Creative Community for Peace
Over 200 Hollywood stars and leaders from the entertainment industry signed a letter this week rejecting efforts to boycott the upcoming Tel Aviv International LGBTQ Film Festival and condemning cultural boycotts against Israel.
The letter, organised by the Creative Community for Peace nonprofit, was signed by actresses Helen Mirren and Mila Kunis as well as actors Billy Porter, Neil Patrick Harris and Zachary Quinto. Sharon Osbourne, Stephen Fry and Lance Bass also are among signatories.
The letter reads: “We reject any attempt to boycott TLVFest – Israel’s largest LGBTQ Film Festival — which works to showcase the stories of LGBTQ people globally and create a brighter future for LGBTQ people both inside Israel and around the world”.
It adds: “We stand united with all the participating filmmakers against the divisive rhetoric espoused by boycott activists who seek to misinform, bully and intimidate artists into removing their films from the festival or shame them for participating in the festival”.
The upcoming event, known as TLVFest, is set to kick off on 11th November, with screenings of dozens of films as well as other events, including a drag competition and an awards ceremony. It has come under fire from Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) activists, who accuse it of “pinkwashing” Israel by highlighting gay rights.
