by Elena Lazic
– The newly formed Cinema For Gaza group has organised the online auction, opening at 9am GMT on 2 April
l-r: Peter Capaldi (© Super Festivals), Tilda Swinton (© Dario Caruso) and Brian Cox (© Dmitry Rozhkov)
A group of film journalists and filmmakers in the UK have set up Cinema For Gaza, an online auction featuring dozens of lots donated by established names from the film and TV industry in the UK and beyond. The entirety of the funds raised will go to the charity Medical Aid for Palestinians (MAP), who are working to provide aid on the ground in Gaza. The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC), which tracks food insecurity worldwide, recently reported that half of the population of the Gaza Strip — over a million people — was at imminent risk of famine, with food supplies approaching catastrophic levels.
Auction lots include a signed Doctor Who shooting script with cover artwork by star Peter Capaldi; house seats at the London theatre production of Long Day’s Journey Into Night, with a meet & greet with actor Brian Cox and a signed programme; a walk-on part in director Gurinder Chadha‘s next film; a signed poster of Sean Durkin’s The Iron Claw with doodles by actor Harris Dickinson; and Zoom conversations with actors including Josh O’Connor, Joseph Quinn, and Paapa Essiedu, among other lots.
In a shared statement, Cinema For Gaza organisers Hanna Flint, Julia Jackman, Leila Latif, Sophie Monks Kaufman and Helen Simmons have said: “We believe that art and politics are inextricably linked and are called to act in word and deed to help those subjected to unspeakable horrors across the occupied Palestinian territory. Cinema For Gaza is a passionate, inclusive fundraising space powered by the generosity of people from all corners of the film industry who will not stand idly by while Palestinians are dehumanised and attacked with impunity.”
The auction will be live from 9am GMT on 2 April, until midnight on 12 April. Cinema for Gaza is open to receiving new donations up until 8 April.
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