PODCAST: Cleanflix and Mormon Culture

As an avid listener of the Mormon Matters Podcast, it was a lot of fun to actually appear on the show this week. Now, if I could have the same honor over at my favorite film podcasts like The Q&A with Jeff Goldsmith, Filmspotting, or The /Filmcast. Someday.

Other upcoming Mormon-themed podcast appearances where Andrew and I will be talking about Cleanflix include the much more mainstream podcast, The Cultural Hall, and the much more controversial podcast, Mormon Expression. Be sure to check those out if you enjoy some deep dissection of LDS culture. But first, here is the even-handed Dan Wotherspoon guiding us through some of the themes of our film, along with panelists (filmmaker) Richard Dutcher and (Mormon in the Cheap Seats) Brent D. Beal.

Dan Wotherspoon » 4.13.11 »

The documentary film Cleanflix tells the story of the dramatic rise and fall of businesses (based primarily in Utah) that rented and sold versions of Hollywood movies in which they had edited out bad language, nudity, sex scenes, gore, graphic violence, and anything else that they considered not a match for community standards. In telling the story from its origins to the court case that declared the practices as in violation of copyright agreements to the continuing saga of stores that refused to shut down even after the businesses were declared illegal, the film highlights deeply embedded attitudes in Mormon culture. What are the peculiar aspects of Mormonism that helped give rise to an industry that seemed fully intent on exploiting moral gray areas: letter versus spirit of gospel teachings, trying to eliminate guilt for wanting to be “part of” the world rather than fully “apart from” it, judging ones views of the value of certain art forms and messages as superior to that of the persons who created the art in the first place?

In this episode, Cleanflix filmmakers Joshua Ligairi and Andrew James, join Mormon Matters host Dan Wotherspoon and panelists Richard Dutcher and Brent Beal for a lively discussion of these and many other aspects of this story. Could this industry have arisen and grown to be as huge as it became anywhere other than in Utah? Why do so many Latter-day Saints seem incapable of contextualizing artistic choices, failing to see that sometimes a swear word does not simply reveal a lack of linguistic imagination or that nudity is not always presented in order to excite libido? What doctrinal or cultural messages make it hard for many Mormons to want to really explore the human condition–including its dark and difficult aspects–in ways that film is ideally suited to?

We look forward to you listening and then sharing below your ideas on these and the many other areas explored in this fascinating film and discussion.

Moderator's Note » Stream the Mormon Matters podcast now at MormonMatters.org or download and subscribe at iTunes. Both options are completely free, but you should also consider a donation to the podcast if you value constructive, critical thinking on LDS topics.

SCREEN CAP: Great films in 2010

Cleanflix has shown up on a few lists since the new year, which is a really nice surprise since it hasn't had any proper distribution yet. I enjoyed this random Mubi user's list the most so far because we are in such ridiculous company. God, bless you, random sir! Your impeccable taste made my day!

SCREEN CAP: Wanna go to Grove City?

Really? CleanFlicks, Ohio? How did we let this one slip by?

PHOTOS: Cleanflix sign

Joshua Ligairi » 5.10.11 »

In a day and age when everyone is throwing computer generated 3Dimensional text into practical environments (including us on Skeleton Picnic), I thought it would be cool to get in there with some actual hefty props.

These are some rescued signs from real Cleanflix store locations that we had kicking around from when we were in production on the film (in fact, Robert Perry probably wants his back). I think they make for some fun promo shots. We certainly had a blast screwing around with them.

Unfortunately, not everyone on the crew was at the photoshoot, but we got some good shots with those who will be my primary Icarus A&E collaborators going forward.

Huge thanks to Sharon Rowan for snapping these Cleanflix photos for us. Check 'em out!



Sharon was also kind enough to give us all the rights to these Cleanflix photos so, as with all content originating from Icarus A&E on this blog, feel free to re-post these anywhere you like--but please remember to credit Sharon Rowan. Check out Sharon's other work, both still photos and graphic design, here.

PODCAST: Lions, tigers, and big hairy gay men

Another great podcast episode. This time, I'm joined by my friend Malcolm Ingram, filling in as guest host while Jay is off premiering his film at HotDocs. Mick and I interview my new friend Michael Webber about his incredible film, The Elephant in the Living Room. Charlotte's official write-up is below, but check out the site for the complete show notes (which include links to everything we talk about on the show) and don't forget to subscribe on iTunes!


Charlotte Cook » 5.6.11 »

In Episode 13 of the podcast, host Joshua Ligairi is joined by special guest-host Malcolm Ingram. The Bear Nation director talks about the Kickstarter campaign for his new film, Continental, and together the two bears (one gay, one straight) interview Michael Webber about his new film, The Elephant in the Living Room, which features actual bears (along with lions and tigers) wreaking havoc in America’s suburbs. Michael reveals a lot of scary facts about wild animals living in domestic settings, which eventually leads Josh to admit his deep-seated fear of baboons. This episode also includes some recommendations of documentaries new to DVD and is jam-packed with discussion about documentary distribution, the current state of the independent film industry, and what Malcolm calls a “cruel cinematic Darwinism.” Enjoy!

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Original post, show notes, credits, links and more at TheDocumentaryBlog.com.

BLOG: Cleanflix distro update

Joshua Ligairi » 4.21.11 »

I'm getting really good at big announcements with no specifics. Often, as with Knights of Mayhem, that has to do with the odd secrecy of the entertainment business more than anything else. In this instance, however, it is because I literally don't know the specifics. Despite months of deliberation and negotiation, details surrounding the distribution of Cleanflix are still a little hazy.

