The MUBI logo is displayed on a smartphone. Mubi is a video streaming platform , Dhaka, Bangladesh, 4 Jan 2025 (Adobe Stock photo)By Newsroom August 13, 2025 02:18 PM GMT+03:00 Filmmakers are urging the upstart arthouse distributor and film production company, Mubi to sever ties with its investor , Sequoia Capital, a venture firm reportedly closely connected to the Israeli military.On July 30, twenty-five filmmakers published an open letter on Varietywith Joshua Oppenheimer and Cherien Dabis among the first to sign. The letter has since grown to 63 signatures from creators who have either released films through Mubi , had films featured on its platform, or been involved in projects connected to the company.Additional signatories include Israeli directors Ari Folman (Waltz with Bashir) and Nadav Lapid (Synonyms, Ahed’s Knee); Amalia Ulman, whose second feature Magic Farm was released by Mubi earlier this year; and Alex Russell, whose debut feature Lurker was acquired by Mubi out of Sundance for release later this month.The letter strongly urges Mubi to reconsider its relationship with Sequoia Capital and publicly condemn the firm for what the filmmakers describe as “genocide profiteering.”The backlash follows Mubi’s announcement in late May that it had secured a $100 million investment from Sequoia. Criticism intensified online after it emerged that the Silicon Valley-based venture capital firm maintains close ties to the Israeli military.Sequoia invested in the defense-tech startup Kela, founded in July 2024 by a former senior manager at Palantir Israel and several veterans of Israeli intelligence units, in response to the October 7 terror attacks and more than six months into Israel’s invasion of Gaza.Kela is currently developing a battlefield operating system aimed at integrating artificial intelligence with commercial technologies for military applications.Sequoia partner Shaun Maguire has also faced criticism for social media posts about Zohran Mamdani that were widely condemned as Islamophobic, prompting more than 1,000 tech workers to sign an open letter calling for disciplinary action. The letter 63 filmmakers and creatives signatures on , (photo via @ Film Workers for Palestine) Critical financial inquiry“Mubi’s financial growth is now explicitly tied to the genocide in Gaza, which implicates everyone who works with the company,” reads an open letter signed by filmmakers who have released films through Mubi, appeared on its streaming platform, or acted in films distributed by the service. “We do not believe an arthouse platform can meaningfully support a global community of cinephiles while also partnering with a company invested in the killing of Palestinian artists and filmmakers.”Mubi has yet to respond publicly to the letter. In the wake of social media backlash over its ties to Sequoia, a message on the company’s social media channels said the rationale for the investment was to “accelerate our mission of delivering bold and visionary films to global audiences”, and that the venture firm had a “50-plus year history of partnering with founders to help turn their ideas into world-changing businesses”.“Over the last several days, some members of our community have commented on the decision to work with Sequoia given their investment in Israeli companies and the personal opinions expressed by one of their partners,” it said. “The beliefs of individual investors do not reflect the views of Mubi.”More to ReadWidespread international backlashSignatories of an open letter urged Mubi to act on three demands from Film Workers for Palestine: publicly condemn Sequoia Capital for “genocide profiteering,” remove Sequoia partner Andrew Reed from Mubi’s board, and adopt an ethical policy for future investments. They also called on the company to follow guidelines from the Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel.The letter follows global backlash over Mubi’s Sequoia ties, with Glasgow’s Centre for Contemporary Arts, Mexico City’s Cineteca Nacional, and Bogotá’s Cinemateca all pulling out of Mubi Fest. Chile’s Valdivia Film Festival also canceled screenings of Mubi films, citing Sequoia funding.Girls in Film said Mubi had abandoned its role as a champion for independent creatives, prioritizing growth over marginalized communities. Filmmaker Eddie Huang claimed Mubi “shelved” his documentary Vice Is Broke after he spoke out, though the company denied this, saying discussions were ongoing.The controversy coincides with worsening conditions in Gaza, where U.N. experts report that the “worst-case scenario of famine is currently playing out,” with severe restrictions on aid causing widespread human suffering.August 13, 2025 02:18 PM GMT+03:00