Sean Penn blamed the Oscars for “limiting different cultural expressions” and voiced his support for Ali Abbasi’s Donald Trump movie “The Apprentice” while at Marrakech Film Festival, where he received a career tribute.
“The Academy have exercised really extraordinary cowardice when it comes to being part of the bigger world of expression, and in fact, have largely been part of limiting the imagination and very limiting of different cultural expressions,” Penn said at a press conference during which he was casually smoking.
Ceremonies like the Oscars should best be seen as “television shows first” and less as barometers of artistic merit, he continued.
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“So I don’t I get very excited about what we’ll call the Academy Awards [except for] when a film like ‘The Florida Project,’ or ‘I’m Still Here,’ or, you know, ‘Emilia Perez,’ of the things that are likely to happen this year,” he added. He also weighed in on the controversy over Ali Abbasi’s “The Apprentice,” saying “when something sneaks through, it’s to be celebrated.”
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“It’s jaw-dropping how afraid this [so-called] business of mavericks is of a great film like that. One with great, great acting. [It’s amazing] that they too can be as afraid as a piddly little Republican congressman,” he said.
When reached by Variety, the Academy did not comment on Penn’s remarks.
Penn recently produced the historical thriller “September 5,” and he heaped praise on the film’s director, Tim Fehlbaum.
“[Fehlbaum] did such a great job,” said Penn. “The perspective was not one that I’ve seen, or that we’ve seen,” adding: “We’ve seen these patches all the time with different slogans. My favorite one is ‘Suck Less.’ I like to work with people who suck less.”
At a Sunday evening gala, Penn collected a lifetime achievement award from Italian actor Valeria Golino — with whom Penn has been close friends ever since she appeared in his 1991 directorial debut “The Indian Runner” — before speaking with equal passion about his views on free expression and political correctness.
“Around the world [there is] this demand for diversity — but not diversity of behavior and not diversity of opinion or language,” said Penn. “I would just encourage everybody to be as politically incorrect as their heart desires and to engage diversity and to keep telling those stories, and I’m very proud and happy to be here. Thank you.”
Penn is one of the many high profile talent and filmmakers attending this year’s Marrakech Film Festival. As many as 15 conversations are being hosted throughout the festival with the likes of Tim Burton and Justin Kurzel, as well as David Cronenberg and Ava DuVernay, among others.
Headed by Melita Toscan du Plantier and curated by Remi Bonhomme, the Marrakech Film Festival also hosted a press conference with its jury presided over by Luca Guadagnino, comprising Abbasi, Jacob Elordi, Andrew Garfield, Patricia Arquette, Indian director Zoya Akhtar, Belgian actor Virginie Efira, Moroccan actor Nadia Kounda and Argentine director Santiago Mitre.