One thing I do know...we have signed a distribution contract with an awesome start-up indie distributor called United FIlms. Jason Connell, the man behind United Films, has distributed a few great documentaries in the past (including nostalgic favorite, The Rockafire Explosion) under the banner of his own production company, Connell Creations. Now, Jason, whose primary focus is the impressive network of six international film festivals that he runs in New York, Los Angeles, London, Chicago, San Francisco, and Tulsa (his hometown), is ready to get serious about indie distribution and has chosen Cleanflix to launch his new distro company (along with a pretty/mumbly fictional narrative called Gabi on the Roof In July that Cleanflix screened with at Cinequest and Sidewalk Film Festivals in 2010).

We really like Jason, we're excited by the huge network of exhibition and distribution contacts that he has cultivated through his film festival work, and we think his hybrid approach to distro is the right choice for this specific film in this specific market. So what will that include? Not totally sure at this point. We've discussed a myriad of options and tactics from the most traditional to the most radical. It seems that DVD, TV, VOD will all happen in one way or another and a semi-theatrical run of the film is still looking like a very reasonable option. I, for one, would be very happy about the possibility of a grassroots tour in my future, but the reality may look a little more limited and digital and hybrid. We'll see.

All that I can say for now is: Details forthcoming.

PRESS: S.L.U.G. Cleanflix Review

A review of Cleanflix by S.L.U.G. (Salt Lake Underground) Magazine Film Critic, Jimmy Martin, as part of his Salt Lake City Film Festival coverage. Direct link to the original post at the S.L.U.G. Magazine site here.


Jimmy Martin » 08.18.10 »

Salt Lake City Film Festival 2010: Cleanflix Review

Whenever residents of Utah make headlines, 9 times out of 10 it’s for some reality series where our favorite local is announced the runner-up in the season finale. However, in the last decade, a Utah-based business caused such a national media frenzy with its controversial operations it awoke the sleeping movie moguls resting quietly in the City of Angels.

When it was declared members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints were not to view R-rated films containing nudity, sex, profanity and violence by their prophet, Ray Lines saw an opportunity to strike it rich by establishing a business which digitally sanitized films of their explicit content. Cleanflicks franchises soon spouted across the entire state of Utah with Mormons being their main clientele, but what Lines and his fellow business associates weren’t expecting was the wrath of Hollywood filmmakers and their enraged copyright lawyers pounding on their doors subpoenas in hand.

Co-directors Andrew James and Joshua Ligairi join forces and unleash a powerful, poignant and balanced exploration into the debate of creative control between the customer and the creator. The question of who really owns the property we purchase ignites a firestorm of emotional intrigue that captivates the audience every step of the way. With the help of video comparisons, intellectual interviews and well-crafted visuals, the duo has captured a fascinating debate for both sides, supplying each standpoint with enough screen time to allow viewers to make the ultimate judgment. You can find out more about the film’s screening dates and availability at cleanflixthemovie.com.

Direct link to the review at SlugMag.com. You can also follow S.L.U.G. and film critic, Jimmy Martin, on Twitter.

NEWS: Cleanflix Filmmakers on RadioActive

Joshua Ligairi » 08.11.10 »

Cleanflix Co-Directors Joshua Ligairi and Andrew James appeared on KRCL's RadioActive this evening for a live radio interview with Flora Bernard as part of RadioActive's preview of the Salt Lake City Film Festival.

You can listen to a podcast of the radio show here or download it from iTunes.

PRESS: Salt Lake Tribune's SLCFF Preview

A preview of the Salt Lake City Film Festival, in particular Cleanflix, by Salt Lake Tribune movie critic, Sean P. Means. Direct link to the original post at the Salt Lake Tribune site here.

Sean P. Means » 08.06.10 »

SLC’s film fest grows second year

It wasn’t supposed to be a big deal — just a few hours of locally made films. Instead, the first annual Salt Lake City Film Festival grew into a multi-day event — and this year, for the festival’s second year, it’s getting bigger, expanding from the Tower Theatre to screenings at Brewvies Cinema Pub and the Post Theatre at Fort Douglas. “It’s a lot harder than it looks” to organize a film festival, said co-director Matt Whittaker, “especially if you have a day job and a wife.”

The second annual Salt Lake City Film Festival runs Thursday through Sunday, Aug. 12-15, with an opening-night gala at the Broadway Theatre, 111 E. 300 South, and screenings over the weekend at three venues (see box). Although there are plenty of film festivals in Utah — notably the nation’s most prestigious, Sundance in Park City each January — “there were no festivals with Salt Lake City’s name,” Whittaker said. “Nearly every other major city has one,” agreed the festival’s other co-director, Chris Bradshaw.

Whittaker and Bradshaw organize the festival in their spare time. By day, Whittaker works in the state Justice Courts, while Bradshaw works for a pharmeceutical company. The goal for the festival is “to be a resource for do-it-yourself filmmakers,” both from Utah and outside the state, Whittaker said.

The slate includes 19 narrative films and documentaries, many of which have been working their way around the country’s film-festival circuit. For example, the documentary “Sons of Perdition,” about teens exiled from Warren Jeffs’ polygamous community, premiered at New York’s Tribeca Film Festival in April. Another, the alcoholism drama “One Too Many Mornings,” debuted at Sundance last January.

The opening-night film, the Utah premiere of the documentary “Cleanflix,” is a case study, both as a festival-circuit veteran and as a locally made film that Utah audiences haven’t seen yet. It examines the Utah business phenomenon of DVD stores selling “family-friendly” edits of Hollywood movies, and has played about 15 festivals since its premiere last September at the Toronto International Film Festival, said Andrew James, one of the film’s co-directors.

