THE APEX TIMES
Venice open letter urges Venice Film Festival and Biennale to take concrete action in support of Palestine
A group of prominent artists and filmmakers, including Roger Waters and Nobel Prize-winning writer Annie Ernaux, have signed an open letter calling on the Venice Film Festival, the Venice Biennale and the broader audiovisual industry to take “concrete action” related to the Palestine-Israel conflict.
The Venice Film Festival and its parent institution, the Venice Biennale, are facing new pressure ahead of upcoming programming after a prominent group of international cultural figures published an open letter urging the festival and the wider audiovisual world to take concrete action in support of Palestine.
According to Deadline, the letter draws support from musician and Pink Floyd cofounder Roger Waters, Nobel Prize-winning writer Annie Ernaux, and film directors Matteo Garrone and Isabel Coixet. The publication date of the letter is Aug. 28, 2026, the same day Deadline reported on its release.
Deadline reported that the signatories are asking Venice Biennale entities and industry stakeholders to respond to the Palestine-Israel conflict with steps they describe as concrete. The report frames the issue as a likely “hot button” topic for Venice, given the festival’s international profile and its high-visibility role in global film culture.
The story highlights the emotional and humanitarian context behind the letter’s message, referencing daily life in Gaza after 1,000 days since Oct. 7, 2023, attacks and the subsequent war. The image accompanying Deadline’s report uses that description to situate the letter’s call within the ongoing conflict.
The open letter, as described by Deadline, addresses not only the Venice Film Festival organizers but also the broader audiovisual world. That scope suggests the signatories are seeking actions that go beyond a single screening lineup, potentially involving how major festivals, festivals’ governing bodies, and industry platforms respond to the conflict.
Venice Biennale leadership, festival organizers and the audiovisual sector have not, in the information provided, issued a public response to the letter’s demands. Any institutional reaction, including whether the festival will adjust policies, programming, or partner practices, is not covered in the supplied report.
As the letter circulates within film and media networks, attention is likely to focus on what “concrete action” would mean in practice, and how any steps could affect participating artists, invited talent, industry partners and the festival’s audience experience. The next public milestone will be how the Venice Biennale and Venice Film Festival address the letter in the run-up to programming decisions.
Why It Matters
- The Venice Film Festival is a major global platform for film and audiovisual culture, so public demands timed to festival attention can quickly become part of institutional communications and planning.
- The letter’s broader address to “the audiovisual world” indicates that it seeks industry-level actions, which can affect festival partnerships, participation norms, and stakeholder coordination.
- If the Venice Biennale or festival organizers respond publicly, the decision could influence how future cultural institutions manage politically charged humanitarian issues and related speech questions.
- Whether or not programming changes occur, the controversy could affect participating artists’ and attendees’ expectations and logistical planning during a high-profile international event.
Key Facts
- An open letter was published on Aug. 28, 2026, calling on the Venice Film Festival and Venice Biennale to take concrete action in support of Palestine.
- The letter was reported by Deadline on Aug. 28, 2026.
- Signatories named in the report include Roger Waters, Annie Ernaux, Matteo Garrone, and Isabel Coixet.
- Deadline’s report characterizes the Palestine-Israel conflict as likely to become a hot button topic for Venice.
- The Deadline story uses contextual framing that includes daily life in Gaza after 1,000 days since Oct. 7, 2023, attacks and the subsequent war.