The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has apologised for not mentioning Palestinian filmmaker Hamdan Ballal and his Oscar-winning documentary No Other Land in its initial statement condemning attacks on artists, the US media reported on Friday.

“On Wednesday, we sent a letter in response to reports of violence against Oscar winner Hamdan Ballal, co-director of No Other Land, connected to his artistic expression. We regret that we failed to directly acknowledge Mr. Ballal and the film by name,” a letter, signed by the Academy CEO Bill Kramer and president Janet Yang, addressed to the 11,000 members read.

“We sincerely apologise to Mr. Ballal and all artists who felt unsupported by our previous statement and want to make it clear that the Academy condemns violence of this kind anywhere in the world. We abhor the suppression of free speech under any circumstances,” the letter further read, according to a report by American news portal Variety.

The statement comes after the Academy Board of Governors and top-ranking officials convened an emergency meeting Friday morning to address the growing criticism. The outcry intensified when a letter signed by 690 Academy members — including prominent figures such as Mark Ruffalo, Ava DuVernay, and Alfonso Cuarón — criticised the Academy’s initial silence.

“We stand in condemnation of the brutal assault and unlawful detention of Oscar-winning Palestinian filmmaker Hamdan Ballal by settlers and Israeli forces in the West Bank,” the open letter from the Academy members read.

“To win an Oscar is not an easy task. Most films in competition are buoyed by wide distribution and exorbitantly priced campaigns… For No Other Land to win an Oscar without these advantages speaks to how important the film is to the voting membership. The targeting of Ballal is not just an attack on one filmmaker—it is an attack on all those who dare to bear witness and tell inconvenient truths,” it further said.

The open letter garnered support from international film organisations and Academy members across multiple branches. Among the signatories were actors Olivia Colman, Joaquin Phoenix, Riz Ahmed, Penélope Cruz, Emma Thompson, Natasha Lyonne, Javier Bardem, Sandra Hüller, Richard Gere, Andrea Riseborough, and Susan Sarandon. Directors such as Boots Riley, Todd Haynes, Adam McKay, Jonathan Glazer, and Jim Jarmusch also voiced their support.

Ballal was attacked and detained earlier this week in the West Bank village of Susiya. Witnesses claim he was assaulted by Israeli settlers before being taken from an ambulance by Israeli soldiers.

Despite outcry from global film organisations such as the European Film Academy and the International Documentary Association, the Academy initially released only a broad statement condemning attacks on artists without mentioning Ballal.

No Other Land co-director Yuval Abraham criticised the omission. “The Academy had a chance to show courage and solidarity, and it chose silence,” Abraham wrote on X.

No Other Land, co-directed by an Israeli-Palestinian team including Abraham, Ballal, Basel Adra, and Rachel Szor, documents the struggle of a Palestinian community in the West Bank facing displacement by Israeli forces. The documentary won the jury prize and audience award at the 2023 Berlin Film Festival before going on to secure the Oscar for Best Documentary.

Despite critical acclaim, the film was self-released in the U.S. after distributors declined to acquire it.