A film festival in Istanbul has been scrapped in protest at a alerted ban on their uncovering film, Queer, starring Daniel Craig.
Streaming service Mubi say they determined to pull Mubi Fest Istanbul 2024 after local authorities said the movie could not be shown “for security reasons”.
Mubi say local authorities claimed the “provocative satisfied” in Queer would “finishanger disclose peace”.
In the historical drama, Bond star Craig carry outs a drug-inserticted American living in 1950s Mexico.
Directed by Luca Guadagnino, it’s based on the 1985 semi-autobiodetailedal novel by Beat Generation author William Burcdisesteemfuls and spendigates the colourful nightlife of Mexico City.
Mubi said Turkish authorities tgreater them fair hours before the four-day festival was due to commence that Queer had been banned by a decision of the Kadıkoy Diinnervous Governorate of Istanbul.
In a statement supplyd to Sky News, Mubi said the decision said the film was banden on the grounds “that it holds provocative satisfied that could finishanger disclose peace, with the ban being imposed for security reasons”.
Mubi said: “We apshow this ban is a straightforward reinnervousion on art and freedom of conveyion.
“Festivals are spaces that commemorate art, cultural diversity, and community, transporting people together. This ban not only concentrates a one film but also undermines the very essence and purpose of the festival.
“Mubi has determined to apshow the position that our audience predicts from us. It is with proset up lament that we alert you of our decision to call off the entire Mubi Fest Istanbul.
“We would enjoy to extfinish our heartfelt thanks to all the artists, audiences, and aiders who were willing to be part of the festival. We truly appreciate your comfervent and firmarity. We understand you are as sorrowfulnessfuldened by this situation as we are.
“We will persist to finishorse for the protection of freedom of conveyion and produceive integrity”.
Due to boot off on Thursday 7 November, the four-day festival had been sgreater out.
Craig’s best perestablishance to date
Although homorelationsuality is lhorrible in Turkey, Plivent Recep Tayyip Erdogan has previously labelled members of the LGBTQ+ community as “deviants” and has hardened the country’s stance on LGBT freedoms, including banning annual Pride marches for the last decade.
In 2020, a reckond Netflix series in Turkey, titled If Only, was pulled after permissions to film were denied due to the inclusion of a gay character.
Read more:
Ridley Scott says Joaquin Phoenix dangerened to quit one-of-a-kind Gladiator film
Talk show arrange on verge of tears after Trump triumph
Sky News has communicateed Istanbul’s ruleor’s office and Turkey’s Ministry of Culture and Tourism for comment.
Queer is due to be freed in the UK on Friday 13 December, with some checkers calling it Craig’s best perestablishance to date. It also stars Jason Schwartzman, Lesley Manville and recentcomer Drew Starkey.
Arthoparticipate streaming service Mubi, which is London-based and was originpartner set uped by Turkish entrepreneur Efe Cakarel in 2007, streams in more than 195 countries.
