Filmmaker Eddie Huang said Thursday that his latest project, the documentary Vice Is Broke, has been “shelved” by its distributor Mubi because he publicly backed criticism of the company’s ties to the private equity firm Sequoia Capital.
In a post shared today on Instagram, Huang said he received a call from the distributor/streamer and was told the company had “ceased all promotion” and “shelved the film.” Huang said he was told he and the film’s producers “can buy it back from us if you want. Otherwise, no one’s gonna see the film.”
Huang said the decision was made to make an “example” of him after he publicly supported an open letter published Wednesday by a group of Mubi-affiliated filmmakers calling on the company to reconsider its investment from Sequoia, which has close ties to an Israeli defense-tech start-up. In today’s post, Huang said that prior to the call from Mubi, he had already told the distributor he would not participate in the promotion of the film in protest of the company’s deal with Sequoia.
“I know I did the right thing. I’m not gonna be gaslit into thinking I didn’t. Sometimes in life, you just gotta say no,” Huang added, before asking his followers, and any political organizers, for support. You can watch the full video below.
Mubi denied Huang’s claims in a short statement sent to Deadline, and reinforced its commitment to bringing the title to audiences.
“Mubi has not shelved Vice Is Broke. We are in constructive discussions with the filmmaker and producers about the film’s release on Mubi, and will share further updates as those conversations progress,” the company said.
Mubi, a longtime favorite of auteurs and young cinephiles, has received substantial public criticism since it was announced in May that Sequoia had invested $100 million in the company. The Silicon Valley-based private equity firm has investments in a wide range of companies, from Apple to ByteDance, and has close ties to defense-tech startup Kela, founded in 2024 by a group of Israeli intelligence veterans in response to the Hamas attacks of October 7, 2023. Reports have said Kela is currently developing a battlefield operating system that will enable military units to integrate AI and commercial tech.
When controversy over the Sequoia Capital investment first broke in June, Mubi said in a statement posted on Instagram that it had entered into the partnership “to accelerate” its “mission of delivering bold and visionary films to global audiences.”
It added that Sequoia’s investments did “not reflect the views of Mubi.”
“We take the feedback from our community very seriously, and are steadfast in remaining an independent founder-led company,” the company said at the time.
Mubi picked up Vice Is Broke in February in a multi-territory deal that included North America, Latin America, the UK, Ireland, Germany, Austria, France, Italy, Benelux, Turkey and India. The film examines the rise and fall of Vice Media, which filed for bankruptcy in June 2023.
