When Liberals are Caught in the DEI Crossfire: On Identitarian Social Justice, Sundance & Donald Trump
“Judge a person not by their merit, but by the color of their skin, gender, and their sexual orientation” In an era when diversity initiatives are hailed as a saving grace for the entertainment industry, independent filmmaker Cinema Timsh
Malta Film Commission’s Web of Alleged Mismanagement and Stalled Progress
By Film Industry Watch Contributors. In what industry insiders describe as a pattern of questionable decisions, the Malta Film Commission (MFC) faces mounting criticism over its handling of crucial infrastructure projects and allocation of public fun
SUNDANCE IS DEAD: A Downward Spiral of Failing Standards
Was looking at the Sundance narrative shorts line up for 2024. Out of the 34 films. 14-15 of the directors are prior Sundance or BIG 5 alumni. Some of the rest include Emmy winning writers making their directorial debut, established music video direc
Berlinale Invites Greek Director Vasilis Kekatos, Sparking Industry Outrage
In a move that stunned the Greek film industry, the Berlin Film Festival has invited director Vasilis Kekatos to premiere Our Wildest Days, his first feature, at the festival. This invitation follows the director’s failure to secure a slot at Canne
Out of the Shadows: Milcho Manchevski. Exposes Macedonia’s ‘Film Mafia’
By Mark Worth – Southeast Europe Coalition on Whistleblower Protection Milcho Manchevski is accustomed to walking down red carpets. Over his 30-year career, the Macedonian director and writer has been nominated for an Academy Award, won the Gol
Καταγγελίες για Διαφθορά και Παρακμή στο Ελληνικό Κέντρο Κινηματογράφου
Καινούργιο σκάνδαλο σύγκρουσης συμφερόντων και οικονομικών ατασθαλιών αποκαλύπτεται μετά από έρευνα – Ο Βασίλης Κεκάτος κα
Guy Flintham sentenced to 6 years for fraud over unauthorised investment scheme
Press Releases First published: 17/05/2024 Last updated: 17/05/2024 Following a hearing at Southwark Crown Court, Guy Flintham, 46, was today sentenced to 6 years for fraud. On 19 February 2024, Mr Flintham pleaded guilty to fraud
Καταγγελλίες για Διαφθορά και Παρακμή στο Ελληνικό Κέντρο Κινηματογράφου
Σύντομη εκδοχή – Σας συστήνουμε να διαβάσετε την πλήρη και πιο λεπτομερή έκδοση αυτού του άρθρου, η οποία είναι διαθέσιμη εδώ. A sh
Alleged Corruption and Decadence at the Greek Film Center – Short version
More conflicts of interest and financial scandal emerges – filmmakers who reviewed and evaluated proposals for the Greek Film Center, received financial support in the same call & other scandals in the Greek film industry spanning 2020 to
Alleged Corruption and Decadence at the Greek Film Center (FULL ARTICLE)
More conflicts of interest and financial scandal emerges – filmmakers who reviewed and evaluated proposals for the Greek Film Center, received financial support in the same call & other scandals in the Greek film industry spanning 2020
We’re Hiring! Join Film Industry Watch and Share Your Industry Insights
Are you a filmmaker with firsthand experience navigating the complexities of the film industry? Film Industry Watch, the leading platform for exposing corruption, misconduct, and conflicts of interest in the entertainment world, is looking for experi
GREECE: “Oscar Selection Chaos” – Real Story Ignored by Local and Global Media
As reported in Variety and Deadline, the Hellenic Film Academy, Greece’s national cinema organization, has expressed its “outrage” and is demanding clarification from the Ministry of Culture following a series of “chaotic̶
I Was Swindled By the Film Industry
Good day, I played a very tiny role in a movie many years ago. I was told this film would play once on NBC in a t.v. miniseries. I was later without compensation after the film played hundreds of times since the first showing on NBC. Ann Rule (Wr
POLAND: A Success Story – Polish Film Institute Falling Into Ruin, Corrupted Head Fired
Thanks to readers contribution, we’re bringing you a success story from Poland, where the local filmmakers were able to bring about the replacement of an allegedly corrupt head of the Polish Institute, appointed by the previous anti liberal and
Damian Chapa – Alleged Non-Payment
Posted with author name with permission: I have been acting professionally as a actor in film and TV for 16 years. I have seen racism, homophobia, sexual harassment and other abusive behavior, and con artists who scam investors of tens of thousands
How Corruption and Greed Led to the Downfall of Rock Music
The following is a discussion between Rick Beato and Jim Barber about how corruption has devastated the music industry since around 1996. Although this interview does not pertain to the film industry, it serves as an example of how corruption can be
ISRAEL: Controversial Gathering by Israeli Film Board Lead by Noa Regev Sparks Outrage Among European Filmmakers
In a move that has shocked and outraged the European film community, the Israeli Film Board, led by Noa Regev, hosted a lavish gathering at the 2024 Berlin Film Festival amid escalating tensions and crises back home. While the Israeli military contin
