Has the Tokyo Film Festival declined to screen ‘The Cove?’

UPDATE: Okay, Wells is now pointing to a two-week-old scoop from The Toronto Star’s Pete Howell that confirmed the Tokyo snub from “Cove” director Louie Psihoyos himself, so perhaps it is a done deal.  Shameful.  But two weeks?  Where’s the outcry here?  Did people just not see Howell’s piece?  Again, tell a friend…

EARLIER: Jeffrey Wells points us today to conflicting reports concerning “The Cove” and a potential screening at the upcoming Tokyo Film Festival.

In a recent Salon story, Katharine Mieszkowski wrote that the festival “recently decided not to screen the film, despite the fact that the theme of this year’s festival is ecology, and rolling out a ‘green carpet.’”  But this Variety article by Mark Shilling quotes a festival representative as denying that a decision has yet been made: “We’re still in the process of sorting out our lineup — there will be an official announcement in September.”

So what’s the truth?  The rep quote doesn’t mean much to me because even if the film wasn’t set to be screened, the “we’re still putting the program together” defense is an easy way out.  But Mieszkowski’s story doesn’t exactly offer much beyond a simple statement, so it’s murky.

But Jeff — God bless him — had the balls to write Tokyo Festival jury president Alejandro González Iñárritu and ask him if he’d consider stepping down from the position if, in fact, the festival refuses to show the documentary.

Here’s how he puts it:

Inarritu, whom I know personally, knows what goes and doesn’t miss a trick. But just as China’s economic support of the Darfur government led Mia Farrow to urge Steven Spielberg to withdraw from a gig as the producer of the Beijing Olympics games lest he be seen as “the Leni Reifensthal” of that event, Inarritu may want to regard his Tokyo Film Festival gig along similar lines.

Just as Ric O’Barry, the lead protagonist/hero of The Cove, has been asking Americans to boycott dolphin water shows to protest the dolphin slaughter in Japan, it seemed fair to ask Inarritu to consider declining to serve as the jury’s president if the festival in fact doesn’t screen The Cove. I mean, it can’t hurt to at least mull things over at this stage.

I’m guessing that this matter will be quietly addressed with back-channel discussions between Inarritu and the festival fathers, but if the festival officially declines to show The Cove and he serves regardless it will look awkward all around. Obviously his call. I wasn’t trying to go all eco-dolphin-nuts on him. I was just sayin’.

Hopefully I won’t be alone in my indignant outrage at the hypocrisy if the festival does indeed decline the film’s inclusion.  And if the decision hasn’t been made, hopefully pieces like Jeff’s will get the word out.  So, you know…tell a friend.