LONDON: London Film Festival (LFF) organisers said on Saturday they had scrapped a screening of a documentary about far-right activities and funding in Britain and beyond over “safety and well-being risks”.

The documentary — “Undercover: Exposing The Far Right” — probes far-right figures across the UK and Europe as well as funding from the United States, using an undercover reporter and hidden cameras.

It had been due to screen at the festival in the British capital over the weekend, ahead of airing on UK television on Monday night. Its release comes just months after parts of Britain saw a week of anti-immigration riots that officials have blamed far-right agitators for instigating and fuelling.

“After exploring all the viable options to screen this film at a public film festival we took the heartbreaking decision to not present ‘UNDERCOVER: Exposing the Far Right’ at the LFF,” festival director Kristy Matheson said. She called the film “exceptional and easily one of the best documentaries I have seen this year” as well as “incredibly important”. “However, festival workers have the right to feel safe and that their mental health and well being is respected in their workplace.

Published in Dawn, October 20th, 2024