SPAIN: Nepotism and Arbitrariness by David Blanco, filmmaker
In order to produce independent Cinema in Spain, the support of public money from national and regional televisions and institutions is essential. The public television stations are, at the national level, Televisión Española and at the regional le
MEXICO – Festival Corruption, Buying Oscar Qualifying Awards
We’re publishing the following email as it was received: “I am an independent filmmaker with 6 feature films made, and I am [not] surprised by your statement about corruption at film festivals, because in Mexico it is regrettable. In Mexi
Flickerfest Australia – Alleged Misconduct
We received the following email, we’re posting it as is. Please note that this is a non verified claim and should be treated as such, but these are the type of stories that we often hear about, from all over the world: “I was meant to be
ROMANIA: Alleged Conflicts of Interest in Romanian Film Awards Highlight Industry Practices
Thanks to reader’s contribution we’ve been made aware that the Romanian Film Awards, commonly known as the Gopos, have recently come under scrutiny for practices that raise questions about conflicts of interest within the local film indus
Harvey Weinstein: Alleged Misconduct, Trials, and Global Impact
Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein has faced numerous allegations of sexual misconduct over the decades. Those allegations led to high-profile trials and convictions. This is an account of the significant events, significant players, and broader ram
WorldFest-Houston Film Festival 2024 – Cancelling screenings, no refunds
The WorldFest-Houston Film Festival, a long-standing event, has recently announced the cancellation of all public screenings for its 2024 edition. This decision was made without providing detailed explanations to participants or the public, nor refun
תעשיית הקולנוע בישראל – ריכוזיות וחשד לניגודי עניינים ושחיתות לכאורה לאורך עשרות שנים – קרן רבינוביץ וקרן גשר
המידע המוצג להלן מצייר תמונה של תעשייה נגועה בשחיתות לכאורה באופנים שונים. ראשית, השפעה על חלוקת התקציבים לקרנות עצמן, בעזרת יצירת “דל
ISRAEL: Decades Long Alleged Corruption at the Rabinowitz & Gesher Film Funds
Giora Eini, Eti Cohen, Moshe Edery, Yoav Abramovich & others. Following our report on the revolving doors at the Israeli Film Fund, where a significant portion, if not the majority, of feature film financing is allocated to a small group of indiv
ISRAEL: Continuous Gender Bias at the Jerusalem Film Lab headed by Dana Blankstein and Mor Eldar
We’ve already reported about the statistically significant gender bias at The Jerusalem Film Lab here. It has come to our attention that the lab continues to bias on the basis of gender as seen in the picture below, taken at Series Mania Forum,
HUNGARY: Petition to the European Ombudsman
We’ve been contacted by a Hungarian filmmaker to inform us of a petition that was sent to the European Ombudsman to investigate the film industry in Hungary. The country has been under the grip of an ultra conservative and nationalistic right w
UKRAINE: Conflict of Interest and Nepotism in the local Film Industry
Thanks to readers contribution, we’ve been informed of recent controversy around the integrity and transparency of cultural funding, particularly in the context of international support, in Ukraine. At the heart of this story is a substantial d
North Macedonia: Milcho Manchevski’s case against the National Film Agency and the Filmmakers Guild
Thanks to readers contribution, we’ve been made aware of the following case which was originally published below. Also below is a response from the Macedonian Film Professionals Association, and finally an additional post about the case. Scroll
Gender Politics – Has the Industry Gone Too Far?
Published 13/2/2024 ACE Producers: Torino Film Lab staff page: Cannes’ Residency Fall 2023: The Israeli Film Fund social media banner: Has gender politics in the film industry, mirroring society as a whole, has gone too far in correcting histor
Talking Shorts online Magazine, EU Funded, a Tool for Self Promotion?
Thanks to readers contribution, we’ve learned that Talking Shorts (TalkingShorts.com), an online magazine which is funded by the EU, is nothing more than a tool for self promotion. Publicly claiming that the magazine was created in order to fos
How Medium sized Festivals Grovel to the Big Boys, by Selecting the Same Films
If you’ve ever wondered why the same films are selected again and again by many different festivals, selections which are often not justified by their artistic merit, and despite the enormous amount of films which are produced each year, this a
Former Head of the Israeli Film Fund Allegedly Awarded Funding to a Project Directed by his Wife’s Business Partner
Thanks to our readers contribution we have came to know that Katriel Schory, who established the Israeli Film Fund and served as its CEO for almost 30 years, allegedly approved production funding for a film related to his wife Naomi Schory as one of
Is Nadav Lapid Receiving Full Production Funding from two Countries, Against the Rules?
