The Indielisboa Film Festival, scheduled for May, announced the withdrawal of the programming of a film by director and producer Ico Costa after several complaints about his involvement in cases of domestic violence, which the filmmaker denies.
The direction of Indielisboa explains that it made this decision following the disclosure of a open letter released this Monday, April 21, signed by one of the alleged victims of the director.
After this letter, they emerged “New complaints”points out the direction of Indielisboa, which led to the withdrawal of the Movies “Balane 3”from Ico Costa, of the official competition of the festival.
Another project was also removed from the programming, not yet finished.
“The situation requires integrity and social responsibilityprinciples governing our code of conduct, ”says the statement from Indielisboa, noting that the festival responsible are“ deeply sensitive to allegations of violence ”.
“We are aware that the social and legal context of is often revitimizing in the way it treats who denounces“It also writes the direction of Indielisboa.
“Ico Costa is an aggressor in a series of women”
In the open letter, released through the profile “plus a casting” on the social network Instagram, the alleged victim refers to “verbal, physical and psychological” aggressionsand also speaks of “strategies of intimidationof emotional blackmail and victimization ”by Ico Costa.
Signed “Joana Sousa Silva”, who identifies as a illustrator and former filmmaker 28 years old, this alleged victim states that he had a relationship with Ico Costa for six months about four years ago.
“I went Betrayed, offended, called “p*ta” and “cow”assaulted on the face with Self -slapped and in the belly with a punchI had the Hair pulled until it is torn“It also reports.
In their public complaint, the woman says she has knowledge of “at least [outras] six victimsAnd note that these alleged aggressions have happened “over ten years.”
“Ico Costa is an aggressor in series of women“, Writes the same alleged victim, noting that he tried to present a criminal complaint against the director, but stressing that the police only” raised difficulties “, for” not presenting visible signs of physical aggression. “
“Culture of silence” to defend aggressors
The woman also denounces what she defines as a “Culture of silence” that says exist in Portugal, and that “it seems programmed to defend the aggressors And silence the victims, especially when they are women. ”
“One of the victims even made a participation to the police after he left with a black eye, barefoot on the street, in the middle of the night“, Reports the same woman, noting that the realization eventually” persuaded after withdrawing the complaint. “
The alleged victim also accuses those who invite Ico Costa to film festivals, noting that many have “Knowledge of [seu] history of abuse and violence ”.
“A Truth is muffled And the buried narrative, and he gets to the point of leaving these festivals with awards in his hand, ”he laments.
Director Ico Costa denies accusations
Contacted by Lusa agency, Ico Costa refutes all accusations.
“It is a false denunciationmade by a person I never knew. This person does not exist ”, reinforces the director.
“I am against any cancellation and the victims have to exist And right now there are no, ”he adds.
Asked about the removal of indielisboa films, Ico Costa says that “It’s just another festival”because “Balane 3” has already premiered in other festivals.
“Balane 3”, which made the world debut this year in the International Copenhagen Documentary Festivalit is a documentary about the lives of the inhabitants of a Neighborhood in Inhambanea city in the south of Mozambiquecountry where Ico Costa has worked regularly.
Born in Lisbon in 1983, Ico Costa is the author of films like “Alva” (2019) e “Gold and the world” (2024), still working in production through Oblaum Filmes, which founded in 2019.
