The Oscar-winning documentary “No Other Land,” which addresses the Israeli displacement of the Palestinian community, was cancelled from a fundraising screening at a Melbourne cinema after the Jewish Council of Australia reported threats to the venue. Organizers had arranged the screening at Classic Cinema in Elsternwick to host the Palestinian-Israeli documentary followed by a discussion between Palestinian and Israeli speakers, with a film-maker recording a message for the event. The screening aimed to raise funds for costs associated with settler-state violence in Masafer Yatta, in the southern West Bank.

Organiser Sophia Kagan received a call from the cinema on Wednesday, informing her of the cancellation due to 20 complaints and threats received in one day, with a warning of planned protests on the night of the screening. Concerns about safety led to the cancellation, which coincides with the release of the next Marvel film. Kagan was concerned and asked for more details on the emails to possibly involve authorities. The event had not been widely advertised, but tickets for the screening were available on a Humanitix page.

Classic Cinema had a listing for the film on its website without specific screening times, and the Humanitix page was removed as of Thursday afternoon. Kagan expressed deep disappointment with the decision, highlighting the freedom of expression in Australia. Organizers have arranged a new screening at Palace in Brighton Bay for the same date. Cinemas in the United States have also been targeted for screenings of the film, marking the first reported incident of alleged targeting in Australia. The film’s co-director, Hamdan Ballal, was attacked by settlers and detained by Israeli military last month.

Source: https://www.theguardian.com/film/2025/apr/11/melbourne-cinema-cancels-fundraising-screening-of-oscar-winning-film-about-palestinian-displacement-citing-threats-ntwnfb