The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, on Friday, issued a statement to its 11,000 members after facing backlash over the lack of public support for Oscar-winning Palestinian director, Hamdan Ballal.
Ballal was recently attacked and detained by Israeli forces.
In their follow-up letter, signed by Academy CEO Bill Kramer and President Janet Yang, it named Ballal and apologized for omitting him and No Other Land in their previous letter they issued earlier this week.
The letter stated, “On Wednesday, we sent a letter in response to reports of violence against Oscar winner Hamdan Ballal, co-director of No Other Land, connected to his artistic expression. We regret that we failed to directly acknowledge Mr. Ballal and the film by name,” the letter reads. “We sincerely apologize to Mr. Ballal and all artists who felt unsupported by our previous statement and want to make it clear that the Academy condemns violence of this kind anywhere in the world. We abhor the suppression of free speech under any circumstances.”
Yuval Abraham, the co-director of No Other Land, shared the latest statement of the Academy on his X handle. He wrote the letter from the American Academy came after intense pressure from 600+ principled academy members.
The American Academy just apologized to Hamdan for not mentioning his name after he was attacked by Israeli settlers. This came after intense pressure from 600+ principled academy members appalled by the initial response. pic.twitter.com/RwRD6BGUg9
— Yuval Abraham יובל אברהם (@yuval_abraham) March 28, 2025
Following Ballal's detainment, several global film organizations, including the European Film Academy and the International Documentary Association, expressed concern but the Academy just sent a general message to the members.
On Wednesday, it released a statement condemning “harming artists,” but did not name Hamdan or any other individuals. The letter started circulating on social media and also reached AMPAS members, who criticised leadership’s failure to defend Ballal publicly.
In a lengthy post, Yuval also called out the US Academy for declining to ''publicly support Hamdan Ballal while he was beaten and tortured by Israeli soldiers and settlers.''
— Yuval Abraham יובל אברהם (@yuval_abraham) March 26, 2025Sadly, the US Academy, which awarded us an Oscar three weeks ago, declined to publicly support Hamdan Ballal while he was beaten and tortured by Israeli soldiers and settlers.
The European Academy voiced support, as did countless other award groups and festivals. Several US…
As per a report in Variety, on Friday afternoon, 690 Academy members signed a letter condemning the Academy’s silence following Ballal’s attack and detainment.
The letter read: “We stand in condemnation of the brutal assault and unlawful detention of Oscar-winning Palestinian filmmaker Hamdan Ballal by settlers and Israeli forces in the West Bank. To win an Oscar is not an easy task. Most films in competition are buoyed by wide distribution and exorbitantly priced campaigns… For ‘No Other Land’ to win an Oscar without these advantages speaks to how important the film is to the voting membership. The targeting of Ballal is not just an attack on one filmmaker — it is an attack on all those who dare to bear witness and tell inconvenient truths.”
Several international film organizations and notable documentary filmmakers such as Laura Poitras, Liz Garbus, Alex Gibney, Errol Morris, and Roger Ross Williams supported the letter. Actors like Mark Ruffalo, Joaquin Phoenix, Penélope Cruz, Emma Thompson, Riz Ahmed, Olivia Colman, Richard Gere, Natasha Lyonne, Andrea Riseborough, Sandra Hüller, Javier Bardem, and Susan Sarandon signed it.
Directors Todd Haynes, Adam McKay, Ava DuVernay, Boots Riley, Jonathan Glazer and Jim Jarmusch, among others also came in support.
Earlier this week, Ballal was detained by Israeli forces after being attacked by settlers in the occupied West Bank. He was later released by Israel authorities. The filmmaker was reportedly assaulted. Ballal, in an interview with The Associated Press, shared how he was heavily beaten by an Israeli settler and soldiers the night before. The director said, the settler kicked his head “like a football” during an attack. Further opening up about his ordeal, Ballal said he was kept blindfolded for more than 20 hours, under a freezing air conditioner.
Hamdan Ballal co-directed No Other Land, with Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, and Rachel Szor. It won best documentary at the 97th Academy Awards.
The Israeli-Palestinian documentary revolves around the fight over West Bank's Masafer Yatta and the friendship between Adra and Abraham.
