Film Independent
announced Tuesday that it had accepted Richard
Raddon's resignation as director of the Los Angeles Film
Festival, a title he has held since 2000. On November
14, blogger David Poland reported on his Hot Blog,
hosted by Movie City News, that Raddon had personally
donated $1,500 to the Yes on 8 campaign, in support of the
ballot measure to ban same-sex marriage in
California, which sparked some controversy.
According to
Poland, Raddon actually submitted his resignation that day,
but Film Independent's board chose not to accept it.
Instead, board members met as a group to decide what
to do next.
Raddon issued the
following statement today:
"I feel
honored to have worked with such a wonderful group of people
at the Los Angeles Film Festival over the last nine
years. I am proud of our accomplishments. And I am
proud to have worked at Film Independent, an
organization whose principles and values of diversity and
artistic integrity I cherish. I have always held the
belief that all people, no matter race, religion, or
sexual orientation, are entitled to equal rights. As
many know, I consider myself a devout and faithful Mormon. I
prefer to keep the details around my contribution through my
church a private matter. But I am profoundly sorry for
the negative attention that my actions have drawn to
Film Independent and for the hurt and pain that is
being experienced in the GLBT community."
The board of Film
Independent countered with a statement of its own.
"With
great reluctance, Film Independent has accepted Richard
Raddon's resignation as Director of the Los Angeles
Film Festival. Rich's service to the
independent film community and to Film Independent has been
nothing less than extraordinary. He has always shown
complete commitment to our core principles of equality
and diversity during his long tenure. It was through
his leadership that the Los Angeles Film Festival has
grown into a formidable and exciting showcase for talented
artists and diverse voices. We are sorry to see him
go."
The Los Angeles
Film Festival is one of the many divisions of Film
Independent, a nonprofit film organization that also hosts
the Independent Spirit Awards
Raddon has always
been open about being a devoted member of the Mormon
Church and is the producer of a number of independent films,
including the Lili Taylor-Guy Pearce movie A
Slipping-Down Life. (The Advocate)