The movie played at festivals in Nashville, San Jose, New York and most recently in Traverse City, Mich. — at a festival where the movies are picked by filmmaker Michael Moore. “We got to show our movie to a lot of audiences,” said the other co-director, Joshua Ligairi, who added that one jury member at Traverse City “said, ‘I enjoyed myself the full 90 minutes.’ That’s the best reaction we can hope to get.” Audiences reacted in different ways. In some cities, people laughed. In others, James said, “it was a quiet audience, not much laughter, but very thoughtful engaging questions. … In the South, people were excited about the film. They don’t know anything about Mormons, or about edited movies.”

As “Cleanflix” has worked its way around the festival circuit, James and Ligairi have fielded offers from distributors (nothing has been signed yet), and both are working on other documentary projects — James is shooting a film about residents on Detroit’s east side, while Ligairi is making a documentary about the FBI raids over native American artifacts in Blanding, Utah. Both are unsure how “Cleanflix” will be received by Utahns, who know the story firsthand. “Both Josh and I are really curious to see what the reaction is going to be,” James said.

Direct link to the article at SLTrib.com. You can also follow Sean Means on Twitter or contact him directly at movies@sltrib.com.

PRESS: Deseret News' SLCFF Preview

A preview of the Salt Lake City Film Festival, in particular Sons of Perdition and Cleanflix, by Deseret News movie critic, Jeff Vice. Direct link to the original post at the Deseret News site here.


Jeff Vice » 08.05.10 »

Salt Lake City Film Festival

Even the organizers and creators of the Salt Lake City Film Festival weren't entirely convinced the event would survive its first year. As festival co-director Matt Whittaker explained, "Last year could have gone any which way. Our fingers were crossed the entire time with the hope that people would show up."

"It wasn't easy marketing a film festival with no budget to market with," Whittaker continued. "Our whole push was so grass roots, and, well ... awesome." But co-director Chris Bradshaw says he and Whittaker were relieved "when some of the bigger screenings started and the crowds were pouring out of the theater entrance.

"It was that realization that made me even more pleased with our event," Bradshaw continued. "Our community is amazing at supporting the arts." Both men say that the event, which was originally envisioned as a one-day festival, has "snowballed" in just a year. In fact, "we had to put a saddle on (the) growth," Bradshaw said.

This year's festival has expanded to two more venues: Brewvies Cinema Pub and Broadway Centre. (They join the Post Theatre at Fort Douglas and the Tower Theatre, the festival's supposed "home base.") Those theaters will host a full slate of independent film programming. This year's festival will screen more than 20 narrative and documentary features, as well as an equal number of other, shorter works.

Bradshaw and Whittaker say the 2010 selections stack up favorably with the 2009 ones. (Among last year's features were "Best Worst Movie" and "White on Rice," both of which were hits with the crowds and got theatrical distribution.) Also, "a lot of our films in this year's programming have significant Utah roots, and we like that," Whittaker said. They include two sure-to-be-talked-about documentaries: "Cleanflix," about the controversial movie-editing business, and "Sons of Perdition," which looks at the Colorado City polygamist community.

"Perdition" co-director Tyler Measom said the festival screenings "will be particularly sweet for us because of all the people here that gave us support in making this film over the past four years." He said he and co-director Jennilyn Merten "expect to start a new dialogue on a subject that many are invested in here. "We do hope that screening in Salt Lake will increase awareness of the plight of those who have left polygamy and help to bring about change in Colorado City, both on a political and social level," Measom said. (Broadcast rights to "Sons of Perdition" were bought by the Oprah Winfrey Network, which plans to televise it next year.)

And "Cleanflix" co-director Joshua Ligairi said he is proud to show the film at "a scrappy new festival ... (one) determined to make a home for true independent film in Utah." He also attaches "special significance" to the film's premiere, since it will open the festival. "It is a big deal for us. We are very excited to show the film to our home audience."

And like Measom, he hopes his film "will spark conversation and curiosity. "This is such a great local story that I think everyone will enjoy the debate and discussion," he said, adding that "most would agree that we handle the subject matter fairly. Honesty was always our policy."

The festival co-directors say that these two films were obvious selections, despite their subject matter. Bradshaw observed that the festival "isn't about controversy or offending anyone," though. "It's about community and great films. We don't want anyone to walk out the theater angry." That wouldn't be good for either the community or the festival, Whittaker said, noting that a major goal is to make the event "self-sustaining."

"We're very confident that after this year we'll be on track to make that happen," he said.

Direct link to the article at DeseretNews.com. You can contact Jeff Vice directly at jeff@desnews.com.

PRESS: Doc Movies' Cleanflix Interview

A great interview with Doc Movies editor, Kobi Shely, preceeding the Traverse City Film Festival screening of Cleanflix. Direct link to the original post at the Doc Movies site here.


Kobi Shely » 07.20.10 »

Mormons & Hollywood Fight It Out in Cleanflix Doc

Let’s say you’re a movie-loving Mormon who wants to check out “Titanic,” but your religious leaders won’t let you because of that one scene where a naked Kate Winslet is getting her portrait done by a way-too-happy Leonardo DiCaprio. What do you do? Well, in the early 2000s, you just went to one of the many video stores in Utah that rented out “clean” versions of Hollywood blockbusters, with the R-rated bits digitally removed by enterprising self-appointed censors. Directors Andrew James and Joshua Ligairi (both of whom have ties to the Mormon church) track the rise and fall of these film-sanitizing operations, whose do-it-yourself film revisions brought on the litigious wrath of Hollywood (including Robert Redford, Martin Scorsese and Steven Spielberg) for their sins against copyright. DocMovies the great pleasure to interview CLEANFLIX Directors, Andrew James and Joshua Ligairi and producer, Amber Bollinger. CLEANFLIX will be screening Jul 30 and August 01 at Michael Moore's Traverse City Film Festival.

