More than 1,000 actors, directors, producers and other film industry workers have signed a pledge to boycott Israeli film institutions, the advocacy group Film Workers for Palestine said Tuesday.
The pledge, which the group said was inspired by filmmakers who refused to screen their work in apartheid South Africa, commits signatories "not to screen films, appear at or otherwise work with Israeli film institutions — including festivals, cinemas, broadcasters and production companies — that are implicated in genocide and apartheid against the Palestinian people." The group said the action responds to appeals from Palestinian filmmakers to “refuse silence, racism, and dehumanization.”
Among the signatories named by Film Workers for Palestine were Oscar winners and nominees as well as established directors and producers. The list includes Emma Stone, Mark Ruffalo, Peter Sarsgaard, Lily Gladstone, Olivia Colman, Susan Sarandon and Tilda Swinton. Producers James Wilson, Robyn Slovo and Tracey Seaward were also listed as supporters.
In its announcement, Film Workers for Palestine said the pledge was intended to carry forward calls from Palestinian filmmakers who have urged the international film community to "do everything humanly possible" to end what they describe as complicity in oppression.
The Israeli Film and TV Producers Association responded to the campaign in a statement to Deadline, calling the boycott "profoundly misguided" and saying the petitioners were "targeting the wrong people." The association said Israeli artists, storytellers and creators have long provided audiences with coverage of the conflict that includes Palestinian narratives and criticism of Israeli state policies, and that it works with Palestinian creators to promote peace.
Organizers and signatories compared the move to past cultural boycotts. Film Workers for Palestine cited Filmmakers United Against Apartheid as inspiration, referencing the international cultural campaign that targeted South Africa during the apartheid era.
Mark Ruffalo, one of the more prominent signatories, has been active in progressive political causes and has participated in public protests in the United States. He campaigned for Democratic causes during the 2024 election cycle and in June joined a protest billed as "No Kings," where he spoke about economic inequality and criticized U.S. immigration policies.
The pledge adds to an ongoing debate in the arts and entertainment community over how best to respond to the war in Gaza and broader Israeli-Palestinian tensions. Supporters of the boycott say cultural and professional pressure can help highlight Palestinian calls for justice and end what they describe as complicity in human-rights abuses. Critics, including some inside Israel's film community, say cultural engagement is a route to dialogue and that boycotts unfairly silence artists and creators.
Film Workers for Palestine did not immediately respond to requests for further comment beyond its published statement. The Israeli Film and TV Producers Association said it remains committed to collaborative projects and to "allowing audiences to hear and witness the complexity of the conflict."
The development is likely to prompt additional statements from festivals, studios and industry bodies that regularly engage with international partners. Several major film festivals and distribution platforms have previously faced calls to take positions or set policies related to geopolitical conflicts; how they respond to this pledge could shape access and collaborations between Israeli and international filmmakers in the months ahead.