Geneva queer festival cancels Israel Oscar entry screenings after boycott threats

Geneva's Everybody's Perfect festival has cancelled two planned screenings of Tell Me Everything, the Moshe Rosenthal drama chosen as Israel's submission for the Oscar for best international feature, after boycott threats, according to Variety.

Everybody's Perfect is a queer cinema festival based in Geneva, Switzerland. That means its programme focuses on films with LGBTQ+ stories and makers.

The festival said it dropped the film after pressure that followed an email from Palestine, Filmer C'est Exister, another Geneva-based festival, according to Variety. Other groups named as part of the pressure were the Student Coordination for Palestine at the University of Geneva, BDS Geneva, CRAQ and Marad. Both Everybody's Perfect and Palestine, Filmer C'est Exister receive part of their funding from the city of Geneva.

After the threats, Everybody's Perfect asked Rosenthal to state his position towards the Israeli government and the war in Palestine. Rosenthal and producer Green Productions replied that they do not represent the Israeli government and do not finance or produce films that support its current policies.

Artistic director Sylvie Cachin said the decision was not about the film itself. She said the festival wanted to avoid controversy just days before opening.

The timing is tight. The 2026 event is the festival's 13th edition of queer cinema, listed as running in Geneva on 9-18 October 2026. Its programme had listed Tell Me Everything for Tuesday 13 October at 20:30 and Saturday 17 October at 13:45, according to the festival's programme page. The festival's English event page for the film now states that there are no tickets available for the event.

What makes this stand out is the film's awards path. Tell Me Everything premiered at Sundance and set a record for the most nominations at Israel's film academy awards, according to Variety. It is Israel's official submission to the best international feature race at the 2027 Oscars, the Academy Award for films made outside the United States, according to Deadline. The film has also sold to international territories.

The story itself is small and personal. Set in Israel, starting in 1987, it centres on Boaz, a 12-year-old boy played by Yair Mazor, according to the Sundance Institute.