Chef and filmmaker Eddie Huang posted a video on Instagram Thursday claiming that Mubi has “shelved” his documentary, “Vice Is Broke,” after he protested the company’s ties to Sequoia Capital, which has connections to the Israeli defense industry. In response, a Mubi spokesman says that the film is not shelved and that updates will come as they discuss plans with the filmmaker and producers.
In his post, Huang says that he received a call from Mubi president Jason Ropell, informing him that “they’ve ceased all promotion, they’ve shelved the film, and you and the producers can buy it back from us if you want, but otherwise, nobody’s gonna see the film.” Huang posits that the move was an effort to make “an example” of him after he protested Mubi’s investment from Sequoia and decided to sit out the company’s promotion of his film.
Sequoia is a Silicon Valley-based investment firm that invested $100 million in Mubi earlier this year. Several filmmakers have criticized and protested Mubi for accepting the investment because of Sequoia’s ties to Israeli defense technology start-up Kela. “A lot of artists have spoken out. A lot of the directors have written a petition towards Mubi, but I believe I’m the first one to sit out the promotion of his film at Mubi,” Huang says.
Despite Huang’s claims, Mubi has responded with an official statement, saying, “Mubi has not shelved ‘Vice Is Broke.’ We are in constructive discussions with the filmmaker and producers about the film’s release on Mubi, and will share further updates as those conversations progress.” Initially, Mubi had picked up the film for distribution across North America as well as territories in Latin America and Europe.
Variety reported Wednesday that several prominent filmmakers have signed a letter urging Mubi to cut ties with Sequoia. Huang posted the story, commenting, “I agree. I did not make ‘Vice Is Broke’ to help fund genocide.”
“Vice Is Broke,” from “Get Out” producer QC Entertainment, premiered at the Toronto Film Festival in 2024 and was set to be released on Mubi on Aug. 29.
Nevertheless, Huang has already started brainstorming alternative paths to distribute the film, mentioning in his Instagram post the possibility of “crowdfunding” to “buy the film back and release the film for free” and receiving help from organizations such as Artists Against Apartheid.
Huang observes that it is ironic that “Vice Is Broke” is about how corporate agendas superseding creative voices led to the demise of Vice Media in 2023. “It is literally about what is happening. Private equity also swallowed up Vice where I used to work with a lot of great people doing a lot of great work, and we made this documentary as a cautionary tale, so that people knew not to go down that hill again,” Huang says in his post, adding, “It just doesn’t make sense to me why a company would buy a film with a message like this and then do the opposite.”
Huang is an actor, writer and filmmaker best known for hosting “Huang’s World” on Viceland, writing and directing the 2021 feature “Boogie,” and producing the ABC sitcom “Fresh Off The Boat,” which was adapted from his memoir of the same name. “Vice Is Broke” marks Huang’s first film with Mubi.
See Huang’s Instagram post here:
variety.com
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