Israel film fest in Chennai postponed after backlash from writers, activists

CHENNAI: Facing backlash from writers’ groups and politicians, the Indo Cine Appreciation Foundation’s (ICAF) has postponed the plan to host the Israeli Film Festival 2025 in Chennai later this week. Those opposing the festival claimed that organising the event is inappropriate in the current context when a devastating war is raging in Gaza where thousands have been killed.

“We regret to inform that due to certain unforeseen and unavoidable circumstances, we have postponed...” reads the social media post that the organisation shared.

The festival was scheduled to be held at the Tamil Nadu Government Music College from May 29 to 31. In a statement released on May 26, the Tamil Nadu Progressive Writers and Artists Association (TNPWAA) urged ICAF to call off the event. The association said organising a cultural event celebrating Israel at a time when the country continues its military operations in Gaza showed a lack of political sensitivity.

“This is not just a film event. It risks normalising and legitimising a regime that has been widely condemned for its actions in Palestine,” the association said, adding that Tamil Nadu has a strong tradition of standing up for the rights of oppressed people around the world.

TNPWAA also criticised ICAF for trying to position the Israeli film festival alongside international cultural initiatives like the Chennai International Film Festival, which receives support from the State government. “Such equivalence is misleading and unacceptable,” the letter read.

Joining the issue, Congress MP Sasikanth Senthil said while he deeply believed in the power of art to build bridges and foster understanding and rarely call for cultural cancellations, there were moments in history when silence or neutrality risks being complicit. In times of profound human suffering, even symbolic gestures carry weight, he said.

“With the world watching in anguish as Gaza faces relentless violence, unprecedented civilian casualties, and obstructed humanitarian aid, proceeding with this event could be perceived as a tacit endorsement or at the very least, indifference to the suffering of a besieged population. This is not a rejection of art. It is a call to be mindful of context, of timing, and of the moral message we send as a society. Let us stand, symbolically, but unequivocally, on the side of humanity,” said the Lok Sabha member from Tiruvallur.

Last August, the National Film Development Corporation had cancelled the Israeli Film Festival that was scheduled to take place at the National Museum of Indian Cinema (NMIC) in Mumbai after facing opposition from various quarters.