Festival cancelled in Turkey over ban of Luca Guadagnino’s film ‘Queer’

Global streaming platform, production company and film distributor Mubi has scrapped a festival it had planned in Turkey after local authorities banned the screening of Luca Guadagnino’s new film, Queer.

The annual Mubi Fest Istanbul, which was due to be held between 7-10 November, had Queer as its opening film.

Based on William S. Burroughs novel and starring Daniel Craig as a gay expat living in Mexico, the film premiered in Venice and is LGBTQ+ themed.

Mubi was told to pull the screening at the last minute by authorities who deemed it to contain “provocative content.” Instead of complying, Mubi laudably cancelled the entire event altogether, saying that the ban targeted the “very essence and purpose” of the festival.

In a statement issued on its dedicated Turkish-language Instagram page for Mubi Turkey, the company said: “Hours before the opening of MUBI Fest Istanbul 2024, which we have been meticulously planning for months, and which was announced a few weeks ago and sold out days ago, we were informed that the screening of “Queer” — the festival’s opening film — has been banned by a decision of the Kadıköy District Governorate of Istanbul.” 

The statement continued: “The decision states that the film is prohibited on the grounds that it contains provocative content that could endanger public peace, with the ban being imposed for security reasons. We believe this ban is a direct restriction on art and freedom of expression. Festivals are spaces that celebrate art, cultural diversity, and community, bringing people together. This ban not only targets a single film but also undermines the very essence and purpose of the festival.” 

“For this reason, MUBI has decided to take the position that our audience expects from us. It