Filmmakers Rally Behind Nadav Lapid Amid Boycott Controversy
WHO:
Deadline - Producers Saïd Ben Saïd and Judith Lou Lévy, along with directors Stéphane Demoustier and Mati Diop, signed the open letter supporting Nadav Lapid.
Variety - More than 350 film industry figures, including Natalie Portman, Justine Triet, Jacques Audiard, Alice Diop, Arthur Harari, and Michel Hazanavicius.
The Hollywood Reporter - Nadav Lapid, Israeli director, and Benjamin Netanyahu, Israeli Prime Minister.
WHAT:
The Hollywood Reporter - The open letter published in Le Monde described the cultural boycott of Lapid as “an intellectual failure” and expressed concern over the implications of his withdrawal from the festival.
Ynetnews - The Marseille International Film Festival had around ten of the 120 films scheduled withdrawn in protest against Lapid's participation.
Deadline - The Marseille Film Festival criticized the planned boycott, stating that it was “perfectly illegitimate to hold a filmmaker responsible or accountable for the racist, colonial and genocidal policy pursued by the government of his country.”
The Hollywood Reporter - The open letter signed by over 350 film industry figures described the boycott as “an intellectual failure.”
Euronews.com - The Israeli public funds used to finance Lapid's latest film, "Yes," accounted for only 12% of the film's budget.
Deadline - Nadav Lapid has dropped out of jury duty at the Marseille Film Festival due to a cultural boycott against him.
The Hollywood Reporter - Lapid was set to attend the Marseille International Film Festival in July but withdrew following pressure from pro-Palestinian filmmakers.
The Hollywood Reporter - An open letter condemning the cultural boycott of Lapid was signed by over 350 leading figures in the French film industry.
WHERE:
Deadline - Marseille Film Festival, France.
The Hollywood Reporter - Lapid has lived in France since 2021.
WHEN:
The Hollywood Reporter - The Marseille International Film Festival is scheduled for July.
WHY:
Ynetnews - The boycott was justified by the 12 filmmakers who called for it as a means to “act against an approved colonial and genocidal reality.”
The Hollywood Reporter - The boycott was initiated by pro-Palestinian filmmakers who threatened to withdraw their films if Lapid participated.
The Hollywood Reporter - Lapid is a critic of the Israeli government and has faced accusations of complicity due to his film being partially financed by the Israeli Film Fund.
HOW:
Euronews.com - Nadav Lapid expressed his feelings of vulnerability as an exile in France, stating, “If my presence is unacceptable and I can simply be erased or swept out of a film event, I really don't know what the hell I'm doing here, to be honest.”
Euronews.com - The festival's statement emphasized that distinctive voices like Lapid's should be welcomed and listened to, even if their narratives are challenged or deconstructed.
The Hollywood Reporter - The open letter published in Le Monde argues that artists should not be held accountable for the actions of their governments and that inviting them to festivals exerts political pressure on authoritarian regimes.
(UPDATED June 10, 2026 12:07 UTC)
Producers Saïd Ben Saïd and Judith Lou Lévy, along with directors Stéphane Demoustier and Mati Diop, have signed an open letter supporting filmmaker Nadav Lapid, which was published in Le Monde. The letter described the cultural boycott against Lapid as “an intellectual failure” and raised concerns about the impact of his withdrawal from the Marseille International Film Festival, where around ten out of 120 scheduled films were pulled in protest. In expressing his feelings of vulnerability as an exile in France, Lapid stated, “If my presence is unacceptable and I can simply be erased or swept out of a film event, I really don't know what the hell I'm doing here, to be honest.”
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(UPDATED June 10, 2026 04:21 UTC)
The Marseille Film Festival has criticized a planned boycott, arguing that it's unjust to hold a filmmaker accountable for the policies of their government. An open letter signed by over 350 figures in the film industry described the boycott as “an intellectual failure,” while the festival emphasized the importance of welcoming distinctive voices like that of filmmaker Lapid, even when their narratives are controversial. Notably, public funds from Israel that financed Lapid's latest film, "Yes," made up only 12% of its total budget.
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(UPDATED June 9, 2026 19:43 UTC)
Nadav Lapid has withdrawn from his jury duties at the upcoming Marseille International Film Festival in July due to a cultural boycott initiated by pro-Palestinian filmmakers, who threatened to pull their films if he participated. In response to this situation, over 350 prominent figures from the French film industry, including Natalie Portman and Justine Triet, signed an open letter published in Le Monde, arguing that artists should not be held accountable for their governments' actions. Lapid, who has lived in France since 2021 and is known for his criticism of the Israeli government, faced pressure after accusations arose regarding his film being partially financed by the Israeli Film Fund.