The Liberty Film Festival/LIBERTAS in The NY Times [Page 1 of the Arts & Leisure section, 6/26/05]

www.libertyfilmfestival.com/LIBERTAS ^ | June 26, 2005 | Jason Apuzzo

[RonDog]

6/26/2005

The Liberty Film Festival/LIBERTAS in The NY Times

Filed under:

• General
• LIBERTAS in the News

— Jason @ 12:34 pm

Be sure to check out today’s NY Times article on Page 1 of the Arts & Leisure section on the new conservative film movement. Reporter James Ulmer did a nice job on the piece - in large part because he got the players right, and really captured some of the personalities.

There are a few points Govindini and I made in the article that bear repeating - because they come up so often on our discussions in this subject. First of all this movement is not about serving the Republican Party, even if many of us do vote Republican. Yes, this is a movement driven by values - but also by aesthetics, which is where politicians and Beltway pundits are hopelessly lost at sea. Here are some of the relevant quotations:

And some show business conservatives say they fear that overt political connections will turn off audiences. “It never works when politicians come to Hollywood to try to influence content,” said Govindini Murty, a Hindu actress and right-wing advocate who appears frequently on conservative talk shows. “Democrat or Republican, they should just stay away.”

Ms. Murty and her husband, Jason Apuzzo, while leery of political control, aren’t shy about promoting their own political message. These two budding filmmakers founded the Liberty Film Festival, which supplies ammunition for what Mr. Bannon calls “the right’s propaganda war with the left.”

Last year’s festival - the first, which used the slogan “Liberating Hollywood One Film at a Time” - offered more than a dozen documentary features and shorts by activists forging a feisty brand of ideological filmmaking. Popular entries included Evan Maloney’s Brainwashing 101, an indictment of what he calls “the left-wing indoctrination on college campuses"; Roger Aranoff’s Confronting Iraq; Michael Wilson’s Michael Moore Hates America; and the eponymous comic short “Greg Wolfe: Republican Jew.” The next festival is in October.

In addition to meeting at Liberty and on its blog, “Libertas” (libertyfilmfestival.com/libertas/), Hollywood conservatives gather at the Hollywood Congress of Republicans, a grass-roots political and social group that, its Web site, hollywoodrepublicans.com, says is seeking to “transform the political landscape of the entertainment industry,” and the author David Horowitz’s Wednesday Morning Club, whose political guests in the past have included George W. Bush when he was still governor of Texas. There is also the Sunday Evening Club, a semi-regular get-together organized by the screenwriter Craig Tipley and the actor Robert Davi; Ms. Murty called this group “the secret underground,” and Mr. Bannon dubbed it “some of our ‘friends of Dorothy,’ ” meaning working professionals who prefer to be discreet about their political affiliations in Hollywood.

Mr. Apuzzo said that many young conservative activists were “inspired to take up their cameras and find their voice” in response to Mr. Moore’s Fahrenheit 9/11. “So we’re indebted to Mr. Moore in that respect,” he said. As a one-time Hollywood outsider who ushered political documentaries into the realm of mass appeal, Mr. Moore is, paradoxically, a role model for these young conservatives.

“Five years from now, all I hope is that filmmakers to the right have the same access to distribution that Michael Moore has,” said Mr. Maloney, the maker of Brainwashing 101.

And the crucial point we all agree on is the need to lead with artistry, more than ideology:

Even the outspoken Mr. Bannon thinks that little will be gained if conservative ideology moves too far in front of conservative art. “We have the money, we have the ideas,” he said. “What we don’t have - and what the left has in spades - are great filmmakers.”

For my part, I also wanted to caution conservatives not to become too enamored of the documentary form - particularly in terms of its ability to influence people emotionally. This is what films do especially well - but it’s not something documentaries do particularly well. This is why I said in the article:

“When we finally move away from the literalness of documentaries and into narrative movies,” he [Apuzzo] said, “we’ll find the real power of our stories.”

A few further comments are in order about one aspect of the article. One might have the impression from reading the article that this is an exclusively religious movement, motivated by the evangelical zeal of conversion (note how many times the word “evangelical” appears in the article). It’s easy to have this impression, based on Mel Gibson’s The Passion being such a rallying-point for our movement, and due to some of the Christian-themed projects floating around out there. I must beg to differ, though, with this interpretation of what’s going on.

