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| A YouTube video promoting a Bare Bones Film Festival movie prompted an investigation of what was first thought to be a possible terrorist threat. The video was posted to the popular Internet Web site on April 4, under the title “Warning, Muskogee, OK,” by someone identifying themselves as muskogeeABD. By Thursday afternoon, there had been more than 2,200 hits on the video. It was removed from the Web later in the afternoon. The video script told Muskogee people “to open your eyes. April 25th is a day you will come to remember.” The narrator used what police believed was a fake accent to predict “... the end is coming. The wicked of this world will be separated from the chosen. I will not be on your doorstep to convince you of this. You either see or you do not see.” Muskogee Police and the FBI had begun an investigation of the video as a possible terrorist threat when it was discovered a movie titled “A Beautiful Day” is scheduled to air April 25 at the film festival in Muskogee. |
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| Muskogee resident Edna Phelps said she had taken the video as a serious threat. She already had planned for her children to stay home from school April 25. “It scared me to death,” she said. “That person ought to be punished.” |
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| The Barebones International Independent Film Festival (April 17-27) will pull from its roster a movie whose Youtube promotion stirred contoversy and fear. The movie, A BEAUTIFUL DAY produced by Outsiders Productions of Shawnee Oklahoma, was the center of an investigation by the Muskogee Police Department and the F.B.I., after a cryptic "Warning to Muskogee" was posted on Youtube. The ill-fated marketing ploy alarmed local residents who were unaware that the Youtube message was for a movie that was scheduled to show during the film festival. The short horror religious movie about zombie-like prophets that arrive in a small town to announce Armaggedon was shot near Shawnee Oklahoma. "Though the movie producers apologized for the misunderstanding, the festival organizers felt it would be inappropriate to go ahead with the showing of the movie. We know these film producers. They are an incredibly talented group of young film makers, but this part of their movie marketing campaign was not well thought out. While the movie content in no way threatens or disparages the City of Muskogee and is a well produced film we feel it is inappropriate to keep it in the festival lineup. Our thoughts are for the parents and concerned citizens of Muskogee and we want to let them know we take their concerns to heart", Say ShIron Butterfly, the festivals Executive Director. "We are big on self-promotion and we champion free speech, even in advertising, but we want our film makers to think responsible free speech. Unlike Orson Welles 1938 "War of the Worlds" broadcast and "The Blair Witch Project", this promotion left little information that it was only a movie. We are working hard to make the City of Muskogee Oklahomas' movie capital, but we want our citizens in the "worlds' friendliest city" to be respected and appreciated, not frightened or taken advantage of. Our thanks to the local F.B.I. office, the Muskogee Police Department, the Muskogee Chamber of Commerce and to the Phoenix Newspaper for handling this matter pronptly and professionally. While we have no control over where or how a motion picture that will show at the Barebones International Independent Film Festival will be promoted, we apologize to anyone adversely affected by this incident. We hope the citizens of Muskogee will continue to have open arms to the two hundred plus film makers from 35 cities that will be in our Muskogee from April 17th thru 27th and will accord them the kindness Muskogee is world famous for". |
