-- After receiving complaints from local churches about the sexual subject matter in one of its scheduled

films, the

has canceled a screening in what it calls a "misunderstanding" surrounding the theme and content of the film.

After seeing an advertisement for the Norwegian film

in a local newspaper,

Senior Pastor

John Kearns

said he complained to the Tuscaloosa Arts Council that it was "not in step with community standards."

In an interview, Kearns said council members reassured him they would only include "Turn Me On" in the marquee, but the pastor further researched the film and thought it wasn't appropriate to screen at all.

"Turn Me On, Dammit," directed by

Jannicke Systad Jacobsen

(and based on a Norwegian book called "Turn Me On, Goddammit!"), is a coming-of-age tale about a 15-year-old Norwegian girl suffering local ridicule after expressing a desire to explore her sexuality. A trailer and descriptions of the film depict the character masturbating, engaging in phone sex and exploring in other ways.

"The title was one thing, and the subject matter was the second thing," Kearns said. "I felt like that was an inappropriate title and topic for our community."

The film is unrated, according to its distributor

.

Given the Arts Council is a division of the

and is a government-supported organization, Kearns said he felt a local screening of the film would not be something the city and county should support.

The pastor said he contacted both Tuscaloosa and Northport's mayors, as well as Tuscaloosa County Probate Judge Hardy McCollum about the matter. He said they were supportive of his position when he spoke to them. He asked for names and contact information of Arts Council members from the officials' offices before then contacting them.

The Arts Council shortly announced the cancellation of the screening thereafter.

The organization issued a press release Wednesday afternoon stating, "Due to the misunderstanding surrounding the theme and content of the film, the Arts Council and Bama Theatre have made the decision to cancel its screening, whether represented by the Council or outside entities. We hope this decision represents the wishes of all our constituents."

Executive director

Sandra Wolfe

noted that nothing like this has ever happened in the past involving previous film series.

Outgoing Arts Council board president

Rebecca Rothman

said that Wolfe was contacted directed by

Mayor Walt Maddox

, who asked the organization to reconsider screening the film.

"The Arts Council receives city and county funding," Rothman said. "We are in the midst of a big fund-raising effort for the new cultural arts center. We were put in a very difficult position.

"This sets a dangerous precedent."

Maddox and McCollum were both out of their offices Wednesday afternoon and not immediately available for comment. [

UPDATE:

Mayor Maddox confirmed he contacted the Arts Council and asked them to reconsider screening the film.]

"I am very pleased that the Arts Council reversed their earlier decision and have decided to uphold the moral standards of our community," the Christ Harbor Methodist pastor said. "I applaud their actions of not showing the film."

Kearns noted that when he spoke to various Arts Council members, they all stood behind the film and supported it. That was when he went back to the government officials, he said.

Arts Council members noted Randy Fuller, pastor at

in Northport, also voiced his objections to the screening. Fuller was unavailable for comment on Wednesday afternoon.

"The decision to cancel the film was reached after much deliberation and conversation within the Arts Council and Bama Theatre administration," said

Ann Bourne

, incoming president of the Arts Council board. "We appreciate and respect input from our community, and we value freedom of expression for ourselves and for others."

Soapy Jones

, owner of

and an ardent supporter of the Arts Council, is currently working with WellThatsCool.com to find an alternate venue to screen the film locally. Jones initially recommended the film to the Arts Council and offered to fund a private screening of the film at the Bama Theatre, but the venue ultimately declined.

Jones said she doesn't blame the Arts Council for canceling the screening and understands the decision but still feels objections were made based on inaccurate information.

"The word 'pornography' has been thrown around," Jones said. "The phrasing I got personally was that it would be 'disruptive to the moral fiber of the community.' Those who objected thought it was inappropriate and that it would encourage teen sex, pregnancy and promiscuity.

"The undertone of this movie is that there's a double standard for boys and girls. The main character has an interaction with a boy, and he doesn't get the same ridicule she does. Women are encouraged to be disinterested."

Jones, who has no formal ties to the Arts Council, said the organization members should use their unobstructed best judgment to choose programming for the community and that each member of the community can choose what they see and what they don't.

"I don't want anybody to do anything they want to do. All I ask is that they don't prevent me from seeing if because they don't want to," Jones said. "I worry this will impact the cultural opportunities of the city.

"[Objectors] don't have to see the film. It's the beauty of freedom of choice."

Watch the trailer for the movie here. [DISCLAIMER: The trailer contains some sexual content. Watch with discretion.]