"Given the current circumstances, if I do not suspend this edition of the film festival, anyone involved in the festival whether directors, forum participants, associated staff, volunteers, or even audience members could potentially face threats or harassment, he said in a statement. This situation places me in a difficult ethical position. As both an organiser and an individual, I have no intention of putting anyone in danger, whether such danger is real or fabricated as a means of intimidation."
"The Chinese government reached around the globe to shut down a film festival in New York City, said Yalkun Uluyol, a China researcher at Human Rights Watch."
The inaugural IndieChina film festival, scheduled for 8–15 November in New York, was cancelled after about 80% of planned screenings were pulled. Curator Zhu Rikun reported that many directors based in China withdrew for personal reasons while directors abroad said Chinese authorities contacted their families as pressure. A Beijing colleague of Zhu was taken for questioning and told not to work with him. A venue received an anonymous letter claiming Chinese students wanted the screening cancelled. Zhu suspended the festival to avoid potential threats to directors, participants, staff, volunteers, or audience members. Human Rights Watch characterized the action as global reach by Chinese authorities.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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