A star-studded list of over 200 Hollywood notables signed a letter in support of the Tel Aviv International LGBTQ Film Festival (TLVFest), opposing a cultural boycott of the state.
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The letter was published by the non-profit entertainment industry organization Creative Community for Peace.
Neil Patrick Harris, Mayim Bialik, Mila Kunis, Zachary Quinto, Dame Helen Mirren and Lance Bass are among the many celebrities who signed their names to the letter.
The open letter came in response to attempts by anti-Israel activists to boycott the film festival that celebrates international voices from the LGBTQ+ community, including the Middle East. TLVFest says it represents the epitome of coexistence and regularly features Palestinian films, including two this year.
"In Israel, movies have the unique power to bring together Jews, Arabs, and people of all races, ethnicities, and backgrounds in collaboration under a shared love of the arts, working together towards the common goal of telling their stories and building bridges of compassion and understanding," the letter said.
The letter's signatories said they believe strongly in the power of film to bring people together, transcend boundaries, broaden awareness, and affect positive societal change. They also called on their friends and colleagues to join in expressing support for a successful TLVFest 2021.
"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 letter continued.
"Anti-Israel boycott activists intentionally use inflammatory language and make provocative statements to try and bully filmmakers into backing out. Their messages intentionally involve an element of dishonesty and misinformation that only furthers hostility and dampens hope for peace, which all of us so urgently desire," stated Creative Community for Director Peace Ari Ingel.
Ingel added that "support of the boycott movement is also counterproductive and instead of amplifying the voices of coexistence trying to effect real change on the ground, those who support the calls for a boycott are only creating more hostility and division."
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TLVFest 2021 is scheduled to start on November 11 and will run until November 20.
The event will be held at the Tel Aviv Cinematheque.
Other signatories include: Emmanuelle Chriqui (actress); Aaron Bay-Schuck (CEO/Co-Chairman Warner Record); Jeremy Piven (actor, comedian); Marty Adelstein (CEO Tomorrow Studios); Jonathan Tucker (actor); Billy Porter (actor); Gene Simmons (artist, KISS); Greg Berlanti (producer, director); Haim Saban (Chairman & CEO, Saban Capital Group); Robbie Rogers (athlete); Dana Goldberg (Chief Creative Officer of Skydance); Simon Callow (actor); Tracy Ann Oberman (actress); David Burtka (actor); John Benjamin Hickey (actor); Rick Rosen (Co-Founder of Endeavor); Ben Silverman (Chairman & Co-CEO, Propagate Content); Melissa Rivers (actress, TV Host); Paul Feig (actor/director); Michael Rotenberg (Partner, 3 Arts Entertainment); Eric Balfour (actor); Rachel Riley (TV Host); Richard Benjamin (actor/director); Diane Warren (songwriter); and Sherry Lansing (former CEO of Paramount Pictures) among many others.
