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Woody Allen Denies Supporting Russia’s War After Attending Kremlin-Backed Film Festival
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![Photo of Dariia Mykhailenko]( "Photo of Dariia Mykhailenko")
Woody Allen has rejected accusations that his appearance at a Moscow film festival served as a tool to “whitewash” Russian war crimes, following sharp criticism from Ukraine’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
In a statement to The Guardian on August 25, the American filmmaker stressed that he condemns Russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine.
“When it comes to the conflict in Ukraine, I believe strongly that Vladimir Putin is totally in the wrong. The war he has caused is appalling,” Allen said. At the same time, he argued that cultural dialogue should not be suspended, adding: “Whatever politicians have done, I don’t feel cutting off artistic conversations is ever a good way to help.”
The American filmmaker joined the “Legends of World Cinema” session on August 24 during Moscow International Film Week, speaking via video link. The discussion, hosted at the MosKino venue, was moderated by by pro-Kremlin Russian director Fyodor Bondarchuk.
In his remarks, Allen reflected on global cinema, his directing principles, and the growing role of artificial intelligence in filmmaking. He also praised Russian film: “I have always liked Russian cinema. I had the pleasure of meeting Sergei Bondarchuk a few years ago in New York. I watched the Russian film War and Peace, which runs almost seven hours. I watched it in one day.”
Ukraine’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, however, strongly condemned Allen’s participation. In a statement, the ministry said: “Woody Allen’s participation in the Moscow International Film Week is a disgrace and an insult to the sacrifice of Ukrainian actors and filmmakers who have been killed or injured by Russian war criminals in their ongoing war against Ukraine.”
The ministry stressed that Allen’s presence at a festival featuring allies of Russian leader Vladimir Putin amounted to ignoring the daily atrocities Russia has committed in Ukraine for more than a decade. It added that culture must never serve as a cover for crimes or be turned into an instrument of propaganda, accusing Allen of lending credibility to Moscow’s “bloody festival.”
Earlier, over 50 Ukrainian writers and artists, joined by a cross-party group of UK lawmakers and a former prime minister of New Zealand, urged the Royal Ballet and Opera to drop Russian soprano Anna Netrebko from its upcoming London season.
