'Israeli' film festival
Three French cinemas pull out from ‘Israeli’ film festival
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- The venues include Pathé cinemas in Marseille and Toulon, and L’Eden in La Ciotat.
- The festival, scheduled for Nov. 4–10, will no longer use the cinemas' public access or Pathé ticketing system.
Three cinemas in southern France have withdrawn their support for the ‘Israeli’ Film Meetings festival, scheduled to run from Nov. 4 to 10, following a campaign led by the local Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement.
The BDS local committee, backed by several regional associations and activist groups, said it had sent letters and an open letter to three cinemas urging them to withdraw their support for the event, which it accused of providing cultural cover for ‘Israel's’ actions against Palestinians.
The campaign secured the withdrawal of all three venues: Pathé cinemas in Marseille and Toulon, and L’Eden in La Ciotat, according to a statement by BDS France.
The organizers said the festival would consequently no longer be open to the cinemas' general audiences and would no longer use Pathé's ticketing system. Instead, tickets are now being sold through a private online platform managed by the organizing association, Kolibri.
Describing the outcome as a complete victory, BDS France said it would remain mobilized against events sponsored by institutions it considers complicit in ‘Israeli’ colonization and apartheid.
The campaign concluded with a call against what it described as the use of art to whitewash ‘Israeli’ crimes in Palestine.
Cultural boycotts have become a prominent part of the Palestine solidarity movement, with activists arguing that festivals, artistic collaborations and institutional sponsorships can contribute to normalizing ‘Israel's’ actions while Palestinians face occupation and restrictions on their cultural life. BDS France said it would continue challenging such events, insisting that cultural platforms should not be used to whitewash violations against Palestinians.
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