Venice Film Festival opens as directors and Hollywood stars renew support for Palestine
Palestine has once again become a prominent issue at the Venice Film Festival, with filmmakers and actors showing their support in the lead-up to the event and on its opening day. More than 200 figures from the film and culture industries have backed an appeal from the Venice4Palestine collective, calling on organisers to take "concrete action in support of Palestine". The open letter, issued…
The Venice Film Festival kicked off in the presence of filmmakers and celebrities who reaffirmed their backing for Palestine. Over 200 individuals from the film and cultural sectors endorsed an appeal from the Venice4Palestine collective, urging organizers to implement concrete measures to support the Palestinian cause. This appeal is a repetition of the group's previous plea made during the 2025 festival.
Among the signatories are Nobel Prize-winner Annie Ernaux, musician Roger Waters, actors Guy Pearce and Indya Moore, and filmmaker Celine Sciamma. The collective is also advocating for the Palestinian flag to be displayed throughout the festival, alongside flags representing other films in the official lineup. Two Palestinian films, Citizen Osama and Conversation with the Sea, will be featured during this year's event.
The letter also demands increased transparency within the film industry and urges the suspension of agreements with entities linked to the Israeli government. While festival authorities have not yet responded publicly to the appeal, several filmmakers and celebrities have already demonstrated their solidarity with Palestine at this year's festival.
Kaouther Ben Hania, a member of the competition jury, incorporated Palestinian symbolism into her red-carpet attire. The Tunisian filmmaker wore a dazzling gold gown adorned with a pale green bag decorated with metallic olive branches, a symbol deeply rooted in Palestinian culture representing resilience and endurance. Ben Hania's 2025 film, The Voice of Hind Rajab, about the killing of a five-year-old Palestinian girl in Gaza, premiered at Venice last year and was met with a prolonged standing ovation.
George Clooney voiced support for Mark Ruffalo's right to criticize the proposed Paramount-Warner Bros Discovery merger and the Ellison family's ties to Israel. Despite Paramount accusing Ruffalo of invoking anti-Semitic tropes, the actor rejected the claim and received the Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement from Clooney, who emphasized the importance of free speech.
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