Global film festival leaders issued a collective demand for “artistic immunity” during the Lumière Summit on September 7, 2026, pushing back against increasing geopolitical pressure to boycott filmmakers based on their nationality. Meeting at the Fondation Maeght in Saint-Paul-de-Vence, approximately 150 industry heads and policymakers sought to establish a formal protection mechanism to ensure cinema remains independent of international conflict.
The summit, which was co-chaired by French President Emmanuel Macron and South Korean President Lee Jae-myung, served as the first international high-level policy event specifically dedicated to the future of cinema. According to a press release from the Élysée, the gathering aimed to create a new multilateral framework for the moving image sector, culminating in the official signing of the “Lumière Declaration.”
The Push for Artistic Autonomy
Central to the discussions was the growing trend of political demands placed on festival programming in response to global conflicts. Laurence Herszberg, general director of Séries Mania, articulated a unified stance among festival organizers. “We don’t judge artists by their passport, we judge them by their works,” Herszberg stated, addressing the pressure to exclude creators based on the actions of their home countries.
Herszberg also highlighted the practical challenges of enforcing political restrictions at major events. She noted that Séries Mania, which offers 1,500 seats to the public for free, cannot feasibly “police” its attendance or programming based on shifting political climates.
Cameron Bailey, CEO of the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), echoed these sentiments, arguing that filmmakers should not be equated with the actions of their national governments. The leadership consensus at the summit suggested that holding individual artists responsible for state-level decisions undermines the cultural exchange that festivals are designed to foster.
The Lumière Declaration and Global Alliances
The “Lumière Declaration” outlines a set of principles designed to safeguard artistic diversity and ensure the resilience of the film industry against external political and economic interference. This framework is supported by the newly formed “Lumière Alliance,” which represents the first global network specifically for public film institutions.
In addition to policy frameworks, the summit marked the launch of the International Resilience Initiative for Independent Screens (IRIS). This initiative is designed to support independent cinemas and preserve artistic diversity on a global scale. IRIS has already gained the backing of more than 40 high-profile filmmakers, including Sofia Coppola and Juliette Binoche.
These initiatives represent a shift toward a more formalized, international defense of cinema. By creating the Lumière Alliance and signing the Declaration, festival leaders are attempting to move beyond individual responses to controversy and toward a unified, institutionalized policy that prioritizes creative work over national origin.
