Coralie Fargeat pulls “The Substance” from Camerimage festival over fest director's 'highly misogynistic' op-ed

Cinematographer Benjamin Kračun will also be forgoing the festival.

Coralie Fargeat, the writer and director of The Substance, has withdrawn the satirical body-horror film from the Camerimage film festival in response to fest head Marek Żydowicz's controversial remarks about female cinematographers.

In a statement posted to social media Friday, the French filmmaker wrote, "After discovering the highly misogynistic and offensive words of the director of the Camerimage Film Festival, I have decided to pull The Substance from the festival."

Fargeat also noted that The Substance cinematographer Benjamin Kračun had "decided not to attend" the gathering.

Related: The Substance stars, director explain the film’s beautifully gruesome ending

"The Substance is about the impact of exactly these types of behaviors on our world," Fargeat continued. "We shouldn't tolerate them anymore. We send our support to all involved in the festival and hope this decision will help create a much needed change."

A representative for Camerimage didn't immediately respond to Entertainment Weekly's request for comment.

Released in the U.S. in September, The Substance is a highly stylized thriller that explores how society treats aging women. Demi Moore stars as a fading Hollywood celebrity named Elisabeth Sparkle, and Margaret Qualley plays a younger version of her created via an experimental serum.

Camerimage, meanwhile, was founded in Toruń, Poland, in 1993 and celebrates cinematography. Żydowicz, the festival's director and CEO, recently sparked controversy with a column published in the November issue of Cinematography World magazine claiming that including more female cinematographers and directors in the festival could result in "mediocre film productions" taking precedence over "works and artists with outstanding artistic achievements."

"Should we reject what is esteemed and valuable just to 'make space' for the necessity of social change?" Żydowicz wrote. "Whilst festivals like Cannes, Berlin, or Venice are criticized for their selections due to succumbing to or promoting [political or ideological trends], Camerimage remains committed to artistic values as the foremost criterion for qualifying and promoting film art."

Several cinematography groups, including Women in Cinematography, the British Society of Cinematographers, the American Society of Cinematographers, and the International Cinematographers Guild, decried Żydowicz's op-ed and called for change at the festival.

In a written response to the BSC, Żydowicz said that his comments were "misinterpreted," and that "I respect women's rights and stand with them in their fight for their due recognition and rightful place in the film industry."

Cinematography World also issued a statement acknowledging that Żydowicz's column had "caused some distressing reactions" and adding, "This uncensored article is the voice and opinion of an individual, informing the industry about where that organisation stands."

Related: Saoirse Ronan is a mother on a mission in the first trailer for Steve McQueen's Blitz

Earlier this week, director Steve McQueen decided to not attend the opening night screening of his film Blitz at Camerimage — at which he was set to receive a directing award — as a result of Żydowicz's column.

"Although he has issued an apology, I cannot get past what I consider deeply offensive words," McQueen said in a statement provided to EW. "I have enormous respect for cinematographers of all genders including women, and believe we have to do and demand better to make room for everyone at the table."

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The 32nd Camerimage festival begins Saturday and will feature the world premiere of Rust, the Western starring Alec Baldwin that resulted in the fatal on-set shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins.