ALMOST 80 leading figures from the world of film and academia have pledged support to the makers of a documentary about the loyalist Glenanne Gang.
Oscar nominated actor Stephen Rea is among those to pledge support to documentary maker Séan Murray and the victims' families who participated in Unquiet Graves, that investigated collusion in the murder of more than 120 civilians in counties Armagh and Tyrone in the 1970s.
Also supporting are independent filmmakers from London and New York as well as academics including Dr Anna Bryson, School of Law, QUB and Professor Bill Rolston from Ulster University.
There was criticism of RTÉ's decision to screen the film last month, with former Irish justice minister Charlie Flanagan writing to the state broadcaster to question the decision.
Mr Murray has initiated legal action against one person in relation to online comments made about him following the screening.
In an open letter in support of the makers of the documentary the signatories, including filmmakers from around the world, stated: "We condemn the attempts to suppress and intimidate the right of filmmakers to question state sponsored killings and stand in solidarity with Séan and his right to produce and distribute this work in order to open a debate and question the UK's record on the human rights abuses exposed in Unquiet Graves".
It comes as representatives of the Pat Finucane Centre (PFC) held a meeting with Irish government officials about ongoing investigations into the Mid Ulster killings, by former Bedfordshire chief constable Jon Boucher and the Police Ombudsman.
Anne Cadwallader of PFC said: "The officials at the meeting reiterated the government's continuing support for the Glenanne families on both sides of the border.
"They also reiterated the Irish government's position that the British government release files on attacks in the Republic to an agreed judicial figure, as unanimously supported by three votes in Dáil Éireann.
"The officials from the Department of Foreign Affairs also gave their support to the two investigations currently underway".
Ken Fero - Migrant Media
Professor Mike Wayne - Brunel University
Stephen Rea - Actor
Shaun Dey - Reel News
Steve Prescence - UWE (Bristol)
Robert Rae - Our Land Productions
Margaret Dickinson - Writer & Filmmaker
Louis Bayman - University of Southampton
Deirdre O'Neill - University of Hertfordshire
James Trafford - UCA Epsom
Dr Rachael Flynn - University of the West of Scotland
Dr William Brown- University of Roehampton
Dr. Marcus Free - University of Limerick
Pablo Alvarez - Warwick University
Emma Sandon – Birkbeck University
Rachel Broady - Liverpool John Moores University
Andrew Spicer - UWE (Bristol)
Professor David Miller - University of Bristol
Wayne O'Brien - Bournemouth University.
Dr Simon Cross, Nottingham Trent University
Professor Anandi Ramamurthy - Sheffield Hallam University
Professor Mona Baker - University of Manchester
Jonathan Wroot – University of Greenwich
Tunde Alabi-Hundeyin - University of Sussex
Elspeth Vischer - Vish Films and Queen's University
Amparo Fortuny
Mª Soliña Barreiro - Universidade de Santiago de Compostela
Terry Wragg - Leeds Animation Workshop
Tony Wood - Haringey Independent Cinema
Dr. Dave Green – UWE
Anglea Martin
Professor Michael Chanan- University of Roehampton
Marta García
Peter Kuttner – Filmmaker USA
Jamal Bahmad - Mohammed V University Rabat, Morocco
Gareth Evans - Adjunct Moving Image Curator, Whitechapel Gallery
Robert Navan – Progressive Film Club
Jonathan Wroot – University of Greenwich
Patricia Holland
David Archibald - University of Glasgow
Dr. Alexander Johnston - Seattle University
City Projects, London
Kyle Barrett – Waikato University, New Zealand
ProfessorTony Dowmun t- Goldsmiths, University of London
Sangita Basudev - Content Creator
Geoff Arbourne – Inside out Films
Dr Jill Daniels - University of East London
Violeta Bruck- Filmmaker Argentina
Irene Gutiérrez - Universidad Carlos III de Madrid / University of Antwerp
Michael Oswald - Documentary Filmmaker
Alan Brecknell – The Pat Finucane Centre
Vito Ribeiro-Filmmaker of Bombozila, Brasil
Issy Harvey - Reel News
Dr Michele Aaron - University of Warwick
Dr Jack Newsinger– Nottingham University
Professor Gabriela Almeida - ESPM São Paulo, Brazil
Helen de Witt
Iqbal Barkat - Macquarie University, Australia
Julia Lazarus - Radical Film Network Meeting Berlin
Clive Myer- Eclectic Films
Lynda Myer-Bennett- Eclectic Films
Milo Sweedler- WLU
Margo Harkin, Besom Productions
Lucy Baxter, Queen’s University
Professor Siobhan Wills, Ulster University
Professor Cahal McLaughlin, Queen’s University
Professor Kieran McEvoy, Queen’s University
Filmmaker, Sean Lovell, Sheffield
Filmmaker, King Catoy, Philippines
Professor Emeritus Phil Scraton, Queen’s University, Belfast
Dr Deena Haydon, Independent Academic Researcher
Dr Anna Bryson, School of Law, QUB
Professor Bill Rolston, Ulster University
Filmmaker, Stephen Bennet - Scotland
Filmmaker, Callum Macrae - London
Filmmaker, Seamus Scanlon - New York
