The selection of Tel Aviv as the first city to be showcased at the Toronto International Film Festival’s new “City to City” sidebar has sparked lots of political controversy. According to Indiewire.com, Canadian filmmaker John Greyson has withdrawn his documentary, Covered, from the festival in protest. Screen Africa readers may recall that Greyson directed (and co-scripted with Jack Lewis) the Robben Island period drama Proteus, which was produced by South Africa’s Steven Markovitz and Platon Trakoshis.
More than 50 prominent directors, writers and actors have followed Greyson’s lead claiming that the Tel Aviv focus promotes Israeli propaganda. These include Ken Loach, Jane Fonda, Danny Glover, David Byrne and, surprisingly, a number of Israeli filmmakers. (Source: Studio Briefing)
