Louisa Harland, Liam Cunningham and Jack Reynor among over 1,800 signatories on Film Workers for Palestine pledge

Over 1,800 actors, directors and film workers have signed a pledge refusing to work with Israeli film institutions "implicated in genocide and apartheid against the Palestinian people."

The Film Workers For Palestine pledge was signed by Irish actors Liam Cunningham (Game of Thrones), Louisa Harland (Derry Girls), Jack Reynor (Midsommar), Aisling Bea (This Way Up), Bronagh Gallagher (Pulp Fiction) and Ross O'Donnellan (Belfast). Other signatories include Olivia Colman (The Favourite), Ayo Edebiri (The Bear), Mark Ruffalo (13 Going on 30), Aimee Lou Wood (The White Lotus) and Tilda Swinton (The Chronicles of Narnia).

"As filmmakers, actors, film industry workers, and institutions, we recognize the power of cinema to shape perceptions," reads a statement by the group.

"In this urgent moment of crisis, where many of our governments are enabling the carnage in Gaza, we must do everything we can to address complicity in that unrelenting horror."

The statement called on the International Court of Justice's ruling that there is a "plausible" risk of genocide in Gaza and that Israel's occupation of Gaza and treatment of Palestinians violate international law.

Various international organisations from the United Nations and Amnesty International to the International Association of Genocide Scholars and even two Israeli rights groups have publicly concluded that Israel's attacks in Gaza are a genocide.

"Standing for equality, justice, and freedom for all people is a profound moral duty that none of us can ignore," the statement reads.

"So too, we must speak out now against the harm done to the Palestinian people. We answer the call of Palestinian filmmakers, who have urged the international film industry to refuse silence, racism, and dehumanization, as well as to 'do everything humanly possible' to end complicity in their oppression."

They added that the pledge was inspired by Filmmakers United Against Apartheid, founded in 1987 by Martin Scorsese, Jonathan Demme and 100 other film workers. Filmmakers United Against Apartheid was created to demand that the American film industry cease distribution of films in apartheid South Africa.

"We pledge not to screen films, appear at or otherwise work with Israeli film institutions—including festivals, cinemas, broadcasters and production companies—that are implicated in genocide and apartheid against the Palestinian people," the statement concludes.

Speaking about the pledge, UK filmmaker Mike Lerner said it is "an essential non-violent tool to undermine the deadly impunity that Israel and its allies currently enjoy."

"It is the responsibility of every independently minded artist to use whatever powers of expression they possess to support the global resistance to overcome this horror," Lerner said.

Other Irish signatories include Atonement cinematographer Seamus McGarvey, Lady Macbeth producer Fodhla Cronin O'Reilly and Blue Road: The Edna O'Brien Story director Sinead O'Shea.

Film workers were invited to add their names to the list in posts about the pledge. At the time of writing, the Film Workers for Palestine website lists over 1,800 signatories.

See the full statement and list of signatories at filmworkersforpalestine.org.