Government trying to stop censorship film

A documentary film about censorship faced by a gay and lesbian bookstore in Vancouver, may itself be censored.

Little Sisters versus Big Brother was scheduled to be the opening film at the Queer Film and Video Festival on Thursday night.

However, festival spokesperson Jeremy Hainesworth says the provincial government is trying to halt the showing.

"The deputy director of enforcement from the Attorney-General's Ministry walked into the Capitol 6 and said the theatre did not have the special exempt permit to show the film and would be fined if indeed it did screen it," he says.

Hainesworth says festival organizers thought they had the required permit. He says they intend to appeal to government officials.

The film follows the fight between Little Sisters bookstore and Canada Customs – a fight that should have ended two years ago when the Supreme Court of Canada made a ruling that limits the powers of custom agents.

However, Customs agents have seized material bound for the store since that ruling, and Little Sisters co-owner Jim Deva expects the censorship battle to go back to court within the next couple of years.