The Tribeca Film Festival began in inauspicious circumstances over the weekend, with a group of protestors to attempting to attend the premiere screening of Gasland Part II only to be denied entry. However, a debate over the exact reason was still raging on Monday with protestors saying they were thrown out for asking difficult questions, while the festival's organizers say the screening was full.
Gasland Part II, directed by Josh Fox, is the follow-up to the well-received 2010 documentary Gasland, exploring the environmental impact of natural gas drilling and hydraulic fracking. The protest group that tried to attend the screening included 20 farmers and laborers from Pennsylvania and upstate New York as well as Phelim McAleer, a journalist whose work includes 'FrankNation' a film that disputes the findings in Gasland.
In a statement, McAleer said that he and protestors were barred "by a barrage of security officers" because they tried to ask the director Mr Fox "some inconvenient questions when he was on the red carpet."
Continue reading: Tribeca Film Festival: Protestors Denied Entry To Gasland Part II Premiere [Pictures]