Mubi founder and CEO Efe Cakarel has penned an emotional letter addressed to the filmmaking community in response to the backlash surrounding the company’s new investor, Sequoia Capital, and its ties to the Israeli military.

Mubi, an arthouse distributor and producer with a mission to champion independent voices in cinema, has been under fire since securing a $100 million investment from Sequoia in May. It turns out the portfolio of the Silicon Valley-based venture capital company includes defense-tech startup Kela — which was founded by four veterans of Israeli intelligence units in response to the attacks of Oct. 7 — alongside big players such as Apple, Zoom and Airbnb.

Sixty-three directors, including Nadav Lapid, Ari Folman and Aki Kaurismäki, signed a letter earlier this month criticizing Mubi for its relationship with Sequoia, claiming Mubi’s financial growth is “tied to the genocide in Gaza” and highlighting the controversial profile of Sequoia partner Shaun Maguire, who has been accused of Islamophobic social media posts.