DM - CLEANFLIX explores the ethical questions raised by the marketing of morality by taking audiences behind the scenes of the sanitized movie industry and shedding light on the Mormon culture that spawned it. What is your conclusion regarding the questions raised by your film?

JAMES - I think one of the conclusions that I draw from the film is that repressed sexuality has the ability to manifest itself in damaging ways. I think sexually oppressive cultures tend to create an atmosphere of shame that can, in some cases, lead people to act out. But I also hope that audiences will draw their own conclusions about the nature of sexual representation in cinema and the question of sanitizing films. We have tried to craft a film that allows audiences to answer these types of questions for themselves.

LIGAIRI - I think it is important to mention that the film really ebbs and flows. It is not just an issue film. It is not just a character piece. We were following this story as it unraveled and each turn brought another question. And so, for me, the film is not about coming to conclusions. It is more about recognizing the strangeness, complexity, and diversity that makes up our world, even in a culture that most would think is pretty homogenized.

BOLLINGER - We have screened the film at festivals all over the world and every audience has had a slightly different reactions to the subject matter. I think that is the best compliment to the job these guys have done. Viewers can walk away with their on interpretation of what the message is. We want to start a discussion or help it keep going without telling the audience what to think.

LIGAIRI - We will be having our Utah premiere soon and I think we are all really curious how the film will be received there.

DM - What inspired you to get involved with these people and make this film? How did you discover them?

JAMES - I had heard about the lawsuit and was interested in doing a doc about the question of sanitized movies.

LIGAIRI - The main inspiration for me was the desire to take a hard look at my own community and examine this movement that I didn't agree with. As we got into it, the convictions and contradictions of these people were really fascinating to me. I knew we were showing a specific cross section of America that most were unfamiliar with.

DM - How did the project come together? Was it difficult to get this film off the ground and into production? What were the major challenges?

LIGAIRI - Andrew and I agreed that we wanted to do the project together over lunch and we were literally shooting within days. Because we both owned our own equipment, it was pretty easy to do the project out of pocket with the two of us just doing everything.

JAMES - We were both in Utah and the timing just sort of worked out. We followed many different threads throughout the process. We did a lot of traveling and investigating and we spent a lot of time on the phone.

LIGAIRI - Andrew was good with the prank phone calls! [laughter] Additional crew and costs really came into play as we hit post-production. I knew the exact people that I wanted to work with to bring the movie home and Amber was definitely at the top of the list.

BOLLINGER - Through our previous relationships, the rest of the crew was quickly assembled to complete the film. I feel really lucky to have been a part of that process and to be working with such talented directors.

DM Are there any particular scenes you like the best, or that you think audiences should really take note of?

BOLLINGER - My favorite parts of the film are the interviews with some of the great directors and producers of our time. There are clips from Michael Mann, Steven Soderebergh and Irwin Winkler to name a few. It is really important to hear these filmmakers speak out in protection of their work. Their points of view are vital to the story.

LIGAIRI - I like the scenes where we are uncovering new mysteries about the rental stores, because that is what it felt like making the film--mysterious. We were always discovering new bits of information and trying to figure out how they fit into the puzzle. Our composer, Chris Ohran, really brought a lot to those scenes as well.

JAMES - I really like the scene with Daniel [Thompson] near the end when he describes his evaluation. For me, that scene ties the whole film together.

LIGAIRI - That is almost a spoiler. [laughter]

DM - Since 2002 DocMovies shares information about the doc industry for filmmakers, a question for our filmmakers readers, how did you deal with copyright issues, did you show clips from Hollywood movies? Were you asked to pay royalty?

LIGAIRI - We cited fair use for the majority of our movie clips. It is interesting because we are a film about people abusing fair use and, at the same time, we are a film that attempts to utilize fair use responsibly. There are some great online resources that lay out best practices in fair use for documentary filmmakers. We were very concious of those guidelines as we constructed the film.

JAMES - Then, we hired an attorney who specializes in fair use and she advised us on how to use each clip properly. We had to change, cut, trim, and alter a lot of different film clips in order to fall within those guidelines, but it was important to us to respect the law as well as the films that we used.

DM - How did you get your subjects to interview for the movie, did they deny your request to appear in CLEANFLIX at first?

JAMES - Many of our subjects denied our requests at the onset and it did in fact take some convincing from time to time. In some instances, permission was never granted. Many of our subjects were worried about legal troubles. Interestingly, we do have a hidden interview in the film. We had a subject who wanted to speak with us, but was worried about getting in trouble. So we suggested doing a hidden interview and it worked out great. Other people were even unwilling to go that far. Everyone is different. You just need to gauge the situation and try and come up with solutions. It also helps to be persistent.

LIGAIRI - And it helps to form relationships of trust. We were very upfront with our subjects and let them know that regardless of our personal points of view, we would always strive to be fair and honest. And then, that is a trust that we had to live up to throughout post-production. We didn't manipulate people's words or sentiments. Everyone has a chance to tell their side of the story.

DM - What were the major challenges?

LIGAIRI - One of the other major challenges was time. This was a huge time commitment. We're not talking Hoop Dreams level of commitment, but we were literally shooting for two years straight and ended up editing for almost another year.

JAMES - The film was relatively easy and inexpensive to shoot. The real challenges came during post-production.

DM - Michael Moore hand picked your film for "Traverse City Film Festival" , what are your aspiration for this film, do you see an acadmey award nomination?

