FIAPF Statement on the artistic and operational independence of film Festivals

Bern, May 21st, 2025

In keeping with one of its fundamental vocations since its inception, cinema relentlessly tells the world as it is, through the subjective eyes of screenwriters and filmmakers. Unlike journalism, cinema - whether fiction or documentary - reflects political, social and aesthetic influences of its time. This is why it can ignite reflections and debates while arousing curiosity and opening to otherness.

For decades, festivals have been films’ natural allies. They reveal and highlight the diversity of artistic perspectives, connect films with audiences, and create open-minded spaces for dialogue around films.

However, for some time now, ﬁlm festivals have been facing unprecedented pressure as a growing number of controversies are triggered around (some) selected ﬁlms. This pressure on the decisions made by the programming teams, which work complies with national laws and regulations in that ﬁeld, can take the form of violent threats forcing festivals to postpone or even cancel screenings to protect festivalgoers but also festivals and ﬁlms crews. Such situations are tantamount to silencing creative voices, curators’ work, and dialogue opportunity.

In addition to multifaceted threats on their artistic independence, festivals have also to face attacks on their ﬁnancial independence when some of their sponsors are targeted for reasons unrelated to the festivals themselves or their selection. As they are mostly non-proﬁt organisations, festivals are fragile economic ecosystems, which ﬁnancial sustainability is reassessed every year. Vulnerable to political change and economic setbacks, festivals need to rely on private partners to supplement their sources of financing. Such pressures threaten the ability of festivals to deliver a rich and diversified cultural offering to local audiences.

What started out as isolated cases of threats to the artistic and/or financial independence of festivals has recently become a recurring phenomenon. FIAPF closely monitors the pressure exerted on festivals and their selection or operations, whether it emanates from civil society, including activist groups, or even is ampliﬁed by policy makers.

As the operator of the accreditation programme for international ﬁlm festivals and representative of the ﬁlm producers’ community worldwide, FIAPF wishes to reaffirm a few key facts and principles to preserve festivals’ priceless contribution to films:

The ability of festivals to proceed with their programming according to a strictly independent process, determined solely by their organizing committee in compliance with the laws and/or regulations applicable in their respective territory, must be indisputable, protected by the public authorities and supported by any festival's partners, including private sponsors.
The ability of festivals to decide on their sponsorship strategy according to their financial needs is also indisputable. This independence of decision should be protected and supported by public authorities and festivals’ other partners
In an increasingly polarized world, ﬁlm festivals must be able to continue to offer safe spaces for exchange and debate as the raison d’être of any diverse cultural events

Silencing films selected in festivals means ignoring the collective work done by producer(s), director(s), screenwriter(s), performers, technicians and partners in distribution. Threatening festivals' ﬁnancial viability means disregarding committed people who relentlessly ﬁght for culture and plurality of viewpoints.

The film producers’ community worldwide represented by FIAPF firmly stands for defending festivals’ artistic and operational independence.

About FIAPF and its accreditation program for international ﬁlm festivals:

FIAPF (International Federation of Film Producers’ Associations) represents the ﬁlm producers worldwide, gathering 37 national producers’ organizations from 30 countries across the globe. FIAPF aims to defend the creative, legal and regulatory interests of the Film Production sector worldwide. FIAPF also manages the FIAPF Accreditation Programme for International Film Festivals, which brings together 44 International Film Festivals from 27 countries on the ﬁve continents. The FIAPF accreditation programme is a trust contract between festivals and producers, which guarantees that festivals’ operations meet the highest quality standards, and the selected ﬁlms beneﬁt from the best possible promotion and visibility.

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