Vilnius Film Festival Chief Calls On International Fests To Boycott Russia: “It Is Our Duty To Do Everything We Can”

deadline.com:

The head of an international film festival in Lithuania has expressed support for the proposed boycott of Russian cinema, despite the majority of major fests declining to join the movement.The debate continues to rage in the international film community about the legitimacy and effectiveness of cultural sanctions in the face of Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine.Following calls from the Ukrainian Film Academy at the end of February for a boycott, responses have been mixed both from high-profile figures in the international biz as well as some Ukrainian filmmakers.Initially, festivals including Glasgow and Stockholm were quick to support the action, while the European Film Academy announced it would not allow Russian films to be eligible for its awards later this year.However, in the following weeks most major festivals, including Cannes, Venice, Berlin and Toronto, all announced that while they would be limiting Russian attendance this year – denying entry to “official delegations” – they would not be barring Russian films.

The reasons given were centered around the idea that a boycott of culture was intrinsically problematic, when cinema can be a positive force for good, and that the move would suppress independent Russian voices critical of the regime.In a column for Deadline, a high-profile Russian filmmaker acknowledged the reasons for a boycott but suggested “now is the time to unite” and that people in Russia needed help from the outside world to rise up against the current regime, which would not happen in isolation.However, according to Algirdas Ramaška, director of the Vilnius International Film Festival, action needs to be taken now, and it is the duty of festival organizers to do “everything we can”.This