ACCRA, Ghana — A broad coalition of nearly 400 Ghanaians, including prominent intellectuals, artists, activists, civil society groups, students, and faith-based organizations, has demanded the immediate cancellation of the Israeli Film Festival scheduled for September 16–20 at Silverbird Cinema in Accra Mall, branding it a “Zionist propaganda event” aimed at whitewashing what they call Israel’s “genocide and apartheid” in Gaza.
The joint statement, released on Monday, accuses the festival of exploiting cultural exchange to sanitize ongoing violence against Palestinians, drawing sharp parallels to Ghana’s historical stand against apartheid in South Africa. “We cannot stand by while the genocide of Palestinians is laundered through art and culture. Ghana has always stood on the side of the oppressed—today we must stand with Palestine,” the coalition declared, emphasizing the country’s legacy of anti-imperialist solidarity.
Organizers, who include veteran journalist Kwesi Pratt Jnr., former Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) head Justice Emile Short, filmmaker Nii Kwate Owoo, academics Audrey Gadzekpo and Prof. Akosua Adomako Ampofo, trade unionist Kwasi Adu-Mensah, and artist Wanlov Kubolor, represent a diverse cross-section of society. Supporting groups range from the Socialist Movement of Ghana and the Tax Justice Coalition to feminist collectives, LGBTQ+ rights advocates, the Rastafari Council, and the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) Ghana movement.
The backlash targets not only Silverbird Cinema but also its sponsors, particularly the University of Media, Arts and Communication (UniMAC), a public institution. Critics argue UniMAC’s involvement constitutes an “abuse of public trust,” as taxpayer funds support an event they see as complicit in human rights abuses. They point to Silverbird’s recent screening of an anti-apartheid film as hypocritical, urging a boycott of the cinema chain until the festival is scrapped.
In response to potential inaction, the coalition vowed to stage peaceful protests and pickets outside Silverbird throughout the event, calling on the public to join in rejecting any normalization of Israel’s actions. “Failure to cancel will trigger boycotts and demonstrations,” the statement warned, framing the festival as an attempt to “legitimize a racist, apartheid and genocidal regime.”
The festival, organized by the Embassy of Israel in Ghana in partnership with Ghanaian film students, was announced earlier this month as a free cultural showcase running from September 17–20—though the coalition cites September 16 as the start. Embassy culture attaché Nitza Gilad described it as a bridge-building initiative through arts, featuring films that highlight Israel’s “vibrant, opinionated and innovative” society to foster dialogue amid global divisions. “In a world often divided by politics and conflict, the arts hold the power to build bridges,” Gilad said in a promotional statement.
Ghana-Israel relations, resumed in 2011 after a decades-long hiatus, have warmed in recent years, with cultural exchanges seen as a soft diplomacy tool. Yet the kingdom’s foreign policy has increasingly aligned with Palestinian causes; just last week, Ghana condemned an Israeli airstrike on Qatar as a violation of international law. The current uproar reflects broader African sentiments, where support for Palestine runs high amid the Gaza conflict, which has drawn global scrutiny since October 2023.
As the festival’s opening looms, Silverbird Cinema and the Israeli Embassy have not publicly responded to the demands. The standoff risks turning a cultural event into a flashpoint for pro-Palestine activism in Ghana, where civil society has a track record of mobilizing against perceived injustices—from anti-galamsey protests to calls for economic accountability. With Accra already buzzing from other events like the upcoming Festac Africa Festival and Black Star International Film Festival, the controversy could amplify debates on art’s role in geopolitics.
For the coalition, the stakes are moral and historical: refusing to host the festival would reaffirm Ghana’s commitment to justice, they argue, preventing Accra from becoming a stage for what they view as propaganda.
Keywords: Ghana Israeli Film Festival cancel, Silverbird Cinema protest Accra, Gaza solidarity Ghana, BDS Ghana movement, UniMAC Israeli event boycott
