Venice's Barbera Denies Israeli Film Boycott, Rejects Political — SkimNews
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- Alberto Barbera said Venice received only one Israeli film submission and chose not to invite it, calling the absence 'absolutely' not a boycott and adding: 'We have no prejudice against anyone anywhere in the world.'
- Venice Film Festival will not make political declarations on Gaza, Palestine, Ukraine, or other contested subjects despite featuring four films on Gaza and Palestine, with pro-Palestinian groups having sent a formal letter demanding an official stance.
- Vincent Gallo declined an out-of-competition berth for his serial-killer film 'Golden State Killer' starring James Franco because he wanted to compete for the Golden Lion, ending weeks of negotiations with Venice programmers.
- Barbera credited the Biennale's 'prestige' and 'credibility' for letting Venice program films by Roman Polanski and Woody Allen without the industry-wide backlash Cannes would face, and declined to rule out Allen's return with his Madrid-set next film.
- Hollywood studios were largely absent from this year's lineup because films were not ready — Aaron Sorkin needed to reshoot scenes in August, David Fincher was delayed in post-production, and the only available title was Iñárritu's Tom Cruise film 'Digger,' which opted for a wide release instead.
- Venice reinstated its jury press conference after backlash and opens Wednesday with Danny Boyle's 'Ink,' starring Guy Pearce and Jack O'Connell as Rupert Murdoch.
Why it matters: Barbera's dual insistence — that Venice has no anti-Israeli bias while also refusing any political declarations — is the institutional tightrope every major festival now walks: program politically charged work but issue no statements. With four Gaza/Palestine films in competition and activist groups formally demanding a stance, Venice's credibility as a 'space for freedom of expression' is being tested against calls for institutional solidarity.
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