TWO cinema chains have pulled showings of a new gang film following a brawl at a screening in Birmingham.
Vue Cinemas - which has a branch in Cwmbran - and Showcase Cinemas have both pulled Blue Story from their listings following the incident, in which gangs of youths, some armed with machetes, clashed at the Star City cinema on Saturday evening.
Seven police officers were injured in the violence. Six teenagers, including four 14-year-olds and a 13-year-old girl, were arrested in connection with the disorder and have been bailed by police.
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Following the incident, Vue has said it will not show the film at any of its 91 UK venues, while Showcase has pulled it from their 21 locations.
The move came as Blue Story's writer and director, Andrew Onwubolu, condemned the incident and said that his film was about "love not violence".
Mr Onwubolu, also known as Rapman, described the incident as "truly unfortunate".
Writing on Instagram on Sunday afternoon, he said: "Sending love to all those involved in yesterday's violence at Star City in Birmingham.
"It's truly unfortunate that a small group of people can ruin things for everybody. Bluestory is a film about love not violence."
The film focuses on two friends from different south London postcodes, on rival sides of a street war.
It is rated 15 for very strong language, strong violence, threat, sex, and drug misuse.
Onwubolu added: "I pray that we can all learn to live with love and treat each other with tolerance and respect."
A Vue spokesman said: "We can confirm a decision was made to remove the film.
"The safety and welfare of our customers and staff is always our first priority."
West Midlands Police said that they did not recommend the film was removed.
Chief Superintendent Steve Graham said: "We've made no recommendations to Vue at all.
"If they choose to continue showing it, that's a matter for them."
A spokesperson for Showcase said: "Due to the recent incidents tied to screenings of the film Blue Story, after careful consideration with the film's distributor, Showcase Cinemas has immediately removed the film from our all of our participating cinemas.
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"Any guests that have purchased tickets in advance can receive a full refund at the cinema box office.
"We remain in discussions with the distributor with regards to the possibility of re-introducing the film in due course.
"We apologise for any inconvenience but guest safety remains our top priority."
BBC Films described the film as an "outstanding, critically acclaimed debut feature which powerfully depicts the futility of gang violence.
"It's an important film from one of the UK's most exciting new filmmakers which we're proud to be part of."
The film's distributor, Paramount Pictures, said it was "saddened" by events at Star City, but that it thinks Blue Story is "an important film" that has had "incredibly positive reaction and fantastic reviews".
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