Launched on April 2, the Cinema for Gaza virtual auction aims to raise funds for Palestine by supporting the Medical Aid for Palestinians (MAP). More than 200 items and experiences were provided by celebrities in the entertainment industry, including some of our favourite LGBTQ+ icons. So far, more than £145 000 (€169,515,30) for Palestine has been raised in the auction, which is running until Friday, April 12.
British film journalists and filmmakers Hanna Flint, Julia Jackman, Leila Latif, Sophie Monks Kaufman, and Helen Simmons have launched the auction in response to the emergency in Palestine, where the military offensive launched by Israel is still ongoing. Entertainment industry figures like Paul Mescal and Oscar-winning actor Olivia Colman are auctioning unique items as well as unmatched experiences with them. Currently, a cup of tea on Zoom with Stranger Things star Joseph Quinn is the highest bid for £9,500 (€11,106,18).
Among the wonderful contributors, cherished LGBTQ+ celebrities answered the call of Cinema for Gaza. By participating in the auction, you get the chance to win a signed Heartstopper rugby ball by Kit Connor or a Zoom call with star Ayo Edebiri and a personalised map of her favourite restaurants.
Other once-in-a-lifetime experiences include a bedtime reading by Tilda Swinton or a tea-spilling session with Bottoms director Emma Seligman. And if you are a theatre kid, you can win a date with Jeremy O. Harris at his London premiere of Slave Play this summer.
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Bidding gives you the opportunity to get any of these items or experiences with some of your favourite celebrities while providing vital support to Palestinians amid the ongoing attack carried out by Israel. Along with the auction, Cinema for Gaza has opened a fund for donations, for which you can give any amount you feel comfortable with to aid this vital cause.
The organisers of the Cinema for Gaza auction shared that they developed the idea over dinner back in February, which led them to put everything together in a WhatsApp group, at first without any backing or budget. Through their contacts, they managed to reach out to a few celebrities to get some donations. With the campaign gaining momentum, more and more people have been giving items spontaneously to Cinema for Gaza.
Talking about the goals of the auction, the organisers stated: “We believe that art and politics are inextricably linked and are called to act in word and deed to help those subjected to unspeakable horrors across the occupied Palestinian territory.”
They followed their statement by emphasising the unacceptable humanitarian situation in Gaza: “Cinema For Gaza is a passionate, inclusive fund-raising space powered by the generosity of people from all corners of the film industry who will not stand idly by while Palestinians are dehumanised and attacked with impunity.”
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All funds go to Medical Aid for Palestinians, a London-based organisation currently responding to the emergency in Gaza by providing medical assistance to people harmed in the conflict. It was founded in 1982 by Dr Swee Chai Ang, a British orthopaedic surgeon. She launched the MAP as she witnessed the Israeli forces invade Lebanon that year, including the refugee camps for Palestinians of Sabra and Shatila, in which she worked.
Since then, the organisation has been partnering with local communities to work for the health and dignity of Palestinians living under occupation and refugees, as well as providing emergency medical aid.
Many actions have been taken by activists, including LGBTQ+ organisations, all around the world since last year, when Israel launched a military offensive in Gaza following the Hamas attack of October 7, 2023. In the last six months, more than 33,000 Palestinians have been killed and more than 75,000 have been injured.
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