Steve McQueen Exits Camerimage Over Festival Director’s Sexist Remarks

The fallout from Camerimage competition director Marek Zydowicz’s sexist remarks he wrote in an editorial is right here, and it’s fierce.

After a number of nationwide cinematography guilds, together with the American Society of Cinematographers and British Society of Cinematographers, issued statements protesting the remarks —which equated a push to have extra illustration from ladies cinematographers with “mediocrity” — Camerimage’s visitor of honor Steve McQueen has pulled out of attending the annual competition. “Blitz” is the opening evening movie.

“Having read Marek Zydowicz’s op-Ed concerning female cinematographers, I have decided not to attend the opening night presentation of my film ‘Blitz’ this weekend,” McQueen stated in an announcement obtained by IndieWire. “Although he has issued an apology, I cannot get past what I consider deeply offensive words. I have enormous respect for cinematographers of all genders including women, and believe we have to do and demand better to make room for everyone at the table.”

Camerimage, held in Toruń, Poland, every November, is the newest gathering of cinematographers wherever on the earth annually. It’s thought-about a key bellwether of the Oscars race for Greatest Cinematography. Due to this fact it got here as a shock when Zydowicz wrote his op-ed in Cinematography World journal, responding to calls to incorporate the work of extra ladies cinematographers.

“The film industry is undergoing rapid changes, affecting the cinematic image, its content, and aesthetics,” wrote Żydowicz. “One of the most significant changes is the growing recognition of female cinematographers and directors. This evolution is crucial as it rectifies the obvious injustice present in societal development. However, it also raises a question: Can the pursuit of change exclude what is good? Can we sacrifice works and artists with outstanding artistic achievements solely to make room for mediocre film production?”

He additionally alleged that festivals reminiscent of Cannes, Berlin, and Venice which have made actual efforts to incorporate extra movies from feminine filmmakers have been “criticized for their selections due to succumbing to or promoting such trends.”

Zydowicz has since apologized for what he known as a “misunderstanding,” based on Display Each day.

McQueen pulling out of Camerimage is the largest act of protest towards Żydowicz’s remarks but. Along with the ASC and BSC issuing statements criticizing the remarks, so did the Affiliation of Brazilian Cinematographers (ABC), Society of Digicam Operators, Canadian Society of Cinematographers (CSC), Girls Cinematographers Community (from Germany, Austria & Switzerland), in addition to cinematographers Greig Fraser, Reed Morano, and Erik Messerschmidt.

THR first reported McQueen pulling out of the competition.