Glasgow's Centre For Contemporary Arts Rejects A Private Hire Deal With Mubi; Here's Why

Glasgow's Centre for Contemporary Arts (CCA) has said no to Mubi, until the global streaming platform and film production company says no to genocide of the Palestinian people. It has rejected a private hire deal with MUBI after it faced pressure from Art Workers for Palestine and audiences. CCA has become the first UK cultural institution to take the step.

In a joint post by Art Workers For Palestine Scotland and Film Workers for Palestine, it stated that CCA has rejected Mubi's festival over their complicity in Israel's genocide of the Palestinian people.

The associations claimed that Mubi recently received £100 million in funding from Sequoia Capital, a venture capital firm, which has heavily invested in Israeli military companies since February 2024.

Film Workers for Palestine said, "Money invested in MUBI by Sequoia is inseparable from profits generated by the illegal dispossession of Palestinian land and the genocide of Palestinians."

"Now we unite with film workers and audiences internationally to demand other venues around the world sever ties with MUBI. We must ensure the Glasgow Film TheatreGFT and other venues in the city do not step in to host this event. become the new hosts of this. Glasgow Says No To MUBI until MUBI says no to genocide."

"Film is nothing if it is complicit in the killing of Palestinians  filmmakers. Film is nothing if it looks the other way, away from Palestinian testimony and witnessing," the statement read further.

In June, the Film Workers for Palestine shared a note on Instagram, where it stated of being "horrified" to learn that Mubi has "accepted funding from Sequoia Capital, a venture capital firm that is deeply invested in Israel’s genocide of the Palestinian people."

The statement further read that "money invested in Mubi by Sequoia is inseparable from profits generated by the illegal dispossession of Palestinian land and the genocide of Palestinians."

Calling it "unacceptable", the film body also demanded Mubi to return the funding that it received from Sequoia.