Overview

• In comments to CNN, the 89-year-old filmmaker said Vladimir Putin is completely in the wrong and called the war in Ukraine horrible, arguing that cutting off artistic dialogue is not helpful.
• Allen had joined the Moscow Film Festival by video over the weekend to deliver a talk in the "Legends of World Cinema" series.
• Ukraine's Foreign Ministry condemned his participation as a shame and an insult to Ukrainian actors and film workers harmed or killed by Russian war crimes.
• The event was moderated by Kremlin-aligned director Fedor Bondarchuk, who has been targeted by Western sanctions for supporting Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
• Reports noted the festival is supported by the Moscow city administration and state-affiliated Russian media companies.