Veteran indie filmmaker Jim Jarmusch premiered his new movie “Father Mother Sister Brother” today at the Venice Film Festival. During the event, journalists questioned him about Mubi, the streaming platform that co-produced his film. Their questions focused on Mubi’s recent one hundred million dollar funding round led by Sequoia Capital.
Jarmusch stated that he was disappointed and disconcerted by this new relationship. He was careful to note that his own partnership with Mubi began long before that investment and that the company was fantastic to work with on this particular film.
This line of questioning follows an open letter signed by numerous filmmakers, including some with ties to Mubi. The letter criticized the streamer for accepting money from Sequoia Capital. The signatories pointed to the firm’s backing of an Israeli defense tech startup called Kela, arguing that Mubi’s financial growth is now explicitly tied to the genocide in Gaza. In response, Mubi’s founder and CEO has insisted that any suggestion their work is connected to funding the war is simply untrue.
For his part, Jarmusch said at his film’s press conference that he is not a spokesman for Mubi. He identified himself as an independent filmmaker who has taken money from various sources to fund his films. He concluded by saying that all corporate money is dirty.