Mila Kunis, Neil Patrick Harris, Mayim Bialik, Billy Porter, Dame Helen Mirren, Phil Rosenthal, Zachary Quinto, Sherry Lansing, Emmanuelle Chriqui, Dana Goldberg, Gene Simmons, Greg Berlanti, Edgar Ramirez, Tracy Ann Oberman, and Diane Warren among 200+ celebrities and entertainment industry professionals to sign open letter against boycott of Israel’s largest LGBTQ+ film festival.
LOS ANGELES (Oct 27 2021) — More than 200 leaders from the entertainment industry have signed an open letter released by the non-profit entertainment industry organization Creative Community For Peace in support of the Tel Aviv International LGBTQ+ Film Festival (TLVFest) and the participating filmmakers.
The entertainment leaders stand united in rejecting the cultural boycott of Israel as yet another roadblock to peace and its subversion of art for nefarious political purposes. At a time when the LGBTQ+ Community around the world continues to face immense discrimination, it is especially abhorrent to call for a boycott of an event that gives a voice to their stories and struggles.
The open letter comes in response to attempts by anti-Israel activists to boycott a film festival that celebrates international voices from the LGBTQ+ community, including the Middle East. TLVFest 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 reads.
Signatories to the open letter include: Neil Patrick Harris (Actor); Dame Helen Mirren (Actress); Mila Kunis (Actress); Zach Quinto (Actor); Mayim Bialik (Actress); 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); Edgar Ramirez (Actor); 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); Lance Bass (Artist); 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) amongst many others.
The letter’s signatories believe strongly in the power of film to bring people together, transcend boundaries, broaden awareness, and affect positive societal change. They also call 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 continues.
“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 Ari Ingel, Director of Creative Community for Peace.
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.”
Creative Community for Peace aims to promote the arts and culture as a means to peace and to counter and educate the entertainment industry about rising antisemitism. To learn more about their work, visit www.creativecommunityforpeace.com.
OPEN LETTER
We, the undersigned, believe that artistic freedom and creative expression are critical to a healthy, diverse, and inclusive society.
Films have the power to bring people together, transcend boundaries, broaden awareness, and affect positive societal change.
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 annual Tel Aviv International LGBTQ Film Festival (TLVFest) embodies this spirit of unity and truth, featuring films from filmmakers of all backgrounds, including Palestinians.
For this reason, 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.
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.
We believe that anyone who works to subvert TLVFest merely adds yet another roadblock to freedom, justice, equality, and peace that we all desperately desire, especially for the LGBTQ community that is persecuted throughout the Middle East and around the world.
Artists should never be silenced, and art should not be subverted for political goals.
We call on our friends and colleagues worldwide to join us in expressing their support for a successful and exciting TLVFest 2021.
SIGNATORIES
Aaron Bay-Schuck: CEO/Co-Chairman Warner Records
Jason Adelman: Vice President, Brand Innovators
Orly Adelson: Producer, Orly Adelson Productions
Marty Adelstein: CEO, Tomorrow Studios
Michael Adler: Partner of Lichter, Grossman, Nichols, Adler, Feldman & Clark Inc.
Javier Adrados: Music Journalist
Dan Aloni: Partner, Motion Pictures, William Morris Endeavor
Nate Auerbach: Partner, Versus Creative
Michael Auerbach: Partner at Jackoway Tyerman Wertheimer Austen Mandelbaum Morris & Klein
Eric Balfour: Actor
Craig Balsam: Co-Founder, Razor & Tie Entertainment
Eve Barlow: Music/Culture Journalist
Jonathan Baruch: Partner, Rain Management Group
Richard Baskind: Partner & Head of Music, Simons Muirhead & Burton
Lance Bass: Artist, Entrepreneur
Miles Beard: Senior Vice President, A&R at Artist Partner Group, Inc.
Jonathan Beckerman: Agent, United Talent Agency
Pablo Bendersky: Producer/Artist
Jacob Benbunan: CEO, Saffon Brand Consultants
Aton Ben-Horin: Global Vice President of A&R for Warner Music Group
Richard Benjamin: Actor/Director
Steven Bensusan: President, Blue Note Entertainment Group
Shelly Berger: Music Manager
Adam Berkowitz: Founder and President, Lenore Entertainment Group
Greg Berlanti: Producer, Director
Sara Berman: Artist
Luc Bernard: Director, Voices of the Forgotten
Mayim Bialik: Actress
Sharon Bialy: Casting Director
Josh Binder: Partner, Rotherberg, Mohr, and Binder LLP
Neil Blair: Partner, The Blair Partnership
Evan Bogart: Songwriter & Co-Founder of Boardwalk Entertainment Group
Howard Bragman: Publicist
Josh Brill: Writer, Producer
A.J. Buckley: Actor
David Burtka: Actor/Chef
David Byrnes: Partner, Ziffren, Brittenham, LLP
Sir Colin Callender CBE: Producer and CEO, Playground Entertainment
Simon Callow: Actor, Director
Nick Carter: Artist
Markell Casey: Senior Director A&R, Sony Music Australia
Brian Celler: Bravo Charlie Management
Pamela Charbit: A&R Manager, Atlantic Records
Emmanuelle Chriqui: Actress, Activist
Erran Baron Cohen: Composer
Paul Colichman: Chief Executive Officer at Here Media, Inc.
