Organisers of the Jewish International Film Festival have been forced to postpone this year’s event after cinemas in Malmö, Sweden, reportedly refused to screen films, with some venues citing safety and security concerns.
The festival, intended to celebrate 250 years of Jewish life in Sweden, was scheduled to run from 29 November to 2 December, according to its official website.
In a statement posted on Thursday, organisers said they were “stonewalled by all commercial and art-house cinemas in the city”.
They added that they would “pause to gather strength” before recommencing the search for a suitable venue, and said that they had received “heartwarming” support in recent days.
Ola Tedin, one of the organisers, told Swedish broadcaster SVT that some of the cinemas offered safety and security concerns for their refusal because they were worried something might happen to endanger their staff or audiences.
In a statement on Saturday, cinema chain Filmstaden said its decision against screening the films was made in the spring.
“In this particular case, after thorough assessment, we concluded that we could not host the festival due to safety concerns,” the statement said.
“Our priority is always to ensure a safe and positive experience for both our guests and employees.”
Other cinemas, as well as the Swedish minister of culture, did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Saturday.
The film festival was founded in 2024.
