Calls in Ghana to cancel Israeli film festival

Nearly 400 individuals and organisations in Ghana have called for organisers to cancel an Israeli film festival set to be held between 16-20 September in the capital, Accra.

In a letter to sent to the Silver Cinema, which is hosting the festival organized by the Israeli embassy, signatories described the event "as an attempt to whitewash genocide and apartheid". 

"Ghana’s long anti-imperialist traditions and history of solidarity with liberation struggles are being invoked by campaigners, who say that the festival is an insult to the country’s legacy and values". 

Petitioners said they will picket outside the festival and should sponsors fail to withdraw, they will initiate boycotts of all companies and institutions complicit in this event. Some of the sponsors include. the Kempinski Hotel, Rolider, Sienna Services, EON, and University of Media, Arts and Communications (UniMac), a publicly-funded university.

A spokesperson for the coalition told Middle East Eye that all the local film makers have withdrawn their films from the festival.

"Our intention is to close it down. We want to up the ante so the organizers they feel they can't continue".