Victoria S. Cook: Partner, Frankfurt Kurmit Klein & Selz
Leanne Coronel: President, The Coronel Group
Raye Cosbert: Managing Director, Metropolis Music
Ian Daly: Head of Brand Strategy, Live Nation
Greg Daniels: Writer and Producer
Yuval David: Actor, Host, Filmmaker, and Advocate
Josh Deutsch: Chairman/CEO, Premier Music Group
Jenna Dewan: Actress
Avi Diamond: Director, Film & Licensing Warner Chappell Music
Kosha Dillz: Artist
Craig Dorfman: President and Owner, Frontline MGMT
David Draiman: Artist, Frontman of Disturbed
Doug Ellin: Screenwriter, Director
Stephan Elliott: Director
Craig Emanuel: Partner, Paul Hastings LLC
Ron Fair: Record Producer & CEO, Faircraft Inc.
Sharon Farber: Composer
Daniel Federman: Owner, Maccabi Tel Aviv
Eric Feig: Founder, Eric Feig Entertainment & Media Law Inc.
Paul Feig: Actor, Director, Producer
Ryan Feldman: Agent, William Morris Endeavor
Patti Felker: Partner, Felker Toczek Gelman Suddleson
Jacob Fenton: Partner, United Talent Agency
Ken Fermaglich: Partner, United Talent Agency
Rodney Ferrell: EVP, Head of Scripted, Propagate
Greg Fleishman: Co-Founder & CEO, Foodstirs
Josh Fluxgold: President, One Way MGMT
Erica Forster: VP of Music Partnerships, DanceOn
Gary Foster: Principal at Krasnoff Foster Productions
Jordan Frazes: Founder, Frazes Creative
Ben Freeman: Educator and Writer
Sonia Friedman OBE: Theatre Producer
Stephen Fry: Actor
Siri Garber: President, Platform Public Relations
David Gardner: President, Artists First
Nancy Gates: Partner, United Talent Agency
Andrew Genger: Manager, Red Light Management
Gary Gersh: President of Global Talent, AEG
Gary Ginsberg: Former Senior VP, SoftBank Group Corp.
Daniel Glass: President and Founder, Glassnote Records
Karen Glauber: President, HITS Magazine
David Glick: Founder & CEO, Edge Group
Elon Gold: Comedian
Dana Goldberg: Chief Creative Officer, Skydance
Iddo Goldberg: Actor
Michael Goldwasser: Producer & President/Co-Founder, Easy Star Records
Andrew Gould: EVP Music Publishing, Roc Nation
Trudy Green: Trudy Green Management/HK
Steve Greenberg: President, S-Curve Records
Scott Greenberg: Manager and Partner at LBI Entertainment
Paul Haas: Agent, Partner William Morris Endeavor
Sarah Halioua: Producer and Partner, Abracadabra Audiovisual
Alex Hai: Writer, Director
Neil Patrick Harris: Actor
Ronnie Harris: Partner, Harris & Trotter LLP
John Benjamin Hickey: Actor
Tom Holland: Author/Historian
Wes Hurley: Filmmaker/Writer
Erik Hyman: Partner, Paul Hastings
Richard “BournRich” Ingram: Artist, Creative Director
Neil Jacobson: Founder, Hallwood Media
Jonathan Jakubowicz: Writer and Director
Zach Katz: President, Raised In Space
Lee Kern: Screenwriter
Scott Kluge: President, Tremendous Entertainment
Amanda Kogan: Agent, The Gersh Agency
Rick Krim: Co-Founder, Worldwired Music
Mila Kunis: Actress
Gabz Landman
Sherry Lansing: Former CEO of Paramount Pictures
Joanie Leeds: Singer/Songwriter
Sam Leifer: Writer/Director
Teddy Leifer: Producer
Martin Lesak: Partner, United Talent Agency
Colin Lester OBE: Founder/Chairman, JEM Music Group
Alberto Levy: Artist, Technologist
David Levy: Partner, William Morris Endeavor Entertainment
David Levy: Former President of Turner/WarnerMedia, Founder of Back Nine Ventures
Jonathan Lipnicki: Actor
David Lonner: CEO, The David Lonner Co.
