‘The Substance,’ Starring Demi Moore, Was Removed From Camerimage by Its Director Following Festival Head’s “Highly Misogynistic and Offensive” Comments

Coralie Fargeat has withdrawn her film “The Substance” from the Camerimage Film Festival after the festival director made comments about female cinematographers. Coralie shared a post on X explaining what happened:

After discovering the highly misogynistic and offensive words of the director of the Camerimage Film Festival, I have decided to pull ‘The Substance’ from the festival (and [director of photography] Benjamin Kračun has decided not to attend).

‘The Substance’ is about the impact of exactly these types of behaviors on our world. We shouldn’t tolerate them anymore. We send our support to all involved in the festival and hope this decision will help create a much needed change.

We send our support to all involved in the festival and hope this decision will help create a much needed change.

In a column for Cinematography World magazine, festival director Marek Żydowicz seemed to imply that increasing the number of women DPs and directors in the event’s lineup might result in including “mediocre film productions”:

Should we reject what is esteemed and valuable just to ‘make space’ for the necessity of social change?. Whilst festivals like Cannes, Berlin or Venice are criticized for their selections due to succumbing to or promoting [political or ideological trends], Camerimage remains committed to artistic values as the foremost criterion for qualifying and promoting film art.

What do you think? A right move by Coralie Fargeat? Let us know in the comments below.