A decision by the Roscommon Arts Centre to postpone the screening of a film about the cannabis campaigner Luke "Ming" Flanagan has led to controversy.
The arts centre planned to screen the film on December 13th. However, the centre's director, Ms Jacinta Lynch, has informed the film's producer, Mr Mike Casey, that the screening can no longer go ahead on that date.
Mr Casey claimed the film had effectively been banned in Mr Flanagan's home county. He said Ms Lynch told him her superiors in Roscommon County Council would not allow it go ahead.
Ms Lynch insisted last night, however, the film had not been banned. She said two showings of a children's pantomime were scheduled for December 13th and she was "in negotiation" with Mr Casey with a view to arranging an alternative date for the screening.
The documentary-style film entitled The Lives and Crimes of Citizen Ming runs to 81 minutes and has already been shown at the Galway Film Fleadh, the Cork Film Festival and at the Irish Film Centre in Dublin. In addition, it was passed by the film censor with a 15PG rating.
Mr Casey said yesterday he was disappointed the film wouldn't be screened next week. "I've spent five years making this film and I think it's ironic that they wouldn't allow it be shown in Ming's home county, even though they haven't even asked to see it in advance. Nobody in Roscommon County Council ever asked to see it," he said.
He said the screening was originally scheduled for December 11th. When the arts centre subsequently discovered there was another booking for that date it agreed to screen the film on December 13th. "I've no guarantee that it will go ahead because it has already been postponed twice," he said.
He added that Ming got 780 first-preference votes in the last election and those who voted for him should not be denied the right to see a documentary on his life.
The film, produced by Big Yes Productions at a cost of €60,000, was shot in Galway, Roscommon, Dublin and Amsterdam. Some of the funding was provided by the Irish Film Board.
It is understood there is a certain sensitivity in Roscommon about the screening of a film which shows Ming smoking cannabis, planting it in a bog and sending samples of the drug to politicians as part of a campaign to have cannabis legalised. Ming has been jailed twice for his activities.