LIGAIRI - Any young filmmaker dreams of an Academy Award at some point, but I have zero expectations. Having said that, I think that the film is something that those in the industry could really embrace and get behind if they had the opportunity to see it. Premiering at Toronto was a great start and hopefully the support of Michael Moore will continue to get the word out.

BOLLNIGER - It was quite an honor to have our film picked by Michael Moore for his festival. It is a unique festival because you can't just submit your film for consideration. Michael [Moore] only selects pictures that have resonated with him from that year. To have our work supported by a titan in the industry is such a compliment and we are absolutely honored to be part of the fest.

JAMES - We are very excited about all of our festivals we've screened at and its great that someone like Michael Moore appreciates the film, but the Academy Awards don't seem very likely to me. I think what we want the most is just for people to see the film. We are proud of the finished product and are excited to share it with audiences.

LIGAIRI - My biggest aspiration for the film is that it sticks around. Staying power is becoming increasingly difficult in the digital age. Whether it is on BluRay or an iTunes playlist or bookmarked on Hulu, I want the film to last. It is an interesting and important portrait of a time and a place that I think will become more strange and more exciting as technology progresses.

Read the original article on the Doc Movies website or follow @DocMovies on Twitter.

NEWS: Entertainment Overload appearance

Joshua Ligairi » 05.09.10 »

Last night I had the honor of being a guest on one of my favorite movie podcasts, Entertainment Overload, the official podcast of FusedFilm.com. If you have never heard the podcast, it is a real "hangout" type of show with hosts that you love to return to each week as you get to know them.

Justin Vactor, the show's sole constant and a really likable guy, hosts the podcast every week. Vactor is usually flanked by William Goodman and Wonder Rob who each bring a lot to the table. Other occasional guest hosts include Rudie Obias of the Criterion Cast, Hunter Camp of the Gotham Central Podcast, Will Melton of the Mixer Cast, and Fused Film Editor-in-Chief, Kevin Coll. This time, they were all there. Plus me. And I, for one, had a great time.

You can listen to the podcast online at FusedFilm.com or you can download the podcast on iTunes under "Entertainment Overload Podcast." My Cleanflix interview starts off Episode #111 (entitled "Cleanflix Man 2"), but if you want to listen after the interview, I stick around to help review Lost and Iron Man 2.

Follow the @FusedFilm and @EntOverload gang on Twitter: @Vactor, @WonderRob, @MK2Fac3, @GoodmanW, @Rudie_Obias, and @Kent21685!

PRESS: Filmmaker Magazine interview

This strange little interview (to promote the New York premiere of Cleanflix) with Mary Anderson Casavant focuses almost exclusively on Mormon culture and ends very abruptly. Still, it is in filmmaker Magazine, so I won't complain too much. Direct link to the original post at the Filmmaker Magazine site here.

Mary Anderson Casavant » 04.28.10 »

Cleanflix is Stranger Than Fiction

Despite being born and bred on our shores, Mormonism is still something of a fringe religion. For a lot of Americans, there’s something vaguely worrying about its army of clean-cut, nametag wearing missionaries. Neither Hollywood nor the independent film scene have helped the Mormon case for normalcy – their portrayals tend to fixate on the church’s checkered history with polygamy.

Last night’s Stranger Than Fiction featured Cleanflix, a sympathetic look at the more mainstream side of Mormon culture. Directed by Andrew James and Joshua Ligairi, two filmmakers who grew up in the tradition (James is no longer practicing, but Ligairi still is), the documentary follows the rise and fall of a chain of small Utah-based video stores, who specialize in editing “objectionable” material out of R-rated movies. Hollywood finds out, and the lawsuits start flying.

A third act scandal reveals that even the most “clean” business has its own fair share of cads and perverts. Luckily for us, the filmmakers avoid exploiting the scandal for tabloid fodder, concentrating instead on the sadness at the core of the scandal. By focusing on the Mormon side of the fight, the filmmakers humanize the bright and shiny faces behind the fastest growing faith group in American history.

I spoke to Andrew James and Joshua Ligairi before the screening.

Filmmaker: What’s the biggest misconception about Mormon culture?

James: I think there’s this perception that they are in buggies like the Amish. Mormons aren’t as old-fashioned as everyone thinks, and that’s what Cleanflix touches on.

Filmmaker: Like CleanFlicks, your film re-edits footage from major Hollywood films. What’s the difference between what you do and what CleanFlicks did?

James: We didn’t not pay attention to the rules. We hired a lawyer and went through a rigorous process to make sure the clips were legal and obeyed fair use.

Ligairi: We were using movie clips in a journalistic way to illustrate a point and tell a story within a historical context. The sanitizer were simply censoring content and claiming fair use because they happened to sell the DVDs to some schools. There is a huge difference.

Filmmaker: There’s a sex scandal that involves one of your main characters late in the film. Did you have any inkling about what was going to come out?

James: We heard rumors all along…We weren’t sure how that was going to play out in the narrative in the film…It took him getting arrested for us to put it in.

Ligairi: It was a big revelation to the public. All the information we presented matter-of-factly in the film wasn’t presented that way to the clientele. I think it was a huge surprise to people who spent money at the store.

Filmmaker: The main voice of in defense of Hollywood in the film is Neil Labute. Did you approach any other directors?

James: We tried, but at that point, it was who are you, you don’t have any big films… We did get a few responses, but the schedules didn’t quite work out…We decided to really go after Neil Labute because of the Mormon angle.

Filmmaker: What has been the Mormon response?

James: The film hasn’t played in Utah…There are a lot of people within the Mormon community that wouldn’t watch the film.

