Submitted by Pickford Film Center
Very few movie theaters in Washington state will be among those showing The Interview this week as part of Sony’s limited Christmas release of the film. Pickford Film Center, Bellingham’s only independent cinema, has strongly supported freedom of expression and taken a stand against censorship since first opening it’s doors.
The Interview, the Seth Rogen and James Franco comedy about a plot to assassinate North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, has been sweeping headlines in recent weeks. Sony had previously announced that the film’s release would be pulled completely, following a hacking attack on the company and threats against cinema chains that planned to screen the film.
“The news coming out of Hollywood since the attack on Sony Pictures by a group the FBI has connected to the North Korean government has mostly been one of embarrassment, paranoia and botched release plans for the studio’s Christmas feature, The Interview,” says PFC’s Program Director, Michael Falter.
Everyone had an opinion, including President Barack Obama, who urged Sony Pictures not to cave in to pressure from an authoritarian regime, and later called the decision to cancel it “a mistake”. Independent theaters in America, under the loose affiliation of the Arthouse Convergence, joined to stand for freedom of expression and offered to release The Interview on their screens. “Pickford Film Center is excited to stand with our art house and independent friends around the country,” Falter says. “No matter what merits the film has, it is now linked to an historic event in film distribution, one that extends to the very ideals America holds dear.”
The Interview will be playing daily at Pickford Film Center 1318 Bay Street starting Friday, December 26. Showtimes are listed below, parenthesis () denote bargain pricing – Fri & Sat: 8:45, 11:15pm; Sun: (12:15), 8:00; Mon & Tue: 9:00; Wed: (1:15); Thu: 9:00
More information including trailers, and advance tickets are available online:
http://www.pickfordfilmcenter.org/programs/pickford/the-interview/
