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Jewish culture in Britain is being silenced

The Chief Executive of UK Jewish Film says cinemas and venues are quietly blocking out his organisation

October 29, 2024 14:25
Copy Of 23.5.24 Protest outside the Phoenix Cinema (Photo: Gaby Wine)
A huge crowd of pro-Israel supporters held banners and flags outside the Phoenix Cinema (Photo: Gaby Wine)
3 min read

Over the years, small cultural charities such as UK Jewish Film have become accustomed to the deafening silence and avoidance tactics of – largely publicly-funded – cinemas and arts organisations.

Since October 7, that situation has continued, but has become notably worse, particularly outside London.

It feels like a moment to share a little of what goes on behind the scenes, as well as what appear to be the favoured tactics of a politically-savvy cultural management class, which is quietly hastening the erasure of British-Jewish culture from many of our public spaces.


The task of organising the annual UK Jewish Film Festival nationwide tour, which is funded by the British Film Institute (BFI), is even more challenging this year. With a few noble exceptions, our publicly-funded, regional cinemas, are less than welcoming. Ironically, these are exactly the kind of cinemas that are receiving public funding to help ensure that all of Britain’s minorities are represented on their screens and reflected in their audiences. When it comes to Britain’s Jewish minority however, many cinema CEOs and cinema programmers feel impunity to exclude that minority.