Director raided for 'gay zombie porn'

Melbourne - An Australian film festival director on Friday defended his decision to screen a banned "gay zombie porn" movie after his home was raided by police.

Richard Wolstencroft, head of the Melbourne Underground Film Festival (MUFF), said Thursday's search was fruitless for police because his copy of LA Zombie had been destroyed.

"Police searched for a copy of the film, but we destroyed ours after the Melbourne Underground Film Festival screening in September," Wolstencroft told AFP.

"We thought that police might come for the screening. But they didn't. We don't understand why they came after all this time."

Canadian director Bruce LaBruce's LA Zombie, featuring necrophilia, aliens, homosexual sex and full-frontal male nudity, was pulled from the Melbourne International Film Festival in July after objections from censors.

Schizophrenia

But Wolstencroft said he decided to hold a "public disobedience" screening in September, describing the film as an important work on schizophrenia.

The hour-long, wordless film, starring French porn star Francois Sagat, depicts a schizophrenic homeless man who is convinced he is an alien zombie sent to roam the streets of Los Angeles in search of dead bodies and gay sex.

"We thought the interdiction was ridiculous and decided to hold a public disobedience screening," Wolstencroft said. "Bruce LaBruce has been a guest at our festival in the past.

"This is one of his most powerful movies which talks about schizophrenia. This shows the problem with freedom of speech in Australia. There are laws which date back to 1954."

Wolstencroft said he had sought legal advice as he may face charges for showing an unclassified film.

LA Zombie was shown at Switzerland's Locarno festival in August, where some of the audience walked out, according to one reviewer.