UPDATE: The Grierson Trust has confirmed news broken by Deadline earlier today that it has withdrawn Asif Kapadia‘s patronage following a backlash over the director sharing what it calls “antisemitic” social media posts. In a statement, the organization said:
“Since the Grierson Trust announced that Asif Kapadia had been appointed as one of our patrons, some social media posts shared by him have been drawn to our attention which are antisemitic. As a result, at an 8am board meeting this morning, we took the decision to rescind his role as patron of the Trust.
When we made the decision to appoint Mr Kapadia, the board was not aware of these posts, some of which appear to be no longer available, and we are sorry that our due diligence was not thorough enough. The Grierson Trust is deeply committed to promoting both freedom of speech and diversity and inclusion in the documentary industry.
“Whilst we accept and support that everyone has a legitimate right to express their views on controversial issues, this cannot justify racist statements or behaviour. As we have stressed in the past and will continue to uphold, the Trust has a zero tolerance approach to racism of all kinds.”
Deadline has contacted Kapadia for comment. He deactivated his Twitter (now X) account on Friday.
PREVIOUS EXCLUSIVE: The Grierson Trust is ready to withdraw Asif Kapadia’s patronage just two days after awarding the honor following a backlash over the Senna director’s social media posts about the Israel-Gaza conflict.
Deadline understands that trustees of the prestigious documentary charity met on Friday morning and decided that Kapadia will no longer represent the organization.
Grierson is not confirming the decision but is expected to make an announcement imminently. Kapadia has been contacted for comment. He deactivated his Twitter (now X) account on Friday.
Grierson had only announced Kapadia, who helmed Oscar-winner Amy and Amazon Prime Video’s Federer: Twelve Final Days, as a patron on Wednesday. Louis Theroux and Dorothy Byrne, the former Channel 4 news boss, were also named as patrons.
Kapadia’s appointment sparked anger among members of the Jewish community, who have accused him of sharing antisemitic material on X.
Leo Pearlman, managing partner at Fulwell 73, shared screenshots of posts shared by Kapadia. They included a cartoon of Benjamin Netanyahu dining at a blood-stained table in the rubble of Gaza, with the caption “kosher” at the top of the image.
Other posts included the image of a scene from Schindler’s List in which Ralph Fiennes’ Amon Göth shoots concentration camp prisoners from a balcony. The image was captioned: “Do you remember this scene from Schindler’s List? The same thing is happening in real time. They are Nazis.”
One source told Deadline that they were shocked at Grierson’s lack of due diligence on Kapadia’s social media activity. This person said the documentary body should have known that his appointment would have resulted in criticism.
It is the latest flash point between Grierson and the Jewish community. The organization banned an individual from its events after they approached three Jewish people at last year’s awards to confront them about the Israel-Gaza conflict.
After an investigation into the incident, Grierson said: “The Grierson Trust is committed to promoting diversity and inclusion in the documentary industry, and to providing a safe space for everyone at our events and programmes. We have a zero tolerance approach to racism of all kinds.”
In a LinkedIn post, Pearlman said: “If you purport in any way to uphold the admirable principals outlined in your statement from last year; abhorrence of racism, need for inclusivity & desire for our industry to be a safe space, then maybe you shouldn’t reward one of the most outspoken antisemites in our industry.”
Neil Grant, executive producer of 9/11: Inside the President’s War Room, told the Jewish News that Kapadia’s appointment had caused “enormous offense.”
The Grierson Trust’s other patrons include Sir David Attenborough, Nick Broomfield, Kim Longinotto, Charlotte Moore, Norma Percy, and Sir Grayson Perry. They are tasked with “lending their knowledge, influence and contacts to help bolster the charity’s work in fostering a strong, vibrant and diverse community of documentary filmmakers.”
Commenting on Kapadia’s appointment earlier this week, Grierson chair Lorraine Heggessey said: “Asif has elevated the feature documentary genre, drawing millions of people in to watch films on the big screen around the world.”