Ligairi: It’s something we’ve kind of joked about, but we’ve also really thought about doing a clean version so we can present these ideas to them. Ironically, I think the film is something Mormons could point to, something positive that humanizes them to a Christian audiences…At screenings, other Christians have been surprised by how much they had in common with this community.

James: I think they (Mormon viewers) might like the fact that the perspective is even handed.

Read the original article on the Filmmaker Magazine websiteor follow @FilmmakerMag on Twitter.

PRESS: Fused Film Cleanflix review

A stellar review of Cleanflix from Fused Film contributor Hunter Camp as part of his Nashville Film Festival coverage. Direct link to the original post at the Fused Film site here.

Hunter Camp » 04.26.10 »

NaFF Review: Cleanflix

Cleanflix is a documentary about the phenomenon of editing out objectionable or offensive content in the state of Utah. This film dealt with various companies that would literally rip DVD’s and remove any kind of foul language, sexual content, and explicitly violent scenes from any movie they see fit. The reasoning for these edits were based on the Mormon code that says that Mormons should not expose themselves to this kind of content, but they still wanted to see movies like Goodfellas and The Matrix. While hinged on this concept, it also focused on the life of one of the distributors of these “clean” films who was eventually convicted of deviant sexual acts with two minors.

Overall, Cleanflix was one of the more insightful documentaries that I have seen that clearly stated the problems with editing these films, but also being sensitive to the cause and lack of logic that studios would not provide television cuts , which are also edited, to the people of the United States that are basically begging for copies of these movies without having to risk breaking the law. The film is completely filled with hypocrisy, but that’s one of things that is great about it. It doesn’t stick to one side, so it was refreshing to see a documentary that felt completely unbiased.

Everything about Cleanflix from content, editing, soundtrack choice, and subject matter all provide an excellent viewing experience and I would absolutely suggest this film to anyone reading this right now.

Direct link to the review at FusedFilm.com. Follow Fused Film on Twitter @FusedFilm or Hunter Camp on Twitter @MK2Fac3.

PRESS: Cinema Funk Cleanflix review

A wonderful review of Cleanflix by Cinema Funk Editor, Aaron Weiss. Direct link to the original post at the Cinema Funk site here.

Aaron Weiss » 04.18.10 »

A Righteous Battle Over Censorship

Cleanflix examines the battle between companies who edit DVDs to remove violence, profanity and nudity, and Hollywood. Leaders of the Mormon church have strongly discouraged their followers to view R-rated films and many often comply.

However, Mormons are interested in seeing these films, creating a niche market. This documentary does not just portray another battle between Hollywood and censorship. This time, the Mormons have a solid case.

It is perfectly acceptable for consumers to want to avoid material and it is not just Mormons who would prefer to view edited movies. We are subjected to movies edited for content often on airplanes and network and cable viewings. As a matter of fact, many large studio releases often film alternative takes and scenes where profanity is replaced with another superlative. Hollywood, however, does not offer these edited copies to the consumers. Their reason: there is no market.

But they are wrong.

It appears that there is a strong and loyal market of not only Mormons, but traditional consumers and even educational institutes who are very interested in obtaining movies that have been edited for content. Cleanflix explains that this niche of consumers believe that the removal of violence and sex does not impair the storyline, and this may often be true. One interesting detail: violence is edited less than sex scenes.

After each judgment and lawsuit that closes a loophole and closes businesses, another loophole is discovered and new companies pop right back up. One question posed in the documentary that has some ironic weight is that Mormons are circumventing R-rated films by obtaining edited movies that are illegal.

"The film does not offer any specific answers and instead objectively reveals the issues and leaves the discussion open to the audience."

Cleanflix reveals many of the hypocritical aspects of Mormons purchasing edited movies, and the film finds itself in an ironic twist of fate regarding one of the main characters of the film.

Directors Andrew James and Joshua Ligairi navigate through the legal battles, the competition between retail companies, hypocrisy and irony that ensues between movie editing companies. Cleanflix is wonderfully produced and highly educational documentary with an ironic twist that poses strong cases for both sides of the issue. The film does not offer any specific answers and instead objectively reveals the issues and leaves the discussion open to the audience.

Direct link to the review at CinemaFunk.com. Follow Aaron Weiss on Twitter @CinemaFunk.

PRESS: Flick Sided Cleanflix review

A brief review of Cleanflix, and three other Cinequest films, by FlickSided Lead Critic and an Associate Editor, Mike Smith. Direct link to the original post at the Flick Sided site here.


Mike Smith » 03.15.10 »

Let’s say you want to watch a popular movie, but your religious beliefs prevent you from watching any films that feature foul language or any sexual content…bummer, right? Wrong! You can order edited DVDs of any movie…same great film, but with all the naughty bits cut out. This documentary explores the edited film industry, which is rooted in Salt Lake City, Utah and is heavily influenced by the beliefs of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latte-day Saints. At first focusing on both the legal aspects of editing and reselling home video (pesky copyright laws) as well as the people involved, the film takes an unexpected but rewarding turn in the third act, shifting from a straight delivery of fact to a scathing indictment of the hypocrisy behind religious fundamentalism.Direct link to the review at FlickSided.com. Mike Smith can be contacted at Mike@According2Mike.com.

BLOG: Getting all Mavericky

Joshua Ligairi » 3.06.10 »

Anyone who is interested in seeing me crack under pressure is in luck. There is actual video footage of me falling apart on camera from the Cinequest Film Festival and I am going to share it with you, but not before setting the scene.


