Frightfest 2010 drops ‘A Serbian Film’ From Line-Up
by Ben Bussey
In a move that is surprising, and yet at the same time not, the organisers of London’s FrightFest have announced that A Serbian Film, originally set to be the 9pm show at the festival this coming Saturday, is no longer to be screened at the festival. The news was broken by Screenjabber, who quote Frightfest organiser Alan Jones’ official statement:
Film4 FrightFest has decided not to show A Serbian Film in a heavily cut version because, as a festival with a global integrity, we think a film of this nature should be shown in its entirety as per the director’s intention. Several film festivals across the world have already done so. Unlike the I Spit on Your Grave remake, where we are showing the BBFC certified print, as requested by Westminster Council, the issues and time-line complexities surrounding A Serbian Film make it impossible for us to screen it.
Yes, this is not surprising given light of the controversy that A Serbian Film has sparked up pretty much everywhere (not least on this very site). What is surprising is that such a decision was forced so late in the day, given how long it has been public knowledge that the film was set to screen and, to be frank, how many people had bought tickets in the hope of seeing it. The temptation is to commence badmouthing the BBFC, but I’m not about to do so; as draconian as they may have been in years gone by, the past decade has seen them move forward leaps and bounds, with a great number of previously banned films finally seeing uncut releases, and a great many controversial modern films – Irreversible and Antichrist, to name but two – being passed uncut. (Though incidentally, the original I Spit On Your Grave remains cut by almost three minutes in the UK, whilst the remake – which, as Jones mentions, is also screening at Frightfest – has been cut by 43 seconds). In any case, it should be noted that it was Westminster Council that demanded a BBFC-approved print. Frightfest’s integrity in refusing to screen a neutered version is to be applauded.
No word yet on a replacement movie; but what with that and the recent substitution of Kaboom for Damned By Dawn (read what Alan Jones had to say about that here), Saturday night at Frightfest is shaping up to look a fair bit different than expected.
Once again, I’ll be there at the Empire Leicester Square covering Frightfest for Brutal As Hell, so keep an eye out for further coverage in the days ahead.
