decade, Marvel Studios has aimed for greater inclusivity, such as introducing a Muslim Pakistani superhero Kamala Khan in ‘The Marvels’. However, altering the character of an Israeli spy [in the comics] to a Russian spy seems questionable to him. He wonders aloud, ‘What kind of world are we living in?’
Israeli filmmakers who conversed with EbMaster assert they’re facing penalties not due to their political views, but primarily because of their nationality. Certain individuals even suggest that festival organizers have openly admitted they fear provoking anti-Israeli demonstrations.
Shoval Tshuva claims that her short film titled “Funky,” which is a deeply personal narrative on the topic of sexual assault, was removed from several film festivals following October 7th, occasionally without providing any reason for this action.
Tshuva states, ‘I created a movie based on the most inhuman encounter I endured. In truth, I was so engrossed in portraying a woman’s tale and a female perspective that I neglected my identity as an Israeli and Jewish woman, which carries its own form of prejudice.’ She adds, ‘Israeli filmmakers are often unfairly dismissed.’
Just like Dylan Joseph, he was on the hunt for a sales firm to assist him in locating a distributor for his short movie titled “French.” This movie revolves around suspense at a nail salon. He decided to reach out to one that had been suggested by some of his filmmaker friends from Israel who had collaborated with them earlier on their projects.
Joseph shares that the head of the sales agency replied, ‘At this time, we are not handling Israeli films because we collaborate extensively with Lebanese and Palestinian filmmakers,’ which Joseph interprets as a subtle way of saying that they have no interest in Israeli cinema at present.” (EbMaster has observed the interaction.)
Throughout the last year, many Israelis have observed a substantial decline in their job opportunities. Dana Schneider, a producer of commercials with credits such as those for Budweiser and Trip Advisor, expresses a sense of isolation and exclusion.
As a dedicated movie enthusiast, I’ve been riding the crest of my career wave until October, but in the blink of an eye, everything started falling apart over just a few weeks. The reason isn’t explicitly stated; it’s subtle and leaves room for doubt. It could be something else, or it might be a multitude of other factors. But deep down, that little voice inside me is whispering, “Something’s amiss here.
As the conflict in Gaza continues unabated, there are concerns that suppressing free speech and imposing random bans could negatively impact the cinematic community.
Sarandon wonders, what sort of dull and uninspiring artwork could emerge when artists feel they’re always being watched?” or “Sarandon ponders, what kind of mundane and unexciting art might arise when artists are constantly looking over their shoulders?
For quite some time now, Waters has observed that the entertainment industry tends to steer clear of opinions that veer from the generally acceptable center, focusing more on what is considered non-offensive. At the 2014 TIFF event, he premiered his concert film titled “Roger Waters: The Wall,” which was met with an overwhelmingly positive reaction.
Following the screening, someone from Netflix approached management and expressed enthusiasm, saying, ‘This is terrific! I really enjoyed the film. We’re definitely interested in a deal. I’ll reach out to you tomorrow,'” he remembers. However, the next morning, they didn’t get in touch. So, my management followed up and was informed that, ‘Regrettably, I’m not certain this fits perfectly with Netflix.’
In the midst of those phone calls, he can imagine the barrage of questions coming his way. “Are you out of your mind? There’s no dealing with Roger Waters – he’s on the prohibited list!”, he jokes lightly.
Surprisingly, even with a perfect 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, the movie couldn’t find a distributor for a theatrical release.
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2024-12-05 19:47