More than 50 students protested the Husky Film Festival last week after only one of 10 submissions was not chosen to be shown at the event.
The film not chosen by the selection committee was titled “Shit Hard,” and its supporters turned up holding signs and wearing white T-shirts with variations of “Live Free Shit Hard” written on them. Some had duct tape over their mouths.
The filmmakers and many of their peers see their not being chosen as a form of censorship.
The event was put on by the Community of Arts (COA), which is one of the special-interest floors in Robie-Andrews. The committee responsible for choosing films was made up primarily of Robie-Andrews staff, several resident directors, and some grad assistants.
Danielle Descoteaux, a protestor, said that as members of the community and as residents of the floor, “we are protesting our RA’s decision, essentially.”
In past years, offensive content in the form of graphic violence and language, implied sexual acts, criminal activities, racial and homosexual stereotypes and jokes about mentally handicapped infants have been featured, said protestors.
The rules say that students can submit a film under ten minutes long, and they must follow USM campus conduct codes: for example, no real guns could be shown, as well as no real alcohol consumption by minors.
A week before the festival the films were due in final form, and after review, the committee decided not to show the four minute, twenty-four second film.
Students preparing the film festival were instructed not to comment to the Free Press as to why it was not included.
In the college-humor inspired film, an increasingly absurd father asks his son questions about his first date with a girl named Debbie.
Katie Wilber, a member of the COA and the programming assistant of the group, was not a member of the selection committee because her own film was included, but said that as far as she knows, all the films are usually shown. She knows of only one other film that almost didn’t get shown, but she understands why this one was not.
“It was extremely offensive,” she said, “It was derogatory toward women. The film showed a father asking his son what sexual activities he had done. I personally found the language and content offensive.”
Justin Brown, a COA resident and the director of the film in question, commented on the double standard of the entertainment-focus of Gorham campus.
“The same institution that allows the unrated director’s cut of “Knocked Up” to be shown in the Brooks Student Center isn’t letting “Shit Hard” be shown at the Husky Film Fest,” he said.
Although many of the protestors left when the actual festival started, the four students who made “Shit Hard,” including Brown, writer-actor Stefan Henegar, Daniel Littlefield, and Joey Lusardi, went inside to take part in the event.
“We didn’t want to disrespect the other filmmakers,” said Henegar. “The COA floor (our floor) had another film in the show, Dan even acted in it. We didn’t intend to disrupt, only to make a point.”
The four said that they wanted to send the message that they were disappointed that their film was censored, but that they supported the people whose films were shown.
The event was co-sponsored by the Gorham Events Board and the Community of Arts, who’s mission is to create an environment for students to integrate their artistic studies and their residential experiences. It involved a ‘red carpet’ dress code and a table of student-activity-fee-sponsored food.
An audience of about sixty gathered for the showing. The Viewer’s Choice Award went to George Murray for his “Last Prayer of the Mighty Gazelle.”