Aleeza Chanowitz. Photo: Screenshot

The Stockholm International Film Festival in Sweden has denied allegations that it disinvited an American-Israeli filmmaker and actress from attending an in-person event taking place this month, saying there had been a “misunderstanding.”

Aleeza Chanowitz was invited to attend the event for a special presentation of her television show Chanshi on Thursday at the film festival, which runs from Nov. 8-19.

In the show, Chanowitz stars as a young Jewish Orthodox woman from Brooklyn, named Chanshi, who runs away from her engagement and moves to Israel to find freedom, fun, and live out her sexual fantasy of being with an Israeli soldier. Jewish actor Henry Winkler plays her father. The show screened at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival in January.

Chanowitz and the show’s Israeli broadcaster Hot said in statements over the weekend that her invitation to the Stockholm International Film Festival was allegedly withdrawn following the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war that began on Oct. 7, when Hamas terrorists rampaged across southern Israel murdering over 1,200 people and taking more than 200 as hostages. Chanowitz said that in a series of emails, the film festival’s hospitality department listed reasons as to why it was better if she did not come in person, including travel concerns, while the screening of Chanshi would proceed as scheduled.

Organizers of the Stockholm Film Festival explained in a statement on Monday that the confusion about Chanowitz’s attendance had nothing to do with “political viewpoints” surrounding the war in Gaza, the Palestinian enclave controlled by Hamas.

“This is not correct at all,” organizers said. “From the bottom of our hearts, we at the Stockholm International Film Festival are deeply sorry and take responsibility for the misunderstanding that was communicated to Aleeza Chanowitz and the team behind Chanshi.”

“After the October 7th attacks we offered to arrange a digital Q&A instead,” they added. “The Stockholm International Film Festival always stands behind its films and filmmakers and would never refuse a participating director’s visit, nor cancel the screening of their work for political reasons. We are incredibly sorry about this bad communication that has caused pain for the team, for Israel, and for the wider Jewish community. The screening of Chanshi will go on as planned on November 16th.”

Chanowitz told Deadline that she had received a new email from the film festival on Monday in which organizers apologized and reiterated the misunderstanding. They said they would “love” for her to come to the festival in person and offered to cover her accommodation expenses, if she paid for her flight. She told Deadline, “The festival’s excuse as to why they don’t want me to attend has changed three times, which makes me feel that they aren’t being honest with me. I don’t think I’ll be going because I don’t feel very welcome anymore.”