Over 1,200 film professionals, including actors and directors such as Tilda Swinton and Sean Baker, have expressed support for Berlin Film Festival director Tricia Tuttle. This follows reports that German Culture Minister Wolfram Weimer called a meeting about her future, reportedly seeking to fire her after political backlash over pro-Palestinian speeches at this year's awards ceremony. During the ceremony, prize-winner Abdallah al-Khatib criticized Germany for allegedly being complicit in Israel's actions in Gaza, and other filmmakers made pro-Palestinian statements.
No decisive decisions were made at the meeting, and discussions about the festival's future will continue in the coming days, according to a spokesperson for the culture minister. The German film academy, in an open letter signed by nearly 700 professionals, defended the festival as a democratic cultural space and dismissed claims that Tuttle allowed it to be used for antisemitic purposes.