Israeli film festival postponed after Swedish cinemas refuse screenings

Organisers of the Jewish International Film Festival say they have been forced to postpone the event after every cinema in the Swedish city of Malmo declined to screen its films, citing security concerns.

The festival, which was meant to mark 250 years of Jewish life in Sweden, had been scheduled to run from November 29 to December 2.

In a statement posted on Thursday, organisers said they were “stonewalled by all commercial and art-house cinemas in the city”.

Ola Tedin, one of the organisers, told Swedish broadcaster SVT that cinema operators refused out of fear that staff or audiences could be put at risk.

The cinema chain Filmstaden later said its decision had been made earlier this year, claiming: “In this particular case, after thorough assessment, we concluded that we could not host the festival due to safety concerns. Our priority is always to ensure a safe and positive experience for both our guests and employees.”