Big Hollywood Names Sign Palestinian Pledge

A number of prominent Hollywood actors and filmmakers have signed a pledge to boycott Israeli film institutions they say are complicit in “genocide and apartheid against the Palestinian people,” according to organizers of the initiative, Film Workers for Palestine.

The open letter, published Monday by the group, has drawn over 3,000 signatures from industry professionals. Among the signatories are Emma Stone, Ayo Edebiri, Ava DuVernay, Olivia Colman, Yorgos Lanthimos, Riz Ahmed, Rob Delaney, Javier Bardem, Tilda Swinton, and Cynthia Nixon.

The pledge emphasizes that the boycott targets institutions—such as film festivals, broadcasters, and production companies—and not individuals. “The call is for film workers to refuse to work with Israeli institutions that are complicit in Israel’s human rights abuses against the Palestinian people,” the letter reads. “This refusal takes aim at institutional complicity, not identity.”

Film Workers for Palestine, an international collective formed in early 2024, says its action is modeled after the cultural boycotts of apartheid-era South Africa. The group cites ongoing partnerships between Israeli film festivals—including the Jerusalem Film Festival and Haifa International Film Festival—and the Israeli government as a reason for the boycott.

The statement highlights cinema’s influence on public perception, stating: “In this urgent moment of crisis, where many of our governments are enabling the carnage in Gaza, we must do everything we can to address complicity in that unrelenting horror.”

While the group accuses major Israeli film festivals of government alignment during the Gaza conflict, it also notes that not all Israeli film institutions are considered complicit. Signatories are encouraged to ask questions and follow guidelines established by Palestinian civil society.

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