8-9 Frith Street
London W1D 3JB
Tel: +44 (0)20 3206 2700
Fax: +44 (0)20 3206 2800
"Starsuckers" screening at the Frontline Club
15 June 2010
The Frontline Club hosted a private screening of the film Starsuckers on Monday 14 June.
The Libel, privacy and reputation team's Louis Charalambous joined the film's director and SM&B client, Chris Atkins, on the panel for a Q&A session after the screening.
Starsuckers was released in British cinemas in November 2009 to critical acclaim. It's a darkly humourous and shocking exposé of the celebrity obsessed media, which examines the public's addiction to fame and the corporations and individuals who profit from it. Starsuckers hit the front pages when it emerged that the team had been successfully selling fake celebrity stories to all the British Tabloids. This was followed by the revelation that Chris's team had secretly filmed journalists for three Sunday tabloids trying to buy medical records.
Chris Atkins was BAFTA nominated for his previous film Taking Liberties. He describes Starsuckers as "riddled with legal issues from the outset". The week before the theatrical release, the film maker faced legal threats from the News of the World and Max Clifford, who threatened to injunct the film.
Chris was represented by SM&B's Louis Charalambous, Razi Mireskandari and Simon Goldberg. In answer to questions last night, he paid tribute to the SM&B team - his "great lawyers" - for ensuring the film was released uncut. He credits their "extremely robust rebuttals" and "unflappable" approach.
Further information
Contact Louis Charalambous
louis@smab.co.uk
020 3206 2700