Posted on 07/25/2004 11:45:31 AM PDT by John Jorsett
Remember Elian Gonzales? His deportation to Cuba was probably the "tipping point" that gave Republicans control of the White House in the 2000 elections, as Cuban-Americans who had previously voted for Clinton switched sides or stayed home. Result: Florida was lost to the Democrats, and George Bush entered the White House. The issue was so emotional, that memories might affect the outcome of this year's Presidential contest.
Now Agustin Blazquez says the American Film Institute is blacklisting his new documentary film Covering Cuba 3: Elian , after a successful showing at the Miami Film Festival. Blazquez produced and directed o the documentaries "Covering Cuba", (which premiered at the American Film Institute cinema in the Kennedy Center); "Cuba: The Pearl of the Antilles"; "Covering Cuba 2: The Next Generation" and "Covering Cuba 3: Elian". You can watch a clip at his website.
It would seem a timely film, and therefore natural for AFI's Washington, DC audience. But no go. AFI won't show it.
Blazquez says the reason is political censorship by the federally subsidized organization, "which is illegal."
Here's the full text of Blazquez's press release charging the AFI with blacklisting, contrasting its refusal to show his film with the AFI's dumping an Orson Welles retrospective for Michael Moore's "Farenheit 9/11":
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Agustin Blazquez, producer and director of documentaries, says of the decision of the American Film Institute (AFI) Silver Theater in Silver Spring, Maryland to show the newly released controversial documentary Fahrenheit 9/11:
“It is ironic that they will show this documentary after they rejected mine because they considered it ‘too controversial,’ and they don’t like to show ‘controversial films.’
“The AFI, which in 1995 showed my first documentary of the series COVERING CUBA at a sold-out screening at the Kennedy Center, this time told me after I had been waiting for an answer for eight months, that after viewing about 10 minutes of it, that this documentary [COVERING CUBA 3: Elian] was too controversial and they wouldn’t show it.
“Actually this boils down to what all Cuban American filmmakers and artists in general have experienced in the U.S., which is simply discrimination for political reasons, which is illegal.
“The fact that it is all right to show a highly controversial far-left, anti-American, anti-Bush, anti-Iraq war, anti-U.S. military and anti-U.S. soldier film reveals clearly where the AFI’s heart is, in addition, of course, to making money off of a controversial film that generates curiosity.
“And, obviously, the offer of the film by Moore’s distributor to AFI was last minute. The Orson Welles films on the AFI’s schedule to be shown during the period Fahrenheit 9/11 is being shown were bumped. Besides the money they will rake in due to all the free publicity the film gets it will put its newly opened Silver Theater on the left-wing map.
“However, my so-called ‘too controversial’ documentary about the tragedy of the 6-year old boy Elian Gonzalez is censored and not allowed to be shown to the AFI’s audience.
“The AFI certainly has a double standard deciding which controversial films fit their political bias. Art and politics dance together at the AFI.”
The AFI are bunch of JERKS.They will show garbage like 9-11 but will not show history.
Oh yeah, it's OK if they do it to a non-LEFTIE film/actor/producer/writer.
Screw AFI.
I'm a taxpayer. I'd like to see the film. Why would they censor a real documentary, and release a fictitious movie like Moores?
It sounds like this organization needs to lose it's funding ASAP.
Any petitions out there to release this movie?
Is there an email link or mailing address or phone number for AFI?
You know what the excuse will be, their attorneys tell them this runs counter to the new campaign finance laws restrictions. They will claim the showed F911 before the date driven restrictions kicked in or that showing F911 was an error.
The number one purpose of our system of laws under the rule of law, is that the majority of the people will agree to maintain the peace in exchange for people adhering to the agreement. Our not shooting at each other in large numbers, trumps whatever else may result from our efforts.
Elian was a watershed case on that point, here at Free Republic, prior to the Presidential Elections in 2000. Many members of the forum would bend or break the law in order to return Elian to his father.
