I have the latest update on the ongoing controversy surrounding the Camerimage Film Festival in Poland. French filmmaker Coralie Fargeat has decided to pull her latest feature film, ‘The Substance,’ from the festival lineup in response to what she calls “highly misogynistic and offensive” comments made by the festival’s founder and CEO, Marek Żydowicz.
Fargeat announced on X that she and the film’s cinematographer, Benjamin Kraun, will not be attending this year’s Camerimage event, scheduled to begin on Saturday. “After discovering the highly misogynistic and offensive words of the director of the Camerimage Film Festival, I have decided to pull ‘The Substance’ from the festival (and [director of photography] Benjamin Kračun has decided not to attend),” Fargeat wrote.
She added that her film “is about the impact of exactly these types of behaviors on our world. We shouldn’t tolerate them anymore.” The controversy stems from an op-ed published last week by Żydowicz in the magazine Cinematography World, in which he seemed to argue that greater female representation in the film industry could result in a lineup of diminished artistic quality.
“Can we sacrifice works and artists with outstanding artistic achievements solely to make room for mediocre film production?” Żydowicz wrote, sparking outrage from industry professionals and organizations.
Prominent figures like filmmaker Steve McQueen, who was scheduled to attend the festival’s opening night screening of his latest feature “Blitz,” have also canceled their appearances in response to Żydowicz’s remarks.
In their statement, Fargeat and Kračun expressed their support for “all involved in the festival” and voiced hope that their decision will “create a much-needed change.”
Cate Blanchett, the leader of the Camerimage main competition jury, has also addressed the controversy, stating that they “welcome debate regarding gender representation” and look forward to “being part of meaningful discussions with our peers at the festival about greater inclusion and recognition of excellence in all its forms.”
As the Camerimage Film Festival prepares to kick off this weekend, the fallout from the CEO’s controversial comments continues to reverberate throughout the industry, with filmmakers like Coralie Fargeat taking a stand against what they see as blatant misogyny.