Thanks to readers contribution we’ve been made aware that Nadav Lapid is probably receiving full production funding as the resident of two countries, against the rules set out by the Israeli Film Funds and Israeli Ministry of Culture. According
Is the Integrity of the European Film Industry Compromised?
Before we delve into the details of this article, we want to remind our readers of a simple yet crucial fact: every year film festivals receive thousands of submissions. The most prestigious ones can receive as many as 15,000 submissions annually.&nb
Alleged Munich Film Festival bias in award selection process.
Thanks to readers contribution, a seasoned producer with over two decades of international experience has informed us of malpractice and bias in the Munich Film Festival film selection process. The Berlin and Rome-based professional, whose work inclu
2nd Annual $5000 Grant: Supporting Graduation Films in Post-Production with Anonymous Submissions.
Film Industry Watch is thrilled to offer an annual Post Production Grant of $5,000 to support film students worldwide in completing their graduation projects. This grant is tailored to assist with post-production and related costs. For this grant, a
Torino Film Lab – Family Ties and Favoritism during Matthieu Darras’ tenure as the Artistic Director
Through the valued contributions of our readers, Film Industry Watch has learned that during Matthieu Darras’ tenure as the Artistic Director of the Torino Film Lab, his sister, Isabelle Collombat (formerly Isabelle Darras), participated in the
Downward Spiral: How Festival Corruption, Media, Degrades Film Quality and Industry Standards
The influence of film festivals on the film industry’s standards, practices, and the quality of its output is a complex and often obscured phenomenon with critical scrutiny revealing a web of biases and ethical concerns that challenge the integ
CHARTS: Merit, Festivals & “Politics”
The chart below provides a clear visual representation of the prioritized factors in decision-making processes within film festivals and funding organizations, explaining how and why film quality output has been degrading over the years. Dominating t
Bectu list of alleged failures to properly observe obligations to members (UK) – December 2023
Bectu (Broadcasting, Entertainment, Communications and Theatre Union) has been made aware of alleged failures to properly observe obligations to members by the companies and individuals set out below. All members are advised in their own interest to
Maia Films: A Cloak Covering Spectrecom Films
Maia Films, a company seemingly born from the ashes of the alleged notorious Spectrecom Films, carries a heavy inheritance. Whispers of late payments and unpaid invoices haunt both companies, with the specter of Andrew Greener, the individual who ste
CASE STUDY: Cannes and Festival Sponsorships
As mentioned in our article addressing the BFI London Film Festival we have highlighted a significant issue: in 2021, 19 films funded by the BFI dominated the lineup, severely limiting opportunities for independent filmmakers. This situation undersco
London Film Festival Conflicts of Interest, BFI as a Monopoly
London, UK – The BFI London Film Festival (LFF), a renowned annual event, is facing critical scrutiny over potential conflicts of interest. This concern stems primarily from its close relationship with the British Film Institute (BFI), which si
Golden Lion at Venice – Chazelle’s prior work with Stone adds a layer to the discussion
At the Venice Film Festival, “Poor Things,” directed by Yorgos Lanthimos and starring Emma Stone, won the prestigious Golden Lion award. The film, based on Alasdair Gray’s novel, centers on Bella Baxter, a character brought back to
CASE STUDY: The Concentration of Power, Influence & Control in the European Industry
In the past decade and a half, the European film industry has witnessed the emergence of several key organizations, ostensibly designed as tools to support the film industry and filmmakers. However, a closer examination reveals a more complex narrati
Venice, Locarno programmers, Varicoloured distribution company possible conflict of interest
Carla Vulpiani, a programmer specializing in short films at the Venice Film Festival, and Enrico Vannucci, holding a similar role at the Locarno Film Festival, are both involved in running VariColoured, a company that promotes and sells short films.
Wim Vanacker & Vassilis Kekatos – a two way relationship dating back to 2018
Thanks to readers contribution, and in an update to Conflict of Interest Taints 2019 Cannes Palme d’Or Award, it has been revealed that the relationship between Cannes’ Selection Committee Wim Vanacker, the 2019 Palme d’Or winner Vassil
Dual Role as Glasgow Short Film Festival Programmer & at a Short Films Distribution Company
Sanne Jehoul’s concurrent positions as Programme Director at the Glasgow Short Film Festival, Scotland’s premier short film event and a BAFTA Qualifying event, and as a member of the team at Square Eyes, a Vienna-based festival distributi
Anita Lee, Chief Programmer, Executive Producer on Three of Five TIFF selected features in Canadian Category
In 2022, at the Toronto Film Festival, a notable instance raised concerns about nepotism within the festival, particularly in the documentary film category. Out of five films featured, three — ‘The Colour of Ink’, ‘To Kill a Tiger