Swedish Jewish International Film Festival postponed as cinemas refuse screening

The Jewish International Film Festival in Sweden has been postponed as the cinemas in Malmö, Sweden, refused to screen Jewish films.

According to the details, the festival was scheduled to run from 29th November to 2nd December in order to celebrate 250 years of Jewish life in Sweden.

In a official statement, the organizers of the festival said they were “stonewalled by all commercial and arthouse cinemas in the city”.

They added that they would continue the search for a suitable venue after sometime.

It was stated 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.

A Swedish 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.

The statement continued, “Our priority is always to ensure a safe and positive experience for both our guests and employees.”