Ben Maddahi: SVP A&R, Columbia Records
Imran Majid: Co-CEO, Island Records
Gabriel Mann: Composer/Producer
Susan Markheim: Manager, Full Stop Mgt., The Azoff Company
Orly Marley: President, Tuff Gong Worldwide
Nancy Matalon: VP of A&R, Spirit Music Group
David Mazouz: Actor
AJ McLean: Artist
Doron Medalie: Composer
Helen Mirren DRE: Actress
Sebastian Moguilevsky: Managing Director, Warner Bros. Spain and Portugal
Max Mutchnick: Executive Producer
Guy Nattiv: Director
Leetal Nissenbaum: VP of Synchronization and Licensing, Ultra Records
Lisa Nupoff: Manager, IMINMUSIC Management
Tracy Ann Oberman: Actress
Sharon Osbourne: Television Personality, Manager
Mandi Perkins: Artist, Songwriter
Trevor Phillips OBE: Journalist and Commentator
Jonah Platt: Actor/Writer
Jeremy Piven: Actor, Comedian
Billy Porter: Actor
Mike Praw
Paula Prentiss: Actress
Zachary Quinto: Actor
Edgar Ramirez: Actor
Itay Reiss: Talent Manager
David Renzer: Former Chairman/CEO of Universal Music Publishing
Zak Resnick: Actor
Rachel Riley: TV Host
Melissa Rivers: Actress, TV Host
Lindy Robbins: Artist
Jaimison M. Roberts: Attorney
Hanna Rochelle: Founder & President, Lyric Culture
Robbie Rogers: Professional Soccer Player
Dan Rosen: President of Warner Music Australasia
Rick Rosen: Co-Founder, Endeavor
Howard Rosenman: Producer, Actor, Writer
Shep Rosenman: Partner, Katz Golden Roseman LLP
Phil Rosenthal: Writer, Producer
Michael Rotenberg: Partner, 3 Arts Entertainment
Autumn Rowe: Songwriter, Producer, DJ
Haim Saban: Chairman & CEO, Saban Capital Group
Jacqueline Saturn: President, Virgin Music
Ayelet Schiffman: SVP Head of Promotions, Island Records
Paul Schindler: Senior Chair of the New York Entertainment and Media Practice
Steve Schnur: President of Music, Electronic Arts
Jordan Schur: CEO & Chairman, Mimran Schur Pictures & Suretone Entertainment
Sam Schwartz: Partner, Gorfaine/Schwartz Agency
Camila Seta: Marketing & Content Strategy, Rogers & Cowan
DJ White Shadow: Producer/Artist
Noah “Westside Gravy” Shufutinsky: Artist
Ben Silverman: Chairman and Co-Chief Executive Officer, Propagate Content
Gene Simmons: Artist, KISS
Ralph Simon: Chairman & CEO, Mobilium Global Limited
Marty Singer: Attorney, Lavely and Singer
Robert Singer: President, Dec. 3rd Productions
Danielle Solzman: Film Critic, Solzy at the Movies
Jeff Sosnow: EVP A&R, Warner Music
Nancy Spielberg: Producer, Playmount Productions
Donna Spievak: Director of Strategic Marketing, Interscope Records
Justin Sternberg: Writer
Jonathan Steinsapir: Partner, Kinsella Weitzman Iser Kump & Aldisert LLP
Gary Stiffelman: Founder, GSS Law
Lior Suchard: Master Mentalist
Aaron Symonds: Composer
Traci Szymanski: President, Co-Star Entertainment
Alona Tal: Actress
Adam Taylor: President, APM Music
Noa Tishby: Actress, Producer
Fred Toczek: Partner, Felker Toczek Gelman Suddleson
Eric Tuchman: Writer, Producer
Jonathan Tucker: Actor
Ronli Tzour: VP Marketing & Manager, First Access Entertainment
Tehran Von Ghasri: Entertainer
Jeremy Vuernick: Executive VP of A&R, Capitol Records
Diane Warren: Songwriter, Producer
Joshua Washington: Artist, Producer
Tom Watson: Former Shadow Secretary of State for Culture
Jon Weinbach: President, Skydance Sports
Nola Weinstein: Global Head of Culture & Experiential, Twitter
Ron West: Co-founder and Partner, Thruline Entertainment
Evan Winiker: Managing Partner, Range Media
Jeffrey Winter: Executive Director, The Film Collaborative
Shirin Yadegar: Journalist
Sharon Tal Yguado: Founder & CEO, Astrid Entertainment
Sebastian Zar Esq.: Sedlmayr & Associates
David Zedeck: Global Head of Music, United Talent Agency
** Note – The signers of this statement do so as individuals on their own behalf and not on behalf of their companies or organizations. All organizations and companies listed are for affiliation purposes only.
