At the Venice awards ceremony on Saturday evening, Gaza emerged as a central cause as several winners used their acceptance speeches to express support for the Palestinian people and criticize the ongoing Israeli aggression on Gaza.

US Director Sarah Friedland, while accepting the Luigi de Laurentiis prize for best first film for "Familiar Touch", remarked, “As a Jewish American artist working in a time-based medium, I must note, I’m accepting this award on the 336th day of Israel’s genocide in Gaza and 76th year of occupation.”

Jewish filmmaker Sarah Friedland accepts award at the Venice Film festival.

“I am accepting this award on the 336th day of Israel’s genocide in Gaza and 76th year of occupation…I stand in solidarity with the people of Palestine in their struggle for liberation.” pic.twitter.com/LYlTSRxnLm

— Samira Mohyeddin سمیرا (@SMohyeddin) September 8, 2024

She added, “I believe it is our responsibility as filmmakers to use the institutional platforms through which we work to redress Israel’s impunity on the global stage. I stand in solidarity with the people of Palestine and their struggle for liberation.”

Friedland’s film, showcased in the Horizons competition, not only won the Best First Film award but also earned her the Best Director accolade in that section. Kathleen Chalfant, who was awarded Best Actress for her role as a woman adjusting to life in an assisted care home, also touched on the ongoing war in her acceptance speech. She expressed her hope that the devastating events in the region would cease.

Friedland’s remarks, which were met with a strong round of applause, were delivered against the backdrop of increasing global condemnation of the Israeli 11-month military aggression on Gaza.

'Moral compass tested by witnessing the ongoing Gaza genocide': Copti

On his part, Palestinian filmmaker Scandar Copti echoed Friedland’s sentiments while accepting the Best Screenplay prize in the Horizons section for his film Happy Holidays. The film, which explores the lives of four interconnected characters in Haifa, delves into the complexities of different generational and cultural backgrounds.

“I stand here deeply honored, yet profoundly affected by the difficult times we’ve been living through over the past 11 months, our shared humanity and moral compass have been tested as we witness the ongoing genocide in Gaza,” he stressed.

“This painful reality reminds us of the devastating consequences of oppression, which is a theme in our film. Our film looks at how moral narratives can bring us together as communities, but also blind us to the suffering of others,” he concluded.

Read more: 'I know what we did in Gaza': IOF reservist refusing to rejoin service

Opposing the art washing of Israeli genocide in Gaza

One of the initial gestures of support unraveled on the opening day on the red carpet for the Italian comedy-drama Nonostante. Italian actor Lino Musella wore a "Free Palestine" T-shirt, while actress Laura Morante chose a royal blue kaftan, accessorizing it with a fan that displayed a handwritten message: “Stop the Gaza genocide. More than 40,000 killed over 16,000 children.”

At Sunday’s red carpet event for the film Wolfs, featuring Brad Pitt and George Clooney, one guest made a statement by displaying “Free Palestine” written on her thigh.

The following day, American director Neo Sora, who was at the photo call for his film Happyend, wore a koufiyyeh. Sora, son of Japanese composer Ryuichi Sakamoto, also sported a Palestinian flag badge on his lapel with a tag reading “Free Palestine” hanging from it.

Additionally, Lia Ouyang Rusli, a producer on the film, showed her support with a handbag adorned with the Palestinian flag, while composer Aiko Masubuchi wore a red-and-white koufiyyeh draped around her shoulders.

On Monday, Italian actress Anna Foglietta appeared on the red carpet for the film The Room Next Door, starring Tilda Swinton and Julianne Moore, wearing a heart-shaped pin featuring the Palestinian flag.

Later in the week, at the premiere of the series M: Il figlio del secolo (M: Son of the Century), a guest of Italian writer Antonio Scurati wore a T-shirt with the slogan: “Stop the Massacre.” Scurati, who authored the 2018 novel that inspired the series, explores the early political life of Italian dictator Benito Mussolini.

One of the most impactful displays of solidarity occurred on Thursday from the cast and crew of the Tunisian film Aicha. Director Mehdi Barsaoui and actress Fatma Sfar, along with others involved in the film, held up a banner that read: “Stop the Genocide.”

Italian actor Fabio Testi also joined the show of support by carrying a large sign with the message in Italian: "16,500 children killed in Gaza, stop the massacre."

The film festival faced criticism starting from its opening on August 28. Over 350 industry professionals signed an open letter to the organizers, condemning the inclusion of two Israeli films. The letter was issued by Artists for Palestine Italia.

The open letter criticized the inclusion of the films, stating that they were “complicit in whitewashing Israel’s oppression against Palestinians.”

“We, the undersigned artists, filmmakers and cultural workers, reject complicity with the Israeli regime of apartheid and oppose the art washing of its Gaza genocide against Palestinians at the 81st Film Festival in Venice,” it said. “The Venice Film Festival has remained silent about Israel’s atrocities against the Palestinian people. This silence outrages us deeply.”

The letter also criticized the inclusion of the films, asserting that it is “unacceptable that films made by production companies complicit in a regime engaged in atrocities against the Palestinian people should be shown in Venice.”

Signatories included Palestinian artists such as Hany Abu-Assad, Rosalind Nashashibi, Raed Andoni, and Saleh Bakri, as well as prominent Italian filmmakers like Enrico Parenti and Alessandra Ferrini, actor Niccolo Senni, and actress Simona Cavallari.

Alberto Barbera, the festival’s artistic director, dismissed the open letter. In an interview with Deadline, he explained, “We are a space open to everyone and to people with different political views. We show films that highlight different views on all sorts of issues. I don’t want to take sides and I can’t make such public statements for the festival in my role as festival director.”

"Israel" has left extensive casualties—ranging from at least 40,900 to 186,000 Palestinians, mainly children and women. Thousands more are believed to be buried beneath the rubble, with at least 94,000 wounded and the overwhelming majority of Gaza’s 2.3 million population forcibly displaced. Despite it all, the Israeli genocide against Palestinians in Gaza continues live and unabated for 388 days.