CLEANFLIX just had three wonderful screenings at the 20th Cinequest Film Festival (with a special encore screening on the way). Cinequest is a cool, quaint, well-organized fest in San Jose, California. The audiences there have been our best so far. The fest organizes nightly soirees for the filmmakers. All of the venues are close to each other and high quality. But there is one thing about Cinequest that I could do without: the word "Maverick" is closely associated with the festival.

While that may have been cool, indie, and empowering just a few short years ago, the word has since been tainted (at least for me) by the 2008 Presidential election. The first--and only--thing that comes to mind for me now is Tina Fey's impression of Sarah Palin. If you don't know what I am referring to, you can check out this video. On the other hand, you may want to just avoid watching the video altogether as there is a good chance the word will be permanently ruined for you as well.

A couple of Mavericks.

So, how does this affect me? Really, it doesn't. If Cinequest wants to stick with their nifty catch word, more power to them. So I don't buy a festival t-shirt with MAVERICKS plastered across it--big deal. Sure, I'll think of the fest as that geeky co-worker in Mike Judge's Office Space who refuses to change his name even though he is constantly berated because his given name is Michael Bolton, but what do they care what I think. Actually, Bolton has a point when he exclaims, "Why should I change? He's the one that sucks!" So, I can't fault Cinequest for sticking to their guns in the face of Sarah Palin comparisons. Hell, it is the Mavericky thing to do.

Not much of a Maverick.

Then, all of the sudden and without warning, their little buzz word went from a peripheral annoyance to something that was actually affecting me personally. I was walking through the Camera 12 theater after our second screening of CLEANFLIX when a festival employee grabbed me and put me in front of what appeared to be a web cam. "Do you mind answering a few questions for our site?" he asked. "Not at all," I replied. Then it happened: he hit me with a barrage of lame Maverick-related questions including "How have Maverick innovations played a role in your life and work?" Uhhh... Before you continue reading, just think about how the hell any normal person could answer that question on the spot. "Maverick innovations? What exactly are we talking about here?" I asked. "Whatever you want," he said. The high I was on from our amazing festival Q&As had stalled out and I was in a tail spin.

Don't get me wrong, I like Cinequest and all, but there was no way that any answer to this question could be more than total BS. My mind raced, but before it got anywhere, my mouth opened. In a state of sheer panic, I searched for the words to say, and words that wouldn't bring to mind Tiny Fey's "I just think about what a Maverick would do and I do that." I cracked under the pressure, I fumbled through a stupid answer, I made a fool of myself, and I am posting it here for your judgment. Watch the video here.

Hopefully our next festival won't have such an abstruse theme. Let's see, Florida Film Festival theme: "Film Sweet Film." Huh. Stay tuned for more embarrassingly incomprehensible videos!

PRESS: Metro News Cleanflix review

A review of our film, Cleanflix, by Metro News film critic Michael S. Grant (warning, some spoilers). Direct link to the original post at the Metro News site here.
Michael S. Gant » 02.24.10 »

At first, Andrew James and Joshua Ligiri's fascinating documentary Cleanflix seems to be about a no-brainer issue. Uncomfortable with sex, nudity and (to a lesser extent) violence, Mormon consumers want to watch cleaned-up DVD versions of mainstream Hollywood fare. Some canny entrepreneurs fill the need by creating Clean Flicks, an operation that uses digital editing software to cut out the swear words and stray boobs from hit movies and then rents the sanitized versions out of franchise stores in and around Salt Lake City.

Of course that business plan rankles advocates of artistic freedom—not to mention copyright-conscious directors and movie studios. But wait. Directors have long stood still for bowdlerized versions of their films on TV and airplanes; many DVDs are recut to have more sex and violence than the theatrical version—so much for the integrity of the original release. If there is such a lucrative market for these DVDs, why doesn't Hollywood just step in and rake off the profits?

As the film progresses, motives and methods grow murky. The founder of Clean Flicks ends up in competition with some of his own franchisees; two store owners start a running feud. The legal arguments used to skirt obvious copyright violations soon succumb to a concentrated assault of big-firm suits. But a guerrilla market flourishes as the most dedicated and weirdly charismatic of the censored DVD sellers, Daniel Thompson, keeps finding ways around injunctions and other sanctions. By turns creepy, theatrical and even sympathetic, Thompson proclaims his mission to keep Mormons entertained but unoffended, even acting something of a cult leader to the grateful members of his DVD club.

From there, Cleanflix cruises to a twist ending that no screenwriter would have dared propose. The film features many fascinating interviews, with an appearance by director Neil LaBute, who turns out to have a Mormon background. It's a terrific tale, even if the film never does answer the essential question, why would Mormons even want to see Kill Bill or The Big Lebowski in any form?

Direct link to the review at MetroActive.com. Follow Michael S. Gant on Twitter @Michael_Gant.

PRESS: Missoula Red Tape's Cleanflix-Related Column

Cleanflix is just the jumping off point to talk about human rights in this short column, but they gave us a nice little pull-quote. Direct link to the original here.


Keila Szpaller » 02.17.10 »

WHERE REALITY PLAYS ITSELF

That’s what happens at the Big Sky Documentary Film Festival. Tonight, one of the films on tap is Sweetgrass. Last night, Cleanflix was one of the offerings. The film showed that one community’s desire to censor violent and sexual content in film doesn’t mean R-rated content is dead in their actual lives.

The setting was the Mormon community in the Salt Lake City area, and it reminded me of another interesting bit on the non-discrimination ordinance coming soon to a (political) theater near you.

A Montana Human Rights Network organizer said Salt Lake City adopted last fall an ordinance similar to the one heading Missoula’s way, and with support from the Mormon church. One reason? It didn’t touch marriage. Here’s a transcript on the Deseret News site from a Latter-day Saint spokesman.

