Nadav Lapid Pulls Out Of Marseille Film Fest Over Planned Boycott
Deadline • • entertainment
Key Points:
- Israeli filmmaker Nadav Lapid withdrew from jury duty at the Marseille Film Festival after several filmmakers boycotted the event in protest of his involvement, citing a cultural boycott of Israel.
- The festival condemned the boycott, highlighting Lapid's consistent criticism of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and emphasizing the importance of engaging with dissenting voices.
- Lapid, who lives in exile in France, directed the satirical film "Yes" (2025), which critiques Israel's ruling class; controversy arose because the film received partial funding from the Israeli Film Fund.
- Hundreds of prominent French film figures, including Natalie Portman and Jacques Audiard, signed an open letter supporting Lapid, arguing that artists should not be reduced to their nationality despite their governments' actions.
- Filmmakers who withdrew their films defended the boycott as a stance against what they describe as an ongoing colonial and genocidal reality linked to Israel.