Participation in the Edinburgh International Film Festival

S3M-04525 Ken Macintosh (Eastwood) (Scottish Labour)

That the Parliament welcomes the 2009 Edinburgh International Film Festival and the contribution that the event makes to Scottish cultural life; appreciates the pleasure that the festival has brought audiences and the platform that it has provided to film makers from Scotland and around the world; recognises the importance of film in challenging prejudice and tackling controversial subjects; notes, for example, the number of Arab, Palestinian and Israeli productions focussing on the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the number of those films reflecting varied and opposing points of view that have received funding from the Israeli Film Fund; therefore expresses concern at the decision of the film festival to return a grant made by the Israeli Embassy to help an Israeli director participate in this important cultural event; calls for all communities and voices to be heard in such a creative forum, and greets with relief the news that the Israeli director will be able to attend the Edinburgh International Film Festival after all.

To coincide with the beginning of the Festival, several film industry figures have come together to support the Israeli filmmakers and criticise the Festival organisers. Their letter is below:

Sir, The Edinburgh International Film Festival has always been a highlight of the British creative calendar. This year, with so many people talking about a new golden age of British cinema, there is even greater excitement around the festival.

Film is a powerful medium that, properly used, can bring people together and create understanding; at its best it can break down barriers and challenge the most entrenched of opinions. Film- makers have often shown courage and insight, and have given voices and an audience to those who need it most. Notable examples include a number of recent Arab, Palestinian and indeed Israeli productions that deal with various aspects of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. These include Free Zone in 2005, Paradise Now by Hani Abu Asad also in 2005, Lemon Tree in 2007 and Waltz with Bashir in 2008. It will surprise many to know that these films were all enabled by grants from the Israeli Government’s Film Fund.

For all of us who wholeheartedly support a two-state solution and moves towards peace in the Middle East for Israelis and Palestinians alike, this example of a government funding art that challenges and examines difficult issues within its own society is deemed admirable.

Given the record of the Israeli Film Fund, we were, therefore, surprised by the ill-judged action of the festival’s organisers – who, at the instigation of Ken Loach, an unquestionably distinguished director, returned a grant made to the festival by the Israeli Embassy to enable an Israeli director to participate. Mr Loach has been a longstanding supporter of boycotting Israel. Yet, if you look at the record of the Israeli Film Fund, it surely proves the value of an uncensored voice in a democratic society.

We are pleased that Tali Shalom Ezer will be able to attend the Edinburgh Festival after all, and that the organising committee has acknowledged its mistake in stating that Mr Loach spoke on behalf of the film community (which clearly he did not). Divisive cultural boycotts like this make loud statements but help no one.

Mark Batey – Film Distributors Association
Josh Berger – Warner Brothers UK
Neil Blair – the Christopher Little Literary Agency
Simon Chinn – Red Box Films
John Heyman – World Films
Nicholas Hytner – National Theatre
Michael Kuhn
Andrew Orr – Independent film Company
Peter Rhodes OBE
Rick Senat
Gary Sinyor
Janet Suzman
David Tyler – Pozzitive Television

“I have admired the Edinburgh International Film Festival for many years and would like to think that this appalling decision will be rescinded.”

Lord Janner said

“By banning the Israeli Embassy from supporting a film-maker the festival is helping to exclude Israelis from British cultural life, something that is clearly unfair.”

In one piece of good news, though, the Festival has agreed to pay Tali Shalom Ezer’s travel costs out of its own pocket. This is something we called on them to do. Ironically, therefore, Ken Loach’s protest means that rather than the Israeli embassy, the Edinburgh International Film Festival is now directly supporting Israeli culture.

Finally, on the 19th of May, the Scotsman’s Leader condemned the EIFF and Ken Loach. As it does not appear on the Scotsman website, we reproduce it below:

IT IS a sad day for artistic freedom when the Edinburgh International Film Festival (EIFF) responds to threats of a political boycott and possible disruption by sending back a 000 donation from the Israeli Embassy.

Next month, EIFF had planned to show a short film by a graduate of Tel Aviv University. The movie, Surrogate, is about a female sex therapist. The grant was to help pay for the director to come to Edinburgh.

But that was before the Scottish Palestine Solidarity Campaign threatened to picket screenings and persuaded the noted left-wing film-maker, Ken Loach, to call for a total boycott of EIFF. Despite the Israeli film having nothing to do with politics, the Festival’s organnisers gave into the blackmail. They have issued a fatuous statement defending the decision; “Although the Festival is considered wholly cultural and a-political, we … accept that [Mr Loach] speaks on behalf of the film community …”

But Ken Loach does not speak on behalf of the entire film community. He speaks only for himself. EIFF cannot accept public money from Scottish Screen and Edinburgh Council yet play political games. Ken Leach has 3 new film, Looking For Eric (with a cameo by Eric Cantona) in the running for the prestigious Palrne d’Or at Cannes. There are four Israeli films being shown at the festival, including Ajami, which is co-directed by an Israeli and a Palestinian. Curiously, Mr Loach is not proposing a boycott of Cannes

The money in question was only about £300. It was given by the Israeli Embassy to subsidise the visit of Tali Shalom Ezer, a film student, to answer questions after the screening of her short film “Surrogate”. It’s now not clear whether Ms Ezer will be able to attend at all.

EIFF spokeswoman Emma McCorkell said:

“we consider the opinions of the film industry as a whole and, as such, accept that one film-maker’s recent statement speaks on behalf of the film community, therefore we will be returning the funding issued by the Israeli embassy.”

Ken Loach is doubtless an influencial figure, but does he really speak on behalf of ‘the film community‘, a diverse group of directors, actors, writers and production companies spread throughout the world? For example, presumably he doesn’t speak on behalf of Ginnie Atkinson, who said a few days earlier that declining the Embassy’s contribution

“would set a dangerous precedent by politicising a cultural and artistic mission”.

Ms Atkinson is certainly a member of ‘the film community‘, as she is the Director of the EIFF. It’s a shame that she didn’t stand by her comment.

The EIFF has other national sponsors, but they have not returned the money from the US Consulate over the invasion of Iraq, and they haven’t returned Poland’s cash over their increasing discrimination against gay people. So far, only Israel has been targeted in this way. It is another example where the bully-boy boycotters have intimidated a British institution through threats and blackmail.

The EIFF should apologise to the Israeli embassy for caving into this pressure, and pay for Tali Shalom Ezer to come over themselves.

(Also, see Alex Massie in the Spectator, who points out how ridiculous Loach’s position is.)