Edinburgh fest declines grant after protests

May 21, 2009 [...] after protests from many areas of the filmmaking community, and most notably veteran British director Ken Loach who is an oft outspoken opponent of Israel's policies, the festival returned the cash. EIFF managing director Ginnie Atkinson said: The Edinburgh International Film Festival is well known for bringing together people from all over the world, regardless of race or religion, to screen and appreciate films for their own sake and we look forward to continuing this important mission. [...] while controversial films programmed for lineups often lead to acres of news print after unspooling or the filmmakers or talent sometimes land themselves in hot water, for Edinburgh organizers it's started before it's begun.

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