For one thing, one might just as well look to the Ivy League/liberal arts for the ‘origins’ of this movement. For example, among those of us here who do LIBERTAS, there are 3 Yale degrees, Stanford and Oxford Ph.Ds, and a USC Cinema MFA. Our friend Steve Bannon, who is extensively featured in the article, has a Harvard degree. Evan Maloney is a Bucknell guy … and so forth. I’m not trying to boast about this stuff here, it’s just that there is a tendency in the media to associate ‘conservatism’ with primitive religious phenomena, atavistic urges, regression to the Dark Ages, etc. And we have to be careful about this.

Walden Media’s Mike Flaherty (Chronicles of Narnia ), for example, is a Tufts graduate whose primary mission is to rejuvenate reading in this country; he’s simply using the medium of film to, in essence, ‘cross-pollinate’ literature. Lionel Chetwynd is an Oxford man, whose film and TV work has a decidedly scholarly-historical bent. I could go on, but perhaps you’re getting the point. This is very much an intellectual movement, almost to a fault.

Those of us who liked The Passion were not necessarily Catholics or even Christians - but people who appreciated an original, personal vision in film, and a recognition of some deeper mystery behind life’s suffering than the socialistic platitudes spoon-fed us by Hollywood/academic/Beltway liberal elites. Call it Unamuno’s ‘tragic’ vision of life, if you wish … but it’s something the public likes, and something very different than what you usually find on the E! channel.

No Franchise Sequels Here: Gibson’s Catholic/tragic vision for The Passion.

[RonDog]

See also THIS thread:

On the Right Side of the Theater Aisle - The NY Times Liberty Film Festival
NY Times ^ | 6.26.2005 | DoctorZin
Posted on 06/27/2005 12:14:40 AM PDT by DoctorZIn

By JAMES ULMER

An Excerpt:

Published: June 26, 2005

LOS ANGELES

THE film producer Stephen K. Bannon isn't just on a crusade. He's on a roll.

"Look at Feb. 25, 2004 - a watershed week for the Hollywood right," he said in his Santa Monica office while scribbling a circle around the word "Lord" on his whiteboard. "On Ash Wednesday, 'The Passion of the Christ' is released theatrically, and on Sunday, 'Lord of the Rings' - a great Christian allegory - wins 11 Academy Awards. So here you have Sodom and Gomorrah bowing to the great Christian God, and did you guys notice? No, because 99 per cent of the content in the media's sewage pipes is the culture of death, not life."

The first Liberty Film Festival, in 2004, showcased works with a conservative viewpoint...

CLICK HERE for the rest of that thread

[RonDog]

...Govindini Murty, a Hindu actress and right-wing advocate who appears frequently on conservative talk shows. “Democrat or Republican, they should just stay away.”

Ms. Murty and her husband, Jason Apuzzo, while leery of political control, aren’t shy about promoting their own political message. These two budding filmmakers founded the Liberty Film Festival, which supplies ammunition for what Mr. Bannon calls “the right’s propaganda war with the left.”

That would be THESE guys, from www.libertyfilmfestival.com:

Govindini Murty Festival Co-Director Actress/Writer Govindini Murty is the Co-Founder and Co-Director of the Liberty Film Festival, Hollywood’s first conservative film festival. Govindini also co-writes and edits LIBERTAS, the premier weblog for conservative thought on film.   She is currently a guest film critic for AMC TV’s 'The Movie Club,' and Govindini’s 'Hollywood Confidential' columns on film and Hollywood history are featured on Newsmax.com.  Govindini has also appeared on Fox News, MSNBC’s “Scarborough Country,” Fox 11 News LA, The Michael Medved Show, The Al Rantel Show, The Jim Hirsen Show, the Steve Yuhas Show, The Inga Barks Show, and numerous other talk shows. She’s otherwise worked in film, TV, commercials and theater in Vancouver and Los Angeles. Govindini came to the US to attend Yale University, where she received a BA in East Asian Studies.
Jason Apuzzo Festival Co-Director Jason Apuzzo is a writer/director living in Los Angeles, currently with several film projects in development. He is also the Co-Founder and Co-Director of the Liberty Film Festival, Hollywood’s first conservative film festival.  He also edits LIBERTAS, the premier weblog for conservative thought on film. Jason graduated from the USC School of Cinema-TV in 2001 with an MFA in Production. Prior to USC, Jason received his Ph.D. in Germanic Literature from Stanford University, and a BA in Philosophy from Yale University. Jason writes a weekly 'Hollywood Confidential' column for Newsmax, and has appeared on CNN, Fox News and numerous radio talk shows to discuss contemporary film.

