The Dark Bridges Film Festival is pretty damn incredible. Dark Bridges Film Festival is Saskatchewan's premiere showcase of cool independent and foreign genre films. In 2009 Dark Bridges celebrated its launch with the Saskatchewan Premiere of Grace and the Canadian Premiere of Ink along with four short films. In 2010 the first full festival was held which showcased 12 Feature films: Centurion, Dawning, El Monstro Del Mar!, Werewolf Fever, High School, Death of the Dead, [REC], [REC 2], Long Pigs, A Film With Me In It, Black Field as well as the The Good, The Bad, The Weird. In addition, 7 Saskatchewan short films and 20 World short films received their Saskatchewan Premiere at the festival.The Second Annual Dark Bridges Film Festival runs October 13th through 16th, 2011. Plans for this year's festival include an extra night of films as well as an afternoon discussion session.
It is an incredible honor that our film, DEAD HOOKER IN A TRUNK, will be playing this month, courtesy of Dark Bridges Film Festival, at the beautiful Roxy Theatre as a Double Feature with the TAINT on April 22nd at 11:30pm. We have been so happy to have the film appear at film festivals across the world, but it fills us with special pride to show the film in our beautiful Canada.
But not all is well in Saskatoon. The Roxy Theatre received an anonymous phone call a few days prior where an unidentified woman stated she was embarrassed for Saskatoon and couldn't believe that they would show a movie with that title after all stuff that went on in Vancouver with missing Prostitutes. She didn't leave her name or a number for call back. To be honest, it isn't the first or I imagine the last time that we will receive this kind of a call.But what has happened now disgusts me. Someone took it upon themselves to rip down the festival posters from the main drag in town.
Officially, I have this to say:
"I am shocked and saddened that someone in this day and age could be so closed minded about the mere title of a film. Without attempting to research the film in the slightest, they rushed to judgment and condemned something that in fact should be something that Canadians should be very proud of. 'Dead Hooker In A Trunk' is a little independent film made by a couple of Canadians that has, despite all odds and challenges, been seen world wide in a multitude of film festivals, won critically praise, honors, and awards, and has shown the world that Canadians are big time contenders in the film industry and their work deserves to be paid attention to."
Additionally, I have this to say. This is a disgusting display of ignorance. Canada is the land known as the strong and the free. I feel that censorship is bullshit and breeds ignorance. We've worked so hard to bring the film to where it is and to have someone in our own country vandalize our posters is an act of absolute cowardice.
If this upsets you as much as it upsets us, help us out and spread the word. This kind of behavior is intolerable, absolutely shameful, and, dammit, so very not Canadian. If you're in Saskatoon, please come out and show your support for DEAD HOOKER IN A TRUNK. Say it loud and say it proud.And please help spread the word. I will keep you posted on how things unfold. It now looks likely that the event will be canceled. I think this is unacceptable. How about you guys? You can call the Roxy theatre at (306) 955-8642 and tell them that you support DEAD HOOKER IN A TRUNK.
Yes, we can, boys and grrls. Thank you for supporting independent film and freedom of speech.
~Jen
Some people, sadly, can't see beyond their initial reactions. And no amount of reasoning can ever get past that barrier of ignorance.
ReplyDeleteKeep the faith!
Thanks for the really nice post about Dark Bridges. I appreciate it a lot. Unfortunately we just heard that the event is now cancelled as the theater owner received about the screening of films like these. I'm going to see if we can screen somewhere else. Right now I'm feeling rather bitter about it so I'm going to take a day or two to cool down and then see what I can do.
ReplyDeleteBring it to Indianapolis for the DAYS OF THE DEAD, convention in July 1st thru the 3RD
ReplyDeleteWith horror fans I think many are against censorship, especially the narrow minded kind of censorship without reason. The reactionary nature of the so called "moral majority" in society is often a very annoying and an attack on anything that is not seen as "normal".
ReplyDeleteImagine if some group pointed out (as an example) the bible was a sexist piece of literature that was out of date and should be banned, would "society" act so quickly then? I think not. This is just an example of course.
"Dead Hooker in a Trunk", what of it? it's the name of the movie. Look at most shows on TV today, like CSI for example. Just because they don't explicitly say "another Las Vegas hooker dies" they don't get the same controversy?
I for one vote for a movie that has the guts to get attention, which it does. We live in a hypocritical world that preaches democracy but only on the terms of the society we live in. How I hate the "moral majority" also known as the idiots who don't watch the movies they actually try to attack.
This is totally ridiculous... I have tried to phone the Roxy Theater with no success... was given a second one for the office with no success... Independant artists are the future of the industry and to shut them up is denying creativity...
ReplyDeleteWe are all, fans, artists or simply people that believe in freedom behind you and wish you well as the short minded seem everywhere.
Damien A. aka @skooal
admin of http://limited-release.com/
What an absolutely crock of shit. I think it's disgusting that just because one narrow minded idiot takes offence the whole thing is pulled. And I totally agree with pissed off geek, show's like CSI and NCIS and half of the other shows loved in Canada and America have prostitutes dying in tons of episodes. Do the theatre have an email address? And aww, I just noticed that it was supposed to be showing on my birthday too. xx
ReplyDeleteThis country is becoming a country of cry babies. Cry babies are nothing to be proud of it's an embarrassment!!! Lots of people want to see this film and it's there right to do so and if somebody doesn't like the name of the film they don't have to watch it, simple as that!
ReplyDeleteThe worst things about Censorship are ****** **** ***** & ***** ****** ** ********* ******.
ReplyDeleteI'm so embarrassed to live in Saskatoon.
ReplyDeletePersonally I can see why the Roxy decided not to screen Dead Hooker in a Trunk. Due to the fact that there was a string of murders here not long ago, I think they are being sensitive to any relatives to any dead hookers that are living in the neighborhood. I am very glad that the movie is now showing across the river in the rich side of town so there is no chance of hookers or relatives of dead hookers able to see the advertising.
ReplyDelete