Fox News: Cult Members Cause Scene at Screening

Cult Members Cause Scene at Screening

Press » Fox News » 2007-01-24

By Roger Friedman

Last night, the Park City police were called to a screening of a movie at Slamdance, the alternate film festival on Main Street.

The reason? Members of "The Family," a Christian cult, caused trouble at a screening of an HBO film called “Children of God.”

The documentary, directed by former member Noah Thomson, alleges child molestation at the hands of cult leaders. Thomson says he was one of those children. Another former member was in the audience last night as well, co-producer Fenton Bailey says.

But things got dicey during the Q&A session that followed last night’s screening. A young woman stood up and began screaming that no molestations had ever occurred. On closer inspection, it was revealed that she had a microphone pack on and “was transmitting to a camera outside,” Bailey says.

“There was a fear that she had taped the whole movie,” Bailey says. The police were called and the woman was followed. An audio tape she’d made was produced.

“She’d taped at least the whole Q&A,” says Bailey, who presumably will add security to future screenings. “Children of God” will air on HBO sometime this year.

Ironically, HBO at the same time was celebrating its film “Longford,” starring Jim Broadbent, written by Peter Morgan ("The Queen," "Last King of Scotland") and directed by Tom Hooper ("Elizabeth I").

The occasion was a swanky dinner down the street at the wonderful Purple Sage. HBO Films chief Colin Callender presided, with Broadbent getting many kudos. A screening followed but no protests were reported and the police remained uninvolved.