LGBTQIA+ film festival claims it was the target of censorship in the city of Santa Catarina | Culture

Rio do Sul Cultural Foundation, where the event would take place. reproduction

O Transforma film festival, focused on LGBTQIA+ films, was canceled in the city of Rio do Sul, in Santa Catarina. The Florianópolis event would present this Wednesday (27th) and Thursday (28th) a traveling exhibition in the city, with various activities.

In a video published on social media, the organizers accuse the city of having prevented them from using the Rio do Sul Cultural Foundation’s space. It is also said that the festival will not hold any more activities in the city “for safety reasons”. In contact with CBNthe production states that the fear was of some act of violence on the part of the population “inflated by the mayor’s speeches”.

The festival program included a cultural production workshop and film screening.

Watch the organizers’ video:

Mayor responds that he canceled event

In a post on social media, the city’s mayor, José Thome, confirmed that the cancellation of the event came from him. He says he defends individual choices, but does not accept “incentives in a public building”.

“I decided, as soon as I found out, not to allow this event to take place at our cultural foundation. (…) It is a matter of respect for Christian precepts and family principles.”

Hours later, the mayor made another video, together with his wife, again defending himself, reaffirming that, for them, “there was no censorship or crime”.

Created by the producer Bapho Cultural with the Association in Defense of Human Rights with a Focus on Sexuality, ADEH, the fifth edition of Transform festival was included in the Catarinense Cinema Award 2022 notice from the Catarinense Culture Foundation. The traveling exhibition is an action within the main event. The festival was also included in the notice in 2023.