[BIRDS]

I correspond with libertas, various authors at that site, and sometimes comment on their blog and more...I don't think that they need condition their "quality" of academics, however, nor fear the association with 'evangelicals' (although I don't associate evangelicism with libertas, to any degree, but I realize that uninformed liberals otherwise might and do, unfortunately).

It's a sad reaffirmation that to liberals, to be conservative is to be some form of radical, unintelligent, "religious zealot" or something. What I've decided is that to most among liberals, and certainly to many liberals in the entertainment industry, a person just.has.to.be some sort of zealous nut based upon mumbo jumbo or the like if they are conservative.

The Liberty Film Festival is also including this year a special honor to and about John Wayne, so it appears to be off to a great, second annual event.

[RonDog]

Govindini Murty
Festival Co-Director

See also THIS thread:

NEW photos!
ANN COULTER joins the U.S. Marines [and L.A. FReepers] at party after "Late, Late Show"
Ann Coulter pics from Craig Ferguson's Late, Late Show ^ | May 24, 2005 | RonDog [and FRiends]
Posted on 05/24/2005 9:11:20 PM PDT by RonDog

NEW photos!
ANN COULTER
joins the U.S. Marines [and L.A. FReepers, and our FRiends]
at a PRIVATE PARTY
after the "Late, Late Show with Craig Ferguson" taping last night!

-- snip --

Govindini Murty and Ann Coulter

CLICK HERE for the rest of that thread

[RonDog]

The Liberty Film Festival is also including this year a special honor to and about John Wayne, so it appears to be off to a great, second annual event.

From www.libertyfilmfestival.com:

The Liberty Film Festival, Hollywood’s Conservative Film Festival, Announces 2005 Festival Dates and Call for Entries

Hollywood, CA - The 2005 Liberty Film Festival, Hollywood’s premier event for conservative and libertarian film, will be held this October 21-23, 2005 at the Pacific Design Center in West Hollywood. The Liberty Film Festival showcases films that celebrate the traditional American values of free speech, patriotism, and religious freedom.

The festival is currently accepting feature and short film submissions (both documentary and narrative). The festival will hold three juried competitions for Best Feature Film, Best Short Film, and Best Screenplay (unproduced). Best Feature Film and Best Short Film winners will each be awarded the Libertas Prize. The Screenplay Competition will have a $1000 prize. The deadline for all entries is August 21, 2005.

The Liberty Film Festival continues its innovative programming this year with a Producers Series, which includes panels on Film Production, TV Production, Screenwriting, and Film Finance & Distribution. The Festival will also feature a debate on the 1950’s blacklist. Festival speakers will include Oscar and Emmy-nominated producers, directors, writers and actors. The Festival will also feature a Tribute to John Wayne, and a 100th Birthday Tribute to Ayn Rand.

The Liberty Film Festival is also pleased to announce its Board of Advisors (in alphabetical order): Stephen K. Bannon, Co-Chairman of Genius Products (distributor of films under the Wellspring, AMC & Sundance Channel labels), actress Morgan Brittany ("Dallas,” “Melrose Place"), philanthropist Paul Harberger (President, Foundation for Free Markets), film critic and national talk show host Michael Medved ("The Michael Medved Show,” Right Turns), and award-winning producer Douglas Urbanski (The Contender, Nil By Mouth). The Liberty Film Festival’s Board of Advisors brings a wealth of experience in film, television, media, and philanthropy to L.A.’s most cutting-edge film festival.

The first Liberty Film Festival drew 3000 people in October of 2004 and attracted national media attention in the L.A. Times, Wall Street Journal, New York Times Magazine, Washington Post, Chicago Tribune, Variety, Hollywood Reporter, Newsmax, Weekly Standard, Fox News, CNN, MSNBC, and NPR.

Four films showcased at the festival - In The Face of Evil, Celsius 41.11, WMD, and Impact: The Passion of the Christ - went on to theatrical distribution. The festival also spawned the popular conservative film blog LIBERTAS, which has recently been covered in Variety, USA Today and on CNN.

For details on entering the 2005 Liberty Film Festival, please visit the 'Submissions' page of this website.

[RonDog]

Mr. Apuzzo said that many young conservative activists were "inspired to take up their cameras and find their voice" in response to Mr. Moore's "Fahrenheit 9/11."

"So we're indebted to Mr. Moore in that respect," he said. As a one-time Hollywood outsider who ushered political documentaries into the realm of mass appeal, Mr. Moore is, paradoxically, a role model for these young conservatives...