Salt Lake City adopted its ordinance unanimously. The documentary festival runs through Thursday. OMG. That’s tomorrow. Schedule here.

Direct link to the column at Missoula Red Tape.

PRESS: BSDFF Cleanflix Interview

An interview with Cleanflix co-director Joshua Ligairi by Sarah Truckey of the Big Sky Documentary Film Festival. Direct link to the original blog post of this interview here.
Sarah Truckey » 02.16.10 »

MORMONS CUT IT OUT IN CLEANFLIX

Cleanflix is a documentary about the phenomenon started by the Mormons in Utah who edit violence, sex and profanity from certain films so they are "clean" enough for their people to watch. Is this sanitization process acceptable? What about the artists whose films are being censored?

Joshua Ligairi of Cleanflix, screening as a U.S. Premiere Tuesday night at 7.45pm, talks with Big Sky Documentary Film Festival about his connections to the Mormon culture, his struggle with objectivity, and the relationships he fostered with his subjects.


BS: How did you hear about this subject matter of censored videos?

JL: We both lived in Utah when we decided to make the film, and edited movies were kind of in their hayday. You couldn't miss them. Andrew had a lot of experiences with them in college; his roommates watched them all the time. I think seeing Steven Soderbergh's Traffic edited, which is one of his favorite films, was a pretty traumatic experience. I had never actually seen one before we started the film, but it was a subject that interested me a great deal. For me, the most interesting aspect when we began was the notion of self-censorship.


BS: Are you Mormon? Did you grow up around Mormons?

JL: We both grew up Mormon, but not in Utah. We both moved around a lot growing up, Andrew in places like Georgia and Michigan, me in places like California and Idaho. We both eventually made it to Utah.


BS: What drove you to make a film about this topic? Was there a personal connection?

JL: Neither of us were supporters of edited movies. We both had Mormon heritage and we were both filmmakers (not to mention huge cinephiles), so all of that played into it. However, I'm not sure either of us felt any specific personal connection. For me, I just saw a story and it was a story that I knew I could tell. Still, I do think our experience with Mormon culture was a huge help when making the film.

First, we understood the mindset of the people who were editing the movies, even though we didn't necessarily agree with their point of view. I think it would be really easy to paint this issue black and white, but I feel like being able to empathize with the culture made for a much stronger, much more nuanced film. For some people that is a problem with the film. They want to feel superior to these people whose actions they disagree with. We didn't want it to be that simple.

The other advantage is that we had access. I think these guys would have been a lot more suspicious of outsiders than they were of us. That familiarity with the culture gave us a lot of freedom and opened up a lot of doors that a complete outsider could have never opened.


BS: Why do you feel this topic is an important one to show the public?

JL: There are so may issues at play here. First, again, it is just an interesting story. It is entertaining. It is real human drama. If you wrote it, nobody would believe it.

Second, the film deals with questions for which there are no easy answers. Should corporations be able to tell us how to use their products if we have purchased them? Is it different if those products are also art? What if censorship comes into play? These are really grey areas that I struggled with for three years while we made the movie and I want the audience to struggle with them, too, because they are not going away once our film is over. As we become immersed in the digital age, people are going to be re-mixing and re-mashing their media in ways that we haven't yet imagined. How will artists respond? How will copyright holders respond? Cleanflix could be seen as a little test case of things to come.


BS: Where is most of the film shot?

JL: Well, 90% of the film was shot in Utah Valley, commonly known as "Happy Valley." We also went to California, Idaho, New York, and Washington DC during our journey, but we kept coming back to Utah. There were edited movies in other places, and there are certainly similar attitudes in other places, but, as I've said a lot when talking about the film, we focused on Mormons in Utah because it took that culture to create edited movies.


BS: What do the subjects think of your film? Have they seen it?

JL: Unfortunately, we haven't yet been able to show the film to many of our subjects. Robert Perry, one of the store owners went to Toronto for the World Premiere and he wrote about his experience on his personal blog. He was the exception to the rule. We have contacted Daniel Thompson, who kind of emerges as the main character in the second half of the film about showing it to him. Hopefully that will happen this week. Ray Lines and Allan Erb, the main guys behind CleanFlicks, don't watch R-rated movies, so we plan on getting them a toned-down version as soon as we have time to create it.

BS: Do you feel as if you shot the film objectively?

JL: When telling a story there is no such thing as complete objectivity, but we really made an honest effort to tell it like it was. Which was hard because you start to form relationships with your subjects when you spend two years filming them, you become friends and you feel bad including footage that you know may hurt them, but we always approached Cleanflix with strict journalistic integrity, and I hope they will all appreciate that as much as Robert did.


BS: Did many of your subjects comply immediately or did they resist your interviews?

JL: It was really hard to get some of these interviews and even harder to find out the truth behind what they were telling us. A lot of these guys were operating illegally and we were trying to figure out how the whole operation worked. Sometimes I am a little sad that we present the information so matter-of-factly because, until the film came out, we were literally the only people that knew most of this stuff. In the end, we made the choice to keep ourselves out of the film, and I am glad that we did.


BS: Why documentary?

JL: I love being transported to a part of the world that I have never been to and I appreciate a filmmaker who is willing to stay back behind the camera and let the subjects speak for themselves. Cleanflix shines a light on a very specific segment of the culture and I think there is a lot to be gleaned from that. The more specific it is, the more universal it becomes.

You can find more information and view the Cleanflix teaser trailer at cleanflixthemovie.com

Direct link to the interview at Big Sky Doc Blog or follow Sarah Truckey's BSDFF coverage on Twitter @BigSkyDoc.