Film creators petition Mubi to cut ties with an investor with connections to the Israeli military forces
Mubi, a global streaming platform and film production company, has been under scrutiny following allegations of investments in Israeli military technology companies. As of August 1, 2025, nearly 40 filmmakers, including Joshua Oppenheimer, Aki Kaurismäki, and Radu Jude, have signed an open letter urging Mubi to sever its financial ties with Sequoia Capital due to the firm’s investments in Israeli military technology companies linked to violence in Gaza.
The letter, addressed to Mubi's leadership, states that Mubi's financial growth is now explicitly tied to the genocide in Gaza, which implicates all who work with the company. The signatories believe that it is their ethical duty to do no harm and refuse to be complicit in the horrific violence being waged against Palestinians.
The filmmakers condemned Mubi's decision to partner with Sequoia by calling it "a total lack of accountability to the artists and communities who have helped the company flourish." They have also asked Mubi to respect programming and partnership guidelines set by the Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel (PACBI).
The investment has been criticized by Film Workers for Palestine, an international activist organization, for being "deeply invested in Israel's genocide of the Palestinian people." The Glasgow's Centre for Contemporary Arts, Mexico City's Cineteca Nacional, the Cinemateca de Bogota, and the Valdivia Film Festival have ended their partnerships with Mubi due to its investment from Sequoia Capital.
The signatories have asked Mubi to publicly condemn Sequoia Capital for "genocide profiteering," remove Sequoia Partner Andrew Reed from Mubi's board of directors, and instate an ethical policy for all future Mubi investments. They have also requested that Mubi heed the call made by Film Workers for Palestine and take action that meaningfully responds to the artists and the audiences who are such an integral part of Mubi's success.
However, no public statements, updates, or formal responses from Mubi addressing this open letter or its position on the Sequoia Capital investments have been reported. The available sources focus primarily on the filmmakers’ condemnation and their ethical concerns rather than Mubi’s perspective or reaction.
This controversy comes at a time when the mass civilian killings in Gaza, including journalists, artists, and film workers, have resulted in widespread destruction of Palestinian cultural sites and heritage. The investment from Sequoia Capital has been criticized for being tied to the ongoing genocide in Gaza.
The full letter with the signatories can be found here. As the situation continues to unfold, it remains to be seen how Mubi will respond to these calls for action.
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- In light of the open letter signed by over 40 filmmakers, including Joshua Oppenheimer, Aki Kaurismäki, and Radu Jude, Mubi is under pressure to reconsider its technology-based partnership with Sequoia Capital due to the firm's connections to Israeli military enterprises known for violence in Gaza.
- The filmmakers' open letter to Mubi advocates for the streaming platform to respect the ethics set by the Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel (PACBI) and demonstrates their concern over Mubi's entertainment tie-ups with entities that indirectly support Israel's alleged genocide of Palestinians.
