THE GITS Documentary To Premier At SEATTLE INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL

April 26, 2005

Seattle punk-rock band THE GITS, whose lead singer, Mia Zapata, was murdered in 1993, are the subject of a new documentary, "The Gits Movie", which is scheduled to premier on Friday, May 28 at the Seattle International Film Festival (SIFF) at the Egyptian Theater on Capitol Hill. There will be a second screening on Monday, May 30. In August, "The Gits Movie" will screen at the Don't Knock the Rock music and alternative culture festival in Los Angeles.

Commented THE GITS drummer Steve Moriarty: "It's hard to believe that we began work on the documentary about THE GITS nearly three years ago. That was long before the detectives ever made the DNA match to the psychopath who killed Mia. During the course of making the film, the man was arrested, brought to trial in Seattle, convicted of first degree murder and sentenced to 36 and a third years in state prison. It became difficult to finish the film as our story kept unfolding before us. The film is about the music, us as individuals, and our community in the time of a crisis. It is not a rock and roll movie, an obituary or a glamorous murder mystery."

Check out a trailer for the movie at the film's official web site.

Zapata was killed a few days after THE GITS returned to Seattle after a tour of the West Coast. She was lead singer and wrote lyrics for the band, who were making a name for themselves with songs filled with raw emotion.

The remaining members of THE GITS formed a new band, THE DANCING FRENCH LIBERALS OF '48, and released two posthumous GITS albums, 1995's "Enter: The Conquering Chicken" and 1996's "Kings and Queens". They also recorded a live album of GITS covers in 1995 under the name EVIL STIG ("GITS LIVE" backwards),with Joan Jett filling in for Zapata on lead vocals.

Zapata's tragic death prompted Valerie Agnew, the drummer of 7 YEAR BITCH, to form Home Alive, a charity dedicated to teaching women self defense techniques. A 1996 benefit album, appropriately titled "Home Alive", featured contributions from NIRVANA, SOUNDGARDEN, FOO FIGHTERS, PEARL JAM, JELLO BIAFRA, PRESIDENTS OF THE USA, 7 YEAR BITCH, and many others, and raised money for the charity, as well as awareness of Zapata's life and music.

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