Vancouver Queer Film Festival (VQFF) officially partnered with the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement, specifically committing to the Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel (PACBI). VQFF announced the boycott ahead of the festival's thirty-sixth annual event scheduled for September 11-22.Out On Screen (OOS), the non-profit behind VQFF, released a comprehensive statement outlining their commitment to PACBI and their stance on the Israel-Palestine conflict. "Out On Screen's support for Palestine and rejection of Israeli occupation, settler-colonialism, and apartheid is a direct extension of our vision for an equitable society where 2SLGBTQIA+ people are respected, valued, and protected across all our intersections of identity," said the OOS statement."We reject all forms of racism, including anti-Arab and anti-Palestinian racism, anti-semitism, Islamophobia, and any form of discrimination against individuals on the basis of their identity, including ability, citizenship, race, religion, gender, and sexuality."The film festival will follow the PACBI guidelines towards Israel."In keeping with PACBI guidelines, Out On Screen will not collaborate with Israeli cultural or academic institutions and will not present or support cultural products commissioned by an official Israeli body or that serve to promote or normalize Israel's occupation of Palestine. This is also in line with the Liberatory Demand from Queers in Palestine of November 2023," said the OOS statement.Major Canadian companies, including Royal Bank, Warner Brothers, and Scotiabank, sponsor the VQFF.The VQFF received funding from taxpayer-funded organizations such as Telefilm Canada, Canada Media Fund, CBC Vancouver, Canada Council for the Arts, City of Vancouver, Creative BC, British Columbia Arts Council, and the Canadian government. None of the advertisers backed out after the VQFF issued their statement supporting the PACBI and BDS movement.The decision to follow the PACBI guidelines comes after years of "community dialogue" and "internal reflection" after a controversy in 2014 when the festival included an advertisement from Yad b'Yad LGBTQ.The ad featured the Israeli flag superimposed over the LGBTQ rainbow banner. It led to protests and backlash from groups such as Queers Against Israeli Apartheid.The fallout from this incident continued into 2015 when the Catherine White Holman Wellness Centre (CWHWC), a long-time partner of the festival, withdrew its support. In a public letter, CWHWC told the VQFF to take a clear stand on the Israel-Palestine conflict and address concerns about "pinkwashing."The upcoming VQFF will feature a range of films and industry panels, including discussions on topics like "Queer Intimacy on Screen" and "Nonbinary Creatives in Film." .This is what the Western Standard is up againstThe Trudeau government is funding lies and propaganda by directly subsidizing the mainstream media. They do this to entrench the powerful Eastern, woke and corrupt interests that dominate the political, social and economic institutions in Canada. Federal authorities are constantly trying to censor us and stop us from publishing the stories that they don’t want you to read. Ottawa may weaponize our taxes and police against us, but we’ve got a powerful ally on our side.You. Free men, and free women. We need you to stand with us and become a member of the Western Standard. Here’s what you will get for your membership:Unlimited access to all articles from the Western Standard, Alberta Report, West Coast Standard, and Saskatchewan Standard, with no paywall. Our daily newsletter delivered to your inbox. .Access to exclusive Member-only WS events.Keep the West’s leading independent media voice strong and free.If you can, please support us with a monthly or annual membership. It takes just a moment to set up, and you will be making a big impact on keeping one the last independent media outlets in Canada free from Ottawa’s corrupting influence.
Vancouver Queer Film Festival (VQFF) officially partnered with the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement, specifically committing to the Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel (PACBI). VQFF announced the boycott ahead of the festival's thirty-sixth annual event scheduled for September 11-22.Out On Screen (OOS), the non-profit behind VQFF, released a comprehensive statement outlining their commitment to PACBI and their stance on the Israel-Palestine conflict. "Out On Screen's support for Palestine and rejection of Israeli occupation, settler-colonialism, and apartheid is a direct extension of our vision for an equitable society where 2SLGBTQIA+ people are respected, valued, and protected across all our intersections of identity," said the OOS statement."We reject all forms of racism, including anti-Arab and anti-Palestinian racism, anti-semitism, Islamophobia, and any form of discrimination against individuals on the basis of their identity, including ability, citizenship, race, religion, gender, and sexuality."The film festival will follow the PACBI guidelines towards Israel."In keeping with PACBI guidelines, Out On Screen will not collaborate with Israeli cultural or academic institutions and will not present or support cultural products commissioned by an official Israeli body or that serve to promote or normalize Israel's occupation of Palestine. This is also in line with the Liberatory Demand from Queers in Palestine of November 2023," said the OOS statement.Major Canadian companies, including Royal Bank, Warner Brothers, and Scotiabank, sponsor the VQFF.The VQFF received funding from taxpayer-funded organizations such as Telefilm Canada, Canada Media Fund, CBC Vancouver, Canada Council for the Arts, City of Vancouver, Creative BC, British Columbia Arts Council, and the Canadian government. None of the advertisers backed out after the VQFF issued their statement supporting the PACBI and BDS movement.The decision to follow the PACBI guidelines comes after years of "community dialogue" and "internal reflection" after a controversy in 2014 when the festival included an advertisement from Yad b'Yad LGBTQ.The ad featured the Israeli flag superimposed over the LGBTQ rainbow banner. It led to protests and backlash from groups such as Queers Against Israeli Apartheid.The fallout from this incident continued into 2015 when the Catherine White Holman Wellness Centre (CWHWC), a long-time partner of the festival, withdrew its support. In a public letter, CWHWC told the VQFF to take a clear stand on the Israel-Palestine conflict and address concerns about "pinkwashing."The upcoming VQFF will feature a range of films and industry panels, including discussions on topics like "Queer Intimacy on Screen" and "Nonbinary Creatives in Film." .This is what the Western Standard is up againstThe Trudeau government is funding lies and propaganda by directly subsidizing the mainstream media. They do this to entrench the powerful Eastern, woke and corrupt interests that dominate the political, social and economic institutions in Canada. Federal authorities are constantly trying to censor us and stop us from publishing the stories that they don’t want you to read. Ottawa may weaponize our taxes and police against us, but we’ve got a powerful ally on our side.You. Free men, and free women. We need you to stand with us and become a member of the Western Standard. Here’s what you will get for your membership:Unlimited access to all articles from the Western Standard, Alberta Report, West Coast Standard, and Saskatchewan Standard, with no paywall. Our daily newsletter delivered to your inbox. .Access to exclusive Member-only WS events.Keep the West’s leading independent media voice strong and free.If you can, please support us with a monthly or annual membership. It takes just a moment to set up, and you will be making a big impact on keeping one the last independent media outlets in Canada free from Ottawa’s corrupting influence.
