From award winning Dallas director, Robert L. Camina and Executive Producers behind "Back on Board: Greg Louganis", "Kiss Me, Kill Me", "Beautiful Something", "Raid of the Rainbow Lounge" and "Southern Baptist Sissies", comes UPSTAIRS INFERNO, a haunting and powerful documentary about the deadliest single event to affect the gay community in U.S. history.
UPSTAIRS INFERNO will have its Dallas Premiere on Thursday, November 19th at 7:30pm at The Magnolia Theater (3699 McKinney Ave #100, Dallas...
From award winning Dallas director, Robert L. Camina and Executive Producers behind "Back on Board: Greg Louganis", "Kiss Me, Kill Me", "Beautiful Something", "Raid of the Rainbow Lounge" and "Southern Baptist Sissies", comes UPSTAIRS INFERNO, a haunting and powerful documentary about the deadliest single event to affect the gay community in U.S. history.
UPSTAIRS INFERNO will have its Dallas Premiere on Thursday, November 19th at 7:30pm at The Magnolia Theater (3699 McKinney Ave #100, Dallas, TX 75204).
Director Robert L. Camina will be in attendance for a Q&A following the film. We're honored to announce that the Q&A will also feature special guest, Ricky Everett, an Up Stairs Lounge fire survivor. He was one of the last patrons to escape the deadly blaze.
Tickets to the Dallas screening are $15 and are available for purchase at www.UpstairsInferno.com.
The film recently received the JURY AWARD: BEST MEN'S DOCUMENTARY FEATURE and AUDIENCE AWARD: BEST MEN'S FEATURE at the North Carolina Gay and Lesbian Film Festival, the BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE AWARD at the Long Beach QFilm Festival, the JURY AWARD: BEST DOCUMENTARY FILM at the Seattle Lesbian and Gay Film Festival, the AUDIENCE AWARD: FAVORITE DOCUMENTARY at the North Louisiana Gay and Lesbian Film Festival and was ranked a FILM FESTIVAL FAVORITE at Cinema Diverse: The Palm Springs LGBTQ Film Festival and at Out on Film in Atlanta, GA.
On June 24, 1973, an arsonist set fire to the Up Stairs Lounge, a gay bar located on the edge of the French Quarter in New Orleans, LA. The result was the largest gay mass murder in U.S. history. Despite the staggering historical significance, few people know about the tragedy. Thirty-two people were killed and some bodies were never identified. One-third of the New Orleans chapter of the Metropolitan Community Church were killed in the blaze, including two clergy. The primary suspect was never charged with the crime. The tragedy did not stop at the loss of lives. There were also the delayed injuries: lost jobs, fear, public ridicule and severed families. The devastation was compounded by the homophobic reactions and utter lack of concern by the general public, government and religious leaders. The fire permanently altered lives and was the root of many lifelong struggles.
UPSTAIRS INFERNO (96 minutes) is poised to be the most comprehensive and authoritative film about the fire and its aftermath. However, UPSTAIRS INFERNO isn't simply a stagnant exposition of facts. UPSTAIRS INFERNO brings humanity to the headlines by shining a light on the very painful effect the tragedy had on survivors, witnesses and loved ones. Their interviews are gut wrenching, yet insightful. Some of the people interviewed in the film haven't publicly discussed the fire until now, especially on camera.
The film is narrated by New Orleans' own New York Times Best Selling Author, CHRISTOPHER RICE.
Audiences should expect to see a balance between investigative reporting and very intimate profiles of people lost or affected by the tragedy. The victims are more than statistics, more then names in a newspaper clipping or even names on a plaque. These were unfinished lives, tragically cut short by a senseless act. The victims and their families and friends left to cope with the aftermath deserved better treatment than what they got.
This is a gruesome story, there is no way around it. Hopefully, through it all, people walk away with a renewed call for compassion: Compassion for those unlike us. Compassion for those who are hurting. Compassion for those in need. Because they're definitely wasn't a lot of compassion when this tragedy happened. In addition, I hope the film acts as a stark reminder that we need to seize the day. We need to make sure we tell our loved ones every day that we love them, because we don't know what lies ahead. Life is fickle and unpredictable. Today may be our last chance.
Some of the images in UPSTAIRS INFERNO are graphic in nature and may be disturbing to some viewers. Viewer discretion is advised.