At the Venice Film Festival, director Jim Jarmusch premiered his new film Father Mother Sister Brother, but questions at the press conference quickly turned to controversy surrounding Mubi, the streaming platform that co-produced the movie.
Mubi recently raised $100 million in a funding round led by Sequoia Capital, a move that has drawn criticism from filmmakers. Some have pointed to Sequoia’s investments in Israeli defense tech startup Kela, arguing in an open letter that Mubi’s financial growth is now linked to “the genocide in Gaza.” Mubi’s CEO has rejected that claim, calling it “simply untrue.”
Asked about the funding, Jarmusch admitted he was troubled by the connection. “I was disappointed and disconcerted by this relationship,” he said. Still, he emphasized that his partnership with Mubi predated the investment and that the company had been “fantastic to work with” on his latest project.
Related: Commonwealth Fusion Systems Raises $863M to Accelerate Fusion Power Development
The veteran indie filmmaker stressed that he doesn’t speak for Mubi, describing himself as an independent artist who has accepted funding from a variety of sources over his career. His blunt conclusion: “All corporate money is dirty.”
