Past EventEvents

Boycotts in Action: Reflections from Filmmakers for Palestine

Tuesday, March 5, 2024
1:00–2:20pm EST
In Person
Tranzac Club
Online
TQFF.ca
Available Now
80 min.

Co-Presented by Toronto Queer Film Festival, Film Workers for Palestine, and Queer Cinema for Palestine

Are you curious to know what boycott organizing looks like? Do you want to learn how to identify targets and mobilize your community?

In this program, artists will reflect on solidarity organizing in the industry, discussing coalitions, strikes and Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) strategies. Special guest Samir Eskanda will speak about artwashing and cultural boycott strategies using the Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel (PACBI) as a reference and illustrating how artists and arts organizations can adopt this useful tool to join the Palestinian struggle for liberation. Refusal statements in response to the recent Berlinale Boycott, issued by Ayo Tsalithaba and John Greyson, will be shared as examples of boycotts in action.

Presenter
Samir Eskanda

Samir Eskanda is a Palestinian artist, organizer, and human rights activist based in the UK.

As a musician he has released a number of records on independent labels.

His views on the intersection of culture and activism and why art should not be used to whitewash apartheid or other grave human rights violations have appeared in the Hollywood Reporter, Sky News, and others.

He has played a key role in many campaigns, covered by the New York Times, CNN, BBC, Rolling Stone, among others, appealing to celebrities like Shakira and Lana del Rey to cancel performances in Tel Aviv.

He has also helped organize high profile petitions defending the freedom of expression of artists speaking out for Palestinian rights, including Sally Rooney, Lorde, and Emma Watson, against repressive attacks aimed at intimidating or silencing them.

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