In an op-ed published in the Cinematography World magazine, festival director Marek Żydowicz said that the growing recognition of female cinematographers and directors was “crucial.”
But he added that this approach could lead to “sacrificing works and artists with outstanding artistic achievements solely to make room for mediocre film production.”
His comments sparked criticism from prominent industry groups, including the American Society of Cinematographers (ASC) and the British Society of Cinematographers (BSC).
‘Profoundly misogynistic’
BSC wrote: “We are disheartened and angered by your profoundly misogynistic comments and aggressive tone, which we view as symptomatic of a deep-rooted prejudice. A film festival dedicated to the support and encouragement of cinematography and its practitioners deserves better.”
Soon after, McQueen, who was due to be guest of honor at the festival, said in a statement to IndieWire, a movie industry website: "Having read Marek Żydowicz’s op-ed concerning female cinematographers, I have decided not to attend the opening night presentation of my film Blitz this weekend.”
The Camerimage film festival will run from November 16 to 23 in the Polish northern city of Toruń.
Criticism of Żydowicz’s op-ed largely centered on its opening paragraph. In subsequent sections, Żydowicz clarifies that he only opposes making gender the primary criterion for film selection and asserts that “artistic value [should be] the foremost criterion for qualifying and promoting film art.”
In later paragraphs, he dedicates nearly half of his op-ed to reinforcing the Polish film festival’s commitment to support “underappreciated and excluded creators–both male and female.”
Żydowicz also highlights examples where Camerimage has worked to include women in both competitions and jury roles, aiming to address gender inequality in film professions.
Festival chief hits back
In response to accusations of misogyny and “deep-rooted prejudice,” Żydowicz issued a statement on the Camerimage festival’s official website, where he doubled down on his point that the main criterion for including a film in a festival should be its quality.
He said: “We have always aimed to showcase the best films, regardless of who created them. And that's how my statement should be understood; there’s nothing more to it, and it has nothing to do with a lack of respect for women.”
He added: “I believe that the accusations directed at me in the appeal published on the BSC website are entirely misplaced; I even find them offensive.”
