[News] Tel Aviv's 'Pinkwashing' LGBT Film Fest Sees Nearly Half of International Filmmakers Pull out in BDS win

[Anti-Imperialist News]

http://www.telesurtv.net/english/news/Tel-Avivs-Pinkwashing-LGBT-Film-Fest-Sees-Nearly-Half-of-International-Filmmakers-Pull-out-in-BDS-win-20170531-0023.html 



  Tel Aviv's 'Pinkwashing' LGBT Film Fest Sees Nearly Half of
  International Filmmakers Pull out in BDS win

31 May 2017
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In its decade-long run, Tel Aviv’s LGBT Film Festival has never before 
been hit with such pressure from Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) 
activists 
<http://www.telesurtv.net/english/news/Palestinian-Group-Slams-New-York-Governor-over-BDS-Blacklist-20161204-0026.html>supporting 
Palestine — till now, as nearly half of its international guests have 
pulled out from participating.

Even its director, Yair Hochner, admitted the same, telling the 
Jerusalem Post, “I think they just did a very good job this year, the 
pinkwashing people, as they call themselves.”

The boycott efforts have been spearheaded by Pinkwashing Israel, who say 
the TLVFest “promotes the cynical use of gay rights – known as 
pinkwashing – to distract from and normalize Israeli occupation, settler 
colonialism and apartheid.”

South African director John Trengove was one of the first guests to pull 
out, telling organizers last week that he could no longer participate, 
and citing the concerns of BDS activists.

“It is impossible to look past the fact that the festival (and my 
participation in it) could serve as a diversion from the human rights 
violations being committed by the State of Israel,” Trengove wrote.

*"Occupation won't wash away so easily. With the Palestinians against 
pinkwashing!"*

While he had asked organizers to pull his film as well, they said that 
because they had already paid for its rights, they would be going ahead 
with its screening on June 1.

It’s the same case with Fawzia Mirza, a Pakistani-Canadian actress and 
filmmaker — whose screening of “Signature Move,” a film about a lesbian 
relationship between a Pakistani and a Mexican in the United States — is 
still being screened, despite her canceling her participation.

Mirza canceled, citing her identity as a “Muslim queer person,” becoming 
one of five out 12 international guest to cancel.

The producers of the film Chavela also requested their movie be pulled 
from the show, but noted that their distribution contract would not 
allow them to cancel its screening.

The festival is a part of Tel Aviv’s Pride Week celebrations, which will 
culminate in a Gay Pride Parade in the city on June 9. Palestine 
solidarity activists have long cited these celebrations as normalizing 
Israel’s occupation.

Organizers for the festival said the BDS’s targeting has caused “a 
severe upheaval and a threat to the existence of the LGBT film festival.”

-- 
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