Comments on: Jerusalem Film Festival, a Celebration of Discrimination: How Israel’s Film Industry Is Punishing Its Men

By: Concerned

Concerned — Wed, 23 Jul 2025 04:42:00 +0000

Just a tip; Sundance and NYU, one of the most expensive film schools in the world, are joined at the hip.

In the 2023 competition, for example, 42% of the selected directors were Black female NYU students and alums. A strange version of social justice when all of those directors went to the same extremely expensive school.

Some other thoughts: there was only one heterosexual male director in competition at Sundance this year, even though probably 60% of the submissions fit that profile. The shorts are likely just as bad, at least the US ones.

A look at the labs will also likely reveal a lot of this, both the NYU stuff and the discrimination.

By: Filmmaker

Filmmaker — Wed, 23 Jul 2025 04:38:35 +0000

I can tell you that being a Straight White Jewish Male in the doc world is a pretty lonely place to be. There are no grants at all for my demographic. There are no film festival categories. There are no “Support groups”. I understand there was a time when the pendulum was pinned in the Male preference position but that hae swung all the way to the other side where White straight male filmmakers are vilified. It’ been over a decade where women, BiPC, LGBTQIA+ have been the majority of the Grant winners, Festival winner and accepteee. I don’t have a problem with that as it really sucked for women in our industry for a very long time. But there has to be a balance and right now there isn’t. And NO ONE is talking about this for fear of being canceled. I have seen films not even remotely the quality of my work on PBS, THe Independent Lens, Sundance Channel and Sundance Lab, etc. all by women, BIPOC, LGBTQ. Again not complaining but come on. Some of those films were down right awful. Not because they were made by an underrepresented group[, because they were bad. Poor storytelling poor filmmaking. Just because you can make a film doesn’t mean you should . There are grants out there for first time filmmakers (of which i don’t qualify) every ethnic group under the sun (except Jewish) so i don’t qualify. All my films have been self funded because I can not get a grant. I am not bitter. I have just accepted that this is the way it is and i don’t see it changing anytime soon because in our current climate in the land of the free and the home of the brave speaking truth to power (any power. who ever is in charge) is a career ender.

By: Production

Production — Tue, 22 Jul 2025 10:49:58 +0000

I’m not a journalist. However, get one to write a story about festivals wanting to know all about one’s minority status in the application. Just get rid of that. Make it a blind audition like in orchestras. Write that article. It’s ridiculous. I told my director that on our next film he should be gay and/or trans when we apply.

By: Common sense

Common sense — Mon, 21 Jul 2025 16:37:51 +0000

In reply to Christopher Morrison. Great points! As you know, tall people experience significant advantages in life, which is why many US presidents were taller than average, most CEOs are taller than average, etc. When you say that we should attack "systems", we should also give short folks some kind of an advantage so they could overcome their "systemic" disadvantage. What about people with bad skin I wonder? And I wonder too, should we demand affirmative action to support white men playing in the NBA or are these systems to be attacked in one direction only? And btw, how many genders are there?

By: Christopher Morrison

Christopher Morrison — Mon, 21 Jul 2025 13:36:46 +0000

Your call for a bizarre idea of parity is so flawed… first off? There are more than two genders.
You aren’t calling for a meritocracy unless you are actually attacking base SYSTEMS that enable the disparity to begin with.

By: ROTLF

ROTLF — Sat, 19 Jul 2025 13:16:09 +0000

In reply to Inspector Clouseau. They send their “best” to fight and die on the front lines, and when (if) they make it back, they get clowned on by purple-haired Twitter activists. Absolute clown world

By: Inspector Clouseau

Inspector Clouseau — Sat, 19 Jul 2025 13:11:05 +0000

Israel is one fucked up country….