Jewish film festival cancelled in Sweden after cinemas refuse to host events

Published connected 17/10/2025 - 17:53 GMT+2 •Updated 17:55

A planned movie show dedicated to caller Jewish films has been cancelled successful Malmö, Sweden's third-largest city, aft organisers said they were incapable to unafraid a venue pursuing information concerns.

According to organisers of nan Jewish International Film Festival (JIFF), some commercialized movie theatre owners and nan non-profit Panora cinema agreed not to big nan event.

"A mates of them referred specifically to information reasons. There's interest that thing mightiness happen," said OlaTedin, 1 of nan festival's organisers.

The news has been met pinch daze from organisers and Swedish authorities.

"At first, I was incredibly angry. I really had a difficult clip accepting it," said Sofia Nerbrand, 1 of nan organisers.

"Now it has sunk successful a little, but it's still wholly outrageous. I deliberation it's incredibly tragic that it has travel to this."

Cinemas guidelines by their decision

Major movie theatre concatenation Filmstaden confirmed nan prime not to assistance their venues for usage successful nan festival. Irene Hernberg, PR head astatine Filmstaden Norden, wrote, "It was not an easy decision, but we prioritise nan information of our staff."

For Panora, their determination was owed to workload issues. They said they had already decided not to judge caller festivals aliases larger events.

Organisers of nan JIFF said they besides approached Folkets Hus, a section theatre that has antecedently hosted movie screenings, which was disposable during nan show dates.

However, nan committee besides declined connected information grounds.

Sweden's authorities calls business 'a catastrophe'

The Swedish authorities described nan business arsenic alarming and said it has put successful spot "several efforts" to summation information for Jewish organisations, institutions and events.

According to Parisa Liljestrand, Sweden's Minister for Culture, "This is an absolute catastrophe for nan Swedish society."

"It is, of course, alarming that we person reached this point, that 1 of our nationalist minorities feels truthful susceptible and that organisers judge it is not imaginable to put events and taste activities pinch Jewish content."

"What tin past beryllium done for nan cinema owners successful Malmö to consciousness safer?" Liljestrand saked, saying that nan authorities has made respective efforts to summation security.

The movie show had been planned arsenic portion of nan events to observe nan Jewish minority's 250th day successful Sweden this year.

This summer, a missive signed by much than 100 European rabbis and sent to nan European Commission warned that "increased information provisions" were "urgently" needed and that Europe was experiencing "visceral antisemitic hate" since nan Hamas-led onslaught connected Israel connected 7 October 2023.

Security concerns for susceptible aliases number communities are, however, not different for Malmö, a metropolis that has seen overmuch unrest, unit and anti-Israel agitation complete nan years.

The erstwhile vibrant Jewish organization has dwindled complete nan years owed to information concerns and a shot lucifer involving an Israeli squad had to beryllium played successful an empty, closed-off stadium successful 2009.