The San Luis Obispo International Film Festival is responding to a Twitter storm over the trailer for a new independent film.
The movie “Loqueesha” is about a white man who pretends to be a black woman in order to secure a job as a radio personality. It’s being slammed on social media as racist.
Dear, Everyone who ain't a Black Woman,
You do not have an inner Black woman living inside of you. Your desire to "tell it like it is" is seen as either vulgar, obnoxious, or disruptive when done by actual Black women. pic.twitter.com/cEH79XY0OF
— Joelle Monique ✍🏾 (@JoelleMonique) May 10, 2019
What in the blackface HELL is this?!!! —-> “Loqueesha is the hilarious and heartwarming story of Joe, an astute and underachieving Detroit bartender who values truth above everything” who “invents a larger-than-life black female personality named Loqueesha” https://t.co/e5W6TqVifE
— Charles M. Blow (@CharlesMBlow) May 10, 2019
I think the “Loqueesha” movie trailer is fake. I HOPE it’s fake. But I think… it’s fake? But maybe 3 years in Hellworld so who even knows anymore?
— Patton Oswalt (@pattonoswalt) May 11, 2019
In the first few seconds of the trailer for “Loqueesha,” a screen pops up reading “Official Selection San Luis Obispo International Film Festival 2019.”
The San Luis Obispo International Film Festival responded on Twitter over the weekend, saying the film was never selected, screened or given an award and that the film festival’s laurels were taken without permission.
In regards to the trailer for the film "Loqueesha", this film was never selected, screened, or given an award at our festival. The SLO Film Fest laurels were taken without permission and we are currently working to have them removed.
— San Luis Obispo International Film Festival (@SloFilmFest) May 12, 2019
After Twitter users pointed out that “Loqueesha” was originally listed in the 2019 film festival lineup, the festival responded again, saying the film was pulled from the lineup prior to the festival and was never shown.
The Central Coast Filmmaker's Showcase is an open competition for filmmakers with roots on the Central Coast. A film in the showcase does not constitute as an "official selection". Regardless, prior to the festival in March 2019, the film was pulled and never screened.
— San Luis Obispo International Film Festival (@SloFilmFest) May 12, 2019
A spokesperson for the film festival told KSBY News it has been assured by the filmmakers that the laurels will be removed from the trailer.
