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Express Tribune

Lahore's Puffball quits MUBI

Pakistani animation studio Puffball has announced the removal of its films from global streaming platform MUBI, citing what it called a deeply unethical financial affiliation. In a joint statement issued on Instagram on Thursday in collaboration with Indian studio Spitting Image and the peace-building initiative Project Dastaan, Puffball condemned MUBI for accepting USD100 million in funding from Sequoia Capital, a Silicon Valley venture capital firm known to have recently invested in Israeli defence tech companies. "We are deeply disturbed by MUBI's decision to accept investment from Sequoia Capital, a firm that finances Israeli defence technology companies, especially after 20 months of live-streamed genocide by Israel against the Palestinian people," read the post. "As artists and storytellers, we cannot in good faith continue to host our work on a platform whose financial affiliations abhorrently contradict the ethical frameworks we stand for." The statement confirmed that Puffball has formally requested the removal of its animated works Rest in Paper, Seabirds, and Sultana's Dream from the MUBI platform. The three films comprise the anthology Lost Migrations, an ambitious cross-border animation series made in collaboration with Spitting Image and Project Dastaan that tells overlooked stories of Partition survivors through experimental short films. Founded in 2019 by filmmaker Arafat Mazhar, Puffball Studio first rose to critical acclaim with Shehr-e-Tabassum, a haunting dystopian short inspired by Pakistan's censorship regime and blasphemy laws. Their follow-up, Swipe, offered a direct reckoning with mob violence and religious extremism in Pakistan, further establishing the collective's voice as fiercely political and deeply rooted in local realities. Project Dastaan, co-founded by Saadia Gardezi and Sparsh Ahuja, aims to reconnect displaced Partition survivors with their pre-1947 homes using immersive media, particularly virtual reality. Spitting Image, the Bangalore-based animation house that co-animated Lost Migrations, is known for its socially engaged storytelling and visual experimentation. Together, the three groups brought to life a quietly radical animation project across borders. Sultana's Dream, animated by Puffball and based on the feminist utopia imagined by Rokeya Sakhawat Hossain in 1905, juxtaposes dreams of liberation with the violence of Partition. Seabirds, created by Spitting Image, examines a seafaring community displaced from Burma and then again by Partition, illuminating the layers of identity loss. Rest in Paper, a tribute to Saadat Hasan Manto's Toba Tek Singh, reflects on the absurdity of borders and the wounds they continue to inflict. Under scrutiny Puffball's decision resonates with other cultural boycotts being organised under the banner of the BDS (Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions) movement, which has gained traction among artists, writers, and academics calling for material and symbolic pressure on institutions linked to Israeli state violence. Founded in 2007 as The Auteurs in Turkey, MUBI has carved out a global niche as a curated streaming platform for independent and arthouse films. Over the years, it has distinguished itself from mainstream giants through a rotating selection of auteur-driven cinema, often spotlighting underrepresented voices. In recent years, the platform has expanded beyond streaming into theatrical distribution and production. Buoyed by the success of The Substance, a body-horror drama that became a breakout hit in 2024, MUBI has cemented its place as a serious player on the international festival and awards circuit. At Cannes this May, the company made headlines with its aggressive acquisitions, including the Jennifer Lawrence-led Die My Love for a reported USD24 million. However, it finds itself in hot water since disclosing a significant investment deal with Sequoia last month. In addition to MUBI, the firm's May 2025 funding round also included a USD10 million investment in Kela, a surveillance tech company founded by four Israeli intelligence veterans. A subsequent round raised the company's total backing to $100 million, with Sequoia playing a central role. Critics point out that this link aligns MUBI, even if indirectly, with Israeli state interests amid an ongoing and widely condemned assault on Gaza. Growing backlash MUBI responded to the growing calls for boycott with an Instagram statement posted on June 14, clarifying that Sequoia is one of several firms it has partnered with since its founding. "The beliefs of individual investors do not reflect the views of MUBI," the statement read. "We take the feedback from our community very seriously, and are steadfast in remaining an independent founder-led company." Social media backlash surged after an X user posted, "Time to add MUBI to the BDS list. They are now funded to the tune of USD100 million by Zionist venture capitalists Sequoia Capital, who are actively engaged in military support of the genocide." The call was echoed by activist groups like Film Workers for Palestine, which demanded MUBI return the funds and sever ties in a statement shared on social media handles. "Sequoia Capital is also a major investor in Airbnb, which profits off of stolen Palestinian land by renting homes in illegal Israeli settlements in the West Bank," the statement said. While MUBI continues to host Palestinian films and work by Palestinian filmmakers, critics argue that such gestures are rendered hollow if the company continues to accept funding tied to military operations against the very communities it claims to platform. "I'm dying to know how much money MUBI has lost in cancelled subscriptions amid the Sequoia Capital investment drama. I hope a devastating amount," wrote one critic on X, while another asked netizens to "cancel MUBI subscriptions for taking investment from Sequoia, who invest in Israeli military arms manufacture." According to one X user, there are viable alternatives to MUBI. "Buy a box set and cancel your subscription. There are many ways of watching the show these days without giving money to Sequoia Capital," the post advised.