The Up Stairs Lounge, the New Orleans gay bar that would ultimately become the site of one of the most significant and deadliest events in U.S. LGBT History, opened on Halloween of 1970.
To mark the final day of "Gay History Month" and the 47th Birthday of the Up Stairs Lounge, Camina Entertainment is proud to announce the Pre-Sale of the multiple award-winning and critically acclaimed documentary, UPSTAIRS INFERNO!
Available on Blu-ray and DVD, both formats will be packed with Bonus Features including: "Behind-the-Scenes: The Making of UPSTAIRS INFERNO", a "Present Day Tour of the 'Up Stairs Lounge'" and more! The highly anticipated release is scheduled for November 29, 2017. Reserve your copy today at: Purchase.UpstairsInferno.com .
From award winning director, Robert L. Camina and Executive Producers behind "Back on Board: Greg Louganis", "Raid of the Rainbow Lounge" and "Southern Baptist Sissies", comes UPSTAIRS INFERNO, the true-life-story chronicling the deadly 1973 New Orleans gay bar arson: an event that remained the Largest Gay Mass Murder in U.S. History for 43 years.
On June 24, 1973, an arsonist set fire to the Up Stairs Lounge, a gay bar located on the edge of the French Quarter in New Orleans, Louisiana. The fire ultimately killed 32 people and severely injured countless others. It permanently altered lives and was the root of many lifelong struggles.
With unique access ( exclusive on-camera interviews from survivors, witnesses and friends/families of victims ) and a fresh perspective ( incorporating long lost artifacts, newsreel footage and photographs that haven't been seen in decades ), UPSTAIRS INFERNO vividly examines this oft-forgotten story and is considered the most comprehensive and authoritative film about the tragedy and its aftermath.
Narrated by New Orleans' own New York Times best-selling author Christopher Rice, UPSTAIRS INFERNO is a mesmerizing mix of crime drama and human connections that captures the heartbreaking feelings of unconditional love and overwhelming loss. An unsettling snapshot of what was, until the early hours of June 12, 2016, the deadliest single event to affect the gay community in American history, UPSTAIRS INFERNO gets inside the hearts and minds of a handful of vibrant people who experienced one of the most important and underreported moments in LGBT History.
"This is a gruesome story, there is no way around it", acknowledges Director Robert L. Camina. "Hopefully, now, more than ever, audiences walk away from the film with a renewed call for compassion: Compassion for those unlike us. Compassion for those who are hurting. Compassion for those in need. Because there definitely wasn't a lot of compassion when the deadly arson occurred. In addition, I hope the film acts as a stark reminder that we need to seize the day. We need to make sure we tell our loved ones every day that we love them, because we don't know what lies ahead. Life is fickle and unpredictable. Today may be our last chance."
UPSTAIRS INFERNO premiered in New Orleans on June 24, 2015: the 42nd Anniversary of the Up Stairs Lounge arson. Survivors, friends/families of victims and witnesses filled the audience. The documentary went on to screen at 40 film festivals around the world ( It was the CENTERPIECE DOCUMENTARY during Chicago's 2016 Reeling Film Fest ). It received rave reviews and won 20 awards, including 11 Jury Awards and 4 Audience Awards. This includes Frameline: the San Francisco International Gay and Lesbian Film Festival, where they awarded UPSTAIRS INFERNO with the JURY AWARD: HONORABLE MENTION, citing its "Special Contribution to Queer History". In addition, UPSTAIRS INFERNO was chosen to screen at the Library of Congress in February 2017.
To learn more about UPSTAIRS INFERNO and reserve your DVD or Blu-ray, please visit www.UpstairsInferno.com .
Some of the images in UPSTAIRS INFERNO are graphic in nature and may be disturbing to some viewers. Viewer discretion is advised.
