The 14th annual Richmond International Film Festival, which was held from Sept. 23 to Sept. 28 in the Virginia capital city, was a success but came at a cost, according to Heather Waters, the festival’s founder.

“As of five minutes ago, my executive assistant just resigned,” Waters told JNS. “It’s a complete disaster.”

The anti-Israel staffer turned down an offer for a new contract and a request to stay on at least for a week of important post-production work, according to Waters, who is not Jewish. “It is heartbreaking, but essentially, this has been going on since the Oct. 7 attack,” she said.

Despite calls for anti-Israel boycotts of the festival, the six-day event drew a record-setting audience, Waters told JNS. The festival became a center of controversy, largely due to the Israeli

See Full Page