IDFA and Cultural Boycott
IDFA recently published guidelines explaining how the festival deals with organizations, films, and filmmakers from countries where freedom of expression is under pressure or if human rights violations are committed in the name of governments.
IDFA recently published guidelines explaining how the festival deals with organizations, films, and filmmakers from countries where freedom of expression is under pressure or if human rights violations are committed in the name of governments. In line with these guidelines, IDFA has also signed the Dutch and Belgian cultural boycott against Israel, which excludes Israeli institutions receiving government funding.
Individual, independent filmmakers, and film professionals are not affected by this boycott.
Every year, IDFA invites more than 300 independent films, projects, and new media works, along with more than 3,000 professionals to the festival. These films and individual film professionals can come from any country, even if freedom of expression is under pressure in those countries or if human rights violations are committed in the name of governments.
Filmmakers and films with demonstrable ties to governments that contribute to serious human rights violations (for example, if a film or project has been financed by such government) will not be selected. Official government delegations or affiliated institutions from these countries are not eligible for official accreditation to IDFA. Our assessments are informed in part by the Global Press Freedom Index.