There have been some last minute changes to the Fair Trade Film Festival taking pace this weekend at the Alamo South Lamar, with one film out and one film in.

Screenings of Buyer be Fair:The Promise of Product Certification and Maquilapolis will be going ahead as announced, but the showing of The Price of Sugar has been canceled.

After being contacted by lawyers for one of the plantation-owning families featured in the film, the Ten Thousand Villages of Austin board has decided not to screen the controversial and award-winning documentary (read more about the controversy here.) Festival organizer explained Sharon Matheny explained, “Some people are prepared to accept miniscule risk, and some people think that even a miniscule risk is too much.”

Filling in the gap in the schedule will be another film in a similar vein: Black Gold, about the Ethiopian coffee industry.

However, even though the film about their clients is off the schedule, attorneys/lobbyists Patton Boggs will still be sending an associate lawyer to read a preprepared statement. Matheny confirmed that the panel discussion scheduled for after the screening will go on, but she doubted the attorney will answer any questions. However, a hearty and informative discussion about Fair Trade is expected amongst panelists including Handmade Expressions founder Manish Gupta and Texas Fair Trade Coalition State Director Bob Cash.

The one-day festival starts at 12pm on Saturday, May 8. Tickets are going fast and are available through the Alamo Drafthouse website.

This article appears in May 7 • 2010.

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The Chronicle's first Culture Desk editor, Richard has reported on Austin's growing film production and appreciation scene for over a decade. A graduate of the universities of York, Stirling, and UT-Austin, a Rotten Tomatoes certified critic, and eight-time Best of Austin winner, he's currently at work on two books and a play.