Dozens of Utah DVD retailers attracted unwanted attention from Hollywood heavyweights when, in the name of conservative family values, they began sanitizing films of sex, nudity, profanity, and violence. Outraged over the unauthorized editing of their work, prominent filmmakers began to speak out, thrusting the two groups into an intense legal, theoretical, and moral battle that would last six years before coming to a shocking conclusion. Cleanflix is a 2009 American documentary film directed by Andrew James and Joshua Ligairi that explores the rise and fall of CleanFlicks, a Utah-based company that produced unauthorized "clean" versions of Hollywood films by editing out content deemed offensive, such as sex, violence, and profanity. The film primarily focuses on the business practices of CleanFlicks, the moral beliefs of the Mormon community that fueled the demand for sanitized films, and the subsequent legal battles with the Directors Guild of America and major film studios over copyright infringement. The documentary premiered at the 2009 Toronto International Film Festival and was later given a limited theatrical release in 2011, followed by a physical DVD release and availability on various streaming platforms, including Netflix (for three years), Amazon Prime Video, Hulu, YouTube, Vudu, and Tubi. Critics have praised its exploration of censorship, art, and cultural values, with some calling it "the most interesting topical documentary about movies since This [Film] Is Not Yet Rated" and a "powerful, poignant and balanced exploration" of the complex issues surrounding film editing and viewer rights.
