[Filmfestivalresearch] Threats to Side by Side Film Festival, Novosibirsk, Russia

[Dina Iordanova]

This description reminds me of similar issues that were tackled in Yang
Yang's film
'Our Story - 10 Years 'guerilla warfare' of Beijing Queer Film Festival'
(2011) which recently screened at the Subversive Film Festival. See info
here:
http://www.subversivefestival.com/filml/6/16/en/our-story-10-year-guerilla-
warfare-of-beijing-queer-film-festival

Dina






On 07/06/2012 11:00, "Manny de Guerre" <manny at bok-o-bok.ru> wrote:

>
>Press Release: 7th June, 2012
>
>Lynch Mob Like Tactics From Homophobic Youths and Inadequate Police
>Protection Force Side by Side LGBT Film Festival to Cancel the Third and
>Final Day of the Event in Novosibirsk.
>
>On the second day of the Side by Side LGBT Film Festival in Novosibirsk
>organizers and audience came under serious threat from a homophobic mob of
>aggressive youths. The youths, numbering around 30 or so in total, had
>surrounded the shopping centre where the screening was taking place in a
>multiplex on the fourth floor of the building. Prior to the start, during
>and at the end of the event the youths gathered around the screening hall,
>shouting insults and it was clear from their discussions with each other
>and
>behavior that they were intent on violence.
>
>Organizers of the festival complained multiple times to the police, who
>were
>in force but outside the building overseeing a picket in support of the
>homophobic law that has its second reading in the local Novosibirsk
>parliament today, 7th June, 2012. The youths, eventually on the request of
>the police, left the multiplex only to return however within minutes and
>again begin hassling organizers. This pattern was repeated throughout the
>entire period of the event. Failing entirely in their duties and the
>attempt
>to maintain effective public order and safety the threat of violence and
>danger to both audience members, volunteers and organizers was imminent.
>
>At 21.00 when the screening came to end the mob of youths had gathered
>outside the building. Transportation was organized for both audience
>members
>and organizers. Security guards escorted visitors of the festival to their
>awaiting cars and taken away safely. Last to leave were the festival
>organizers. An attempt was made to smash the rear passenger window of the
>taxi. The youths had organized cars and a motorcycle to follow the
>organizers and police took no measures to stop their pursuit.  It was only
>the high speed driving skills of the taxi driver that the organizers were
>able to escape without being followed.
>
>In a conversation with festival director Gulya Sultanova, one of the
>police
>heads stated: "Why have you circulated information about your festival? I
>don't plan to be here tomorrow and protect you."
>
>Police indifference and their lack of concern to protect peaceful, law
>abiding citizens from violent thugs has forced the festival organizers to
>cancel today's screening out of reasons of safety.
>
>The Novosibirsk film festival is the second of three to take place this
>week
>in Siberia. Last weekend the festival came up against the similar problems
>in the city of Kemerovo http://bok-o-bok.ru/news.asp?lan=1
><http://bok-o-bok.ru/news.asp?lan=1&tid=763> &tid=763  The final festival
>is
>to be held in the city of Tomsk 8 - 10 June, 2012.  In 2011 the festival
>in
>Tomsk was banned by the authorities. It remains uncertain what the
>forecast
>will be for tomorrow's opening. Organizers are monitoring the situation
>and
>have already increased security at the opening.
>
>Manny de Guerre
>
>Side by Side LGBT International Film Festival
>
> <mailto:manny at bok-o-bok.ru> manny at bok-o-bok.ru
>
>Тel: +7.812.313.9341
>
>Mob+7.911.710.2702
>
> <http://www.bok-o-bok.ru/> www.bok-o-bok.ru
>
> <http://shop.bok-o-bok.ru/> http://shop.bok-o-bok.ru
>
> 
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