We reported last week that the notoriously ban-happy Australians censors have refused to give a permit for Travis Mathews’ I Want Your Love to screen at Aussie film festivals this year. While most previous bans had been handed down to films that mixed sex and violence or covered other contentious issues, I Want Your Love is an intimate film that merely happens to contain real, consensual, non-violent sex.
It wouldn’t have been the first time the Aussie censors allowed real sex in a movie, but as this was gay sex, it’s led some to claim the decision has homophobic.
Now James Franco has stepped into the debate. He worked with Mathews recently on Interior Leather Bar, and so Travis reached out to Franco about the ban, with the actor now making an appeal to overturn the ban in a Youtube video.
He says, “I don’t know why in this day and age something like this, a film that’s using sex not for titillation but to talk about being human, is being banned. It’s just embarrassing. I hope you’ll reconsider.”
As things stand, I Want Your Love is banned from screening at its planned showings at the Melbourne and Brisbane queer film festivals (although there is the possibility they’ll show the film anyway and risk a fine).
Take a look at Franco’s appeal above.
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