The IndieLisboa International Film Festival, scheduled from May 1 to May 11 in Lisbon, Portugal, announced on Tuesday the removal of films by Portuguese director Ico Costa from its program. This decision follows an open letter circulating on social media, accusing the director of assaults on women, which Costa has denied.
“In light of new allegations, IndieLisboa has begun a process of reflection and analysis that we want to share publicly. (…) In any situation of doubt, IndieLisboa believes it is crucial to listen to the victims. For this reason, we have decided to withdraw both films from the festival program. We urge that there be space for facts to be established, for all involved parties to be heard, and for the truth to be clarified,” stated the film festival’s announcement.
When contacted by Agência Lusa, Ico Costa denied all allegations, claiming that the charge is false and that he is unaware of who the alleged victims are.
“This is a false accusation, made by someone I have never met. This person does not exist. […] I am against any kind of cancellation, and the victims need to exist, and at the moment they do not,” the director asserted.
When asked about the removal of his films from IndieLisboa, Ico Costa remarked that “it’s just another festival,” noting that ‘Balane 3’ has already premiered at other festivals.
“An aggressor of several women” What does the letter state?
The open letter that sparked the controversy is signed by Joana Sousa Silva, a self-identified illustrator and former film student, aged 28, stating that “Ico Costa is an aggressor of several women”.
“His attacks are verbal, physical, and psychological, and he uses intimidation strategies, emotional blackmail, and victimization to justify his acts. There are at least six victims, as far as I know, including myself, and these assaults took place over at least ten years”, writes Silva in the open letter published by the Instagram page +umcasting, which promotes job opportunities in the cultural sector and reports abuses.
Joana Silva mentions that one of the women assaulted by the director even filed a “police report” after ending up “barefoot in the street at night with a black eye.”
“Personally, I was involved with Ico Costa for six months, about four years ago. I was betrayed, insulted, called ‘w***e’ and ‘b****,’ slapped in the face, punched in the stomach, had my hair pulled out, and when I decided to leave and file a complaint, I feared he would kill me. To my astonishment, he began crying like a child and begged for forgiveness. Because of this, I understood it was a pathology and couldn’t file a complaint, but I disappeared from his life and we never saw each other again,” she recounts.
However, she decided to publicize the case now after recently learning about “other similar stories.”
“It’s time to expose the history of abusive behavior by this serial abuser. I urge all victims of Ico Costa to come forward and speak out. Do not allow another abuser to go unpunished in the Portuguese artistic community,” concluded the illustrator.
More accusations have been reported to the +umcasting profile on Instagram, which allegedly led the director to delete his social media profiles.
© Reprodução Instagram/+umcasting
Among the works withdrawn by IndieLisboa is the director’s most recent feature film, ‘Balane 3,’ and another film “still in post-production.”
Notícias ao Minuto reached out to the Portuguese Association of Directors (APR), of which Ico Costa is a member, but has yet to receive a response.
According to the information available on the APR website, the director is from Lisbon and is 42 years old. He studied at the Lisbon Theatre and Film School, Universidad del Cine in Buenos Aires, and Le Fresnoy – Studio National des Arts Contemporains in Tourcoing, France.
His portfolio includes short films such as ‘Libhaketi’ (2012), ‘Quatro Horas Descalço’ (2012), ‘Corrente’ (2013), ‘Antero’ (2014), and ‘Nyo Vweta Nafta’ (2017), as well as the documentary ‘Barulho, Eclipse’ (2017).
His work has also been featured at film festivals including Critics’ Week at Cannes, Rotterdam, Rome, Cinéma du Réel, New Directors/New Films, Oberhausen, Jihlava, Vila do Conde, IndieLisboa, DocLisboa, among others.
