Dirty Pictures

These are some of the words that described artist Robert Mapplethorpe's controversial 1990 photo exhibit... and this ''gripping, provocative and alarming'' (The Washington Post) film about the show's censorship is equally as captivating. Starring Oscar nominees James Woods (The General's Daughter) and Diana Scarwid (Inside Moves), Dirty Pictures delves into the uproar over right-wing censorship of the arts in a true-to-life tale that is ''chilling'' (Los Angeles Times)!

When the director of the Cincinnati Contemporary Arts Center, Dennis Barrie (Woods), books a touring photo exhibit of the late Robert Mapplethorpe, he knows he's brought a major-league event to town. But when the Cincinnati Sheriff (Craig T. Nelson) sees the sexually explicit photos, he shuts down the show... charging Barrie with peddling obscenity! Determined to stand his ground, Barrie faces trail and risks losing his job -- and his family -- to protect the right promised to every American by the Constitution... the freedom of expression!

Intercut with interviews from Salman Rushdie, William F. Buckley and other celebrities, Dirty Pictures is ''a stirring story of courage'' (The Hollywood Reporter).