Like THIS one:

CLICK HERE to watch the HILARIOUS new short film
(by FReeper AnnaZ) called "Boomerang"
about the Citizens United's "Thank you, Holllywood" billboard:



click here for the Windows MediaPlayer version

CLICK HERE for the discussion thread about that video

[RonDog]

From www.libertyfilmfestival.com:

[RonDog]

From www.nytimes.com:

June 26, 2005

On the Right Side of the Theater Aisle

By JAMES ULMER

LOS ANGELES

THE film producer Stephen K. Bannon isn't just on a crusade. He's on a roll.

"Look at Feb. 25, 2004 - a watershed week for the Hollywood right," he said in his Santa Monica office while scribbling a circle around the word "Lord" on his whiteboard. "On Ash Wednesday, 'The Passion of the Christ' is released theatrically, and on Sunday, 'Lord of the Rings' - a great Christian allegory - wins 11 Academy Awards. So here you have Sodom and Gomorrah bowing to the great Christian God, and did you guys notice? No, because 99 per cent of the content in the media's sewage pipes is the culture of death, not life."

He next circled the word "Evil," part of the title of a 2004 political documentary for which he was director, co-author and co-producer. "If the last election showed one thing, it's that culture drives politics. I want to take the form that is now owned by the left - the documentary - and use it to help drive an overall political agenda that supports the culture of life."

Though heavier than most on messianic zeal, Mr. Bannon - Roman Catholic filmmaker, conservative-film financier, Washington networker and Hollywood deal-chaser - is emblematic of a new wave in Hollywood, a group that intends to clean those media pipes with pictures that promote godliness, Pax Americana and its own view of family values. Some of these filmmakers, armed with camcorders and Web sites, are pushing overtly political projects in the blogosphere and at conservative festivals, including last year's Liberty Film Festival in West Hollywood, at which Mr. Bannon's "In the Face of Evil: Reagan's War in Word and Deed" won an award...

See also:

IN THE FACE OF EVIL

Reagan’s War in Word & Deed is a man and nation’s journey through the heart of darkness—and what that journey means for us today. This film is not a biography of Ronald Reagan, but a hard-hitting look at leadership and moral courage. Based on Peter Schweizer’s acclaimed bestseller, Reagan’s War, the new feature-length documentary film, In the Face of Evil chronicles the brutal conflict between totalitarianism and freedom as seen through Ronald Reagan’s forty-year confrontation with Communism.

View the trailer
click on the image!

www.inthefaceofevil.com

[Valin]

Great stuff!!!
FYI Jerry Bruckheimer (mentioned in the NY Times piece) has a new show coming out this fall "E-Ring" which MAY be worth a look.

[Mamzelle]

Bump--

[RonDog]

This NYT article just got a plug from LAURA INGRAHAM:

[RonDog]

You can listen to Laura online here:

www.krla870.com

[RonDog]

...In addition to meeting at Liberty and on its blog, “Libertas” (libertyfilmfestival.com/libertas/), Hollywood conservatives gather at the Hollywood Congress of Republicans, a grass-roots political and social group that, its Web site, hollywoodrepublicans.com, says is seeking to “transform the political landscape of the entertainment industry...”

From www.hollywoodrepublicans.com:

[ppaul]

RonDog:

Thanks for turning us on to this.

BUMP

[sauropod]

I'm thinking about doing this.

[rabidralph]

Cool! Let me know if you need any still images.

[AnnaZ]

I made my first feature-length doc in '99... long before F9/11, although I must admit I enjoyed "Roger and Me".

: /

"Sealed..." should be done this week. Finally.

[Coleus]

LIBERTAS
ENCYCLICAL OF POPE LEO XIII
ON THE NATURE OF HUMAN LIBERTY

THE film producer Stephen K. Bannon isn't just on a crusade. He's on a roll.

Though heavier than most on messianic zeal, Mr. Bannon - Roman Catholic filmmaker, conservative-film financier, Washington networker and Hollywood deal-chaser - is emblematic of a new wave in Hollywood, a group that intends to clean those media pipes with pictures that promote godliness, Pax Americana and its own view of family values.

[Travis McGee]

Keep your radar tuned for a brand new feature length documentary called "Ears, Open. Eyeballs, Click" by indy film maker Canaan Brumley. It follows a boot camp class all the way through 12 weeks at Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego. The film is getting terrific reviews, and was selected to air at the Marseille Film Festival next week. This is a major documentary film festival, as I understand it. It's also getting serious consideration for theatrical release. Time will tell. If it pans out, remember who told you first!