More than 1,800 film industry figures, including prominent Hollywood actors, have pledged to boycott Israeli film bodies that they say are "implicated in genocide and apartheid" against Palestinians. The pledge, outlined in an open letter published on Monday, September 8, 2025, vows not to screen films at, appear at, or otherwise work with Israeli film institutions, including festivals, cinemas, broadcasters, and production companies.

The letter was organized by the group Film Workers for Palestine and was inspired by filmmakers who refused to screen their work in apartheid South Africa. The pledge is distinct from previous arts and culture boycotts of Israel, as it names specific Israeli cultural institutions. The institutions to be boycotted would include any involved in "whitewashing or justifying genocide and apartheid," or those that partnered with the Israeli government. The group cited the Jerusalem Film Festival and the Docaviv documentary film festival, which they say "continue to partner with the Israeli government". Film Workers for Palestine stated that "the vast majority of Israeli film production and distribution companies, sales agents, cinemas and other film institutions have never endorsed the full, internationally recognized rights of the Palestinian people".

Signatories to the letter include actors Emma Stone, Mark Ruffalo, Javier Bardem, Olivia Colman, Ayo Edebiri, Cynthia Nixon, Riz Ahmed, Tilda Swinton, Joe Alwyn, Aimee Lou Wood, and Josh O'Connor. Filmmakers who have signed the pledge include Ken Loach, Yorgos Lanthimos, Adam McKay, Ava DuVernay, and Gael García Bernal. Several progressive Jews who have been vocal pro-Palestinian activists have also signed the letter, including Ilana Glazer, Hannah Einbinder, Emma Seligman, and Wallace Shawn.

The pledge does not specifically target Israeli individuals, stating that the "refusal takes aim at institutional complicity, not identity," and that "a few Israeli film entities are not complicit". The group advises people to ask questions and "seek guidelines set by Palestinian civil society".

The Israeli Film and TV Producers Association has criticized the Film Workers for Palestine pledge as "misguided" and "shortsighted". In a statement to The Guardian, the association said that the signatories were "targeting the wrong people". The association stated that Israeli artists, storytellers, and creators have been the primary voices allowing audiences to hear and witness the complexity of the conflict, including Palestinian narratives and criticism of Israeli state policies. Tzvika Gottlieb of the Israeli Film & TV Producers Association called the pledge "misguided," arguing that Israeli filmmakers have long been vocal critics of their government.