Friday, 17 December, 1999, 15:14 GMT

Hate mail has been sent to UK film company FilmFour in protest at its involvement with the controversial Hollywood movie Dogma.

FilmFour, which is handling the British distribution of the movie, has received around 100 letters from Christians upset by Dogma's so-called "blasphemous" content.

Dogma, which has already outraged religious groups in the US, reunites Academy award-winning actors Matt Damon and Ben Affleck as two rebellious angels scheming to get back into heaven.

It questions the virginity of the Virgin Mary and features rock singer Alanis Morrisette as God.

One of the letters sent to FilmFour - an offshoot of ITV's Channel 4 - complained that Dogma attacked "everything Roman Catholics hold dear".

It also said that the film "insults the virginity of Holy Mary and St Joseph, compares the holy sacrifice of the Mass to sexual intercourse and has a female rock star playing the God role".

Most of the letters demand that FilmFour stops distribution of the film, which is due to open in the UK on 26 December.

The good-against-evil farce is directed by Kevin Smith, who also made the low budget hit Clerks, and features British actor Alan Rickman as the herald angel Metatron.

When Smith appeared at the Toronto Film Festival earlier this year he told the audience: "We're here tonight and lightning has not struck the building. So I guess it's okay with the Lord."

Despite the protests, Dogma went to number three in the US box office chart.

FilmFour has now posted a website for those who object to the film to air their views - mirroring the film's US site which posted its "hate letter of the week".

However, a spokesman for FilmFour said: "We're going to continue to distribute the film despite any protests or hate mail."