At least 145 individuals have signed an open letter calling for debate within the cinema sector following discussions on the principles guiding the relationships between festivals, producers, and directors. This comes after IndieLisboa withdrew a film and a project by director and producer Ico Costa from its program.
Ico Costa, known for films such as ‘Alva’ (2019) and ‘O Ouro e o Mundo’ (2024), who works in production through Oublaum Filmes, a company he founded in 2019, has been accused by an alleged domestic violence victim of verbal, physical, and psychological abuse, including “strategies of intimidation, emotional blackmail, and victimization” during a relationship approximately four years ago.
Following the accusation, which was shared on the social media platform Instagram, IndieLisboa’s management explained that they removed Costa’s film ‘Balane 3’ and another unfinished project from the official competition.
Contacted by the news agency Lusa, Ico Costa denied all allegations, stating that the complaint is false.
In the open letter released today, the signatories begin by expressing solidarity with all those who have suffered or witnessed violence of any kind and express concern over “the lack of confidence that official reporting channels often inspire, leading people to resort to exposure on social media or email sharing.”
“Instead of deliberation, care, and protection, the festival in question issued an ambiguous statement, bringing the case to the media and allowing for a public lynching,” the authors of the letter stated.
According to the signatories, “a film is the result of collective work, investment, and effort by many people.”
“What legitimacy does a film festival have to remove the work of all these people from its program, casting over it shame and suspicions that have nothing to do with them?” they question.
They further state that “the cultural issue of harassment, domestic, labor, and gender violence, as well as other forms of violence systematized and based on power asymmetries, needs to be confronted with the whole sector’s commitment. There is also a need for rigor and precision in the tools used, the decisions made, and the communication of these decisions. Otherwise, it merely creates a smokescreen that discredits victims, protects abusers, and potentially victimizes innocent people.”
The authors of the letter contend that “film festivals do not possess these tools” and that “it is not part of their mission, competencies, or the training of their employees and leaders.”
“Condemnation to infamy and ostracism are mechanisms that have no place in a democracy,” the signatories of the document add, noting that this is an ongoing reflection.
“We, therefore, call for debate and commitment from film festivals and other exhibition and distribution organizations regarding these situations and the limits of legitimacy to sentence directors and films,” reads the letter.
