Hate Crime (2012 film)

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Hate Crime
Hate Crime Poster.jpg
Promotional release poster
Directed by James Cullen Bressack
Written by
  • James Cullen Bressack
  • Jarret Cohen
Produced by
  • James Cullen Bressack
  • Jarret Cohen
Starring
  • Jody Barton
  • Nicholas Clark
  • Greg Depetro
  • Debbie Diesel
  • Tim Moran
  • Ian Roberts
  • Sloane Morgan Siegel
  • Maggie Wagner
CinematographyJames Cullen Bressack
Edited byJames Cullen Bressack
Production
company
Psykik Junky Pictures
Distributed by Unearthed Films
Release dates
  • October 19, 2012 (2012-10-19)(Pollygrind)
  • October 15, 2013 (2013-10-15)(United States)
Running time
71 minutes [1]
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

Hate Crime is a 2012 American found footage horror film directed by James Cullen Bressack, who also co-wrote, produced, shot, and edited the film. The story follows a Jewish family whose home is broken into and terrorized by violent neo-Nazis. It premiered at the 2012 Pollygrind Film Festival, before releasing on DVD on October 15, 2013.

Contents

Plot

A group of crystal meth-crazed neo-Nazis invade a Jewish family's home and subject them to beating, rape, torture, incest and murder.

Cast

Release

Hate Crime premiered at the Pollygrind Film Festival on October 19, 2012. [2] It received the Best Transgression Film and Most Horrifying awards at Pollygrind. [3] After appearing at numerous other films festivals, it was released on DVD in the United States by Unearthed Films on October 15, 2013. [4]

Ban in the United Kingdom

In March 2015 the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) refused to issue a certificate to the film for a video-on-demand release, stating:

It is the Board's carefully considered conclusion that the unremitting manner in which [the film] focuses on physical and sexual abuse, aggravated by racist invective, means that to issue a classification to this work, even if confined to adults, would be inconsistent with the Board's Guidelines, would risk potential harm, and would be unacceptable to broad public opinion. [1]

James Cullen Bressack commented that he was "honoured to know that [his] mind is officially too twisted for the UK." [5] Though some [6] reacted positively to the ban, which was the BBFC's first (and as of 2018 only) complete refusal of certification since 2011's The Bunny Game , Bressack stated:

As a Jewish man, and a victim of anti-Semitic hate, I made a horror film that depicts the very thing that haunts my dreams. As an artist I wanted to tell a story to remind us that we live in a dangerous world; a world where racial violence is on the rise. It saddens me to learn that censorship is still alive and well. [7]

See also

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References

  1. 1 2 "Hate Crime". British Board of Film Classification . Retrieved August 28, 2018.
  2. "2012 POLLYGRIND SCHEDULE". Pollygrind Film Festival . Archived from the original on November 25, 2013. Retrieved November 11, 2024.
  3. "2012 POLLYGRIND WINNERS". Pollygrind Film Festival . Archived from the original on November 11, 2014. Retrieved November 11, 2024.
  4. "HATE CRIME DVD Release Date Announced!". 850me. Retrieved November 11, 2024.
  5. Wheat, Phil (March 2, 2015). "Nerdly » James Cullen Bressack's 'Hate Crime' banned by the BBFC". www.nerdly.co.uk. Retrieved August 28, 2018.
  6. Thompson, Simon (March 4, 2015). "Hate Crime: Why Censors Are Right to Ban the Anti-Semitic Horror". HuffPost UK . Retrieved August 28, 2018.
  7. Wheat, Phil (March 9, 2015). "Nerdly » UK 'Hate Crime' ban – James Cullen Bressack responds". www.nerdly.co.uk. Retrieved August 28, 2018.