I like the idea of Elian being with his father, but I do not like the idea that we violate the Constitution and its limits upon government action in order to do so, as was done so, by Attorney General Janet Reno (and others).
Because, while some may be unhappy that Elian would not be returned to communist Cuba and his father, the threat of civil unrest because the U.S. Attorney General broke the law, is a much more serious problem and a dangerous precedent, even a bad omen of things to come.
Only so many bent laws will do, for making special cases out of the next, and then the next ... and so on ... cases. To the point where, will you, they, all of us know when to turn back and not further violate our most important protection: That we limit government?
The grief of losing thousands or hundreds of thousands or even millions of lives because people have failed to limit government, is on record over the last 100 years, as being something more memorable than making ourselves briefly feel good by dismissing our prime responsiblities, in order to reunite father and son.
I'm glad that father and son are together.
I can imagine millions of fathers and sons who otherwise would be together, if not for our failure to limit government.
That is bad news and it is very important Kerry not win and more important to increase the number of Republicans in the house and senate.
Your tag line is fact, but Me say that they should not be even included in the hierchy
Correction:
I can imagine millions of fathers and sons who would be together, if not for our failure to limit government.
No, I think we should take AFI on and I hope this guy does. If they're going to show Moore's tripe, they sure as hell can't claim controversialty. I hope he winds up owning the institute.
The Elian case had one tremendous benefit: it tipped Florida to Bush. Had it not happened, I'm convinced we'd have President Gore right now, and God knows where we'd be in going after the terrorists.
Cuba PING
Thanks for posting...I will have to send the link along to a couple friends!
Howard Stringer's resume:
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Sony Corporation of America
Vice Chairman, Sony Corporation
Chief Operating Officer, Entertainment Business Group, Sony Corporation
As Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Sony Corporation of America, he oversees Sony Pictures Entertainment, the parent company of Columbia Pictures, Sony Pictures Television and Sony Pictures Digital; Sony Music Entertainment Inc., one of the largest music companies in the world; and Sony Electronics Inc., the company's U.S. based electronics hardware sales, marketing and manufacturing business.
Prior to joining Sony, Mr. Stringer had a distinguished 30-year career as a journalist, producer and executive at CBS Inc. As President of CBS from 1988 to 1995, he was responsible for all the broadcast activities of the company including entertainment, news, sports, radio and television stations. Under his leadership, the CBS Television Network became the first network to rise from last to first place in one season. In 1993, in what became one of the most chronicled coups in television history, Mr. Stringer convinced David Letterman to bring his critically acclaimed late night show to CBS.
From 1986 to 1988, Mr. Stringer served as President of CBS News, where he developed several new programs including the award-winning 48 HOURS, which continues as a primetime hit to this day. Prior to that, during his tenure as executive producer of the CBS EVENING NEWS with Dan Rather from 1981 to 1984, that program became the dominant network evening newscast of its day. From 1976 to 1981, while Mr. Stringer was executive producer of the CBS REPORTS documentary unit, it won virtually every major honor, including 31 Emmys, four Peabody Awards, three Alfred I. duPont-Columbia University Awards, three Christopher Awards, three Overseas Press Club Awards, an ABA Silver Gavel and a Robert F. Kennedy Grand Prize. Among his award-winning programs are THE ROCKEFELLERS, THE PALESTINIANS, A TALE OF TWO IRELANDS, THE DEFENSE OF THE UNITED STATES, THE BOAT PEOPLE, THE BOSTON GOES TO CHINA, THE FIRE NEXT DOOR, and THE CIA'S SECRET ARMY. Mr. Stringer earned nine individual Emmys as a writer, director and producer from 1974 to 1976.
I think you have your answer now.
IT's beyond belief. The Elian movie is "too controversial" but Moore's "docufictionary" is not.
They are a bunch of anti-freedom hypocrits.
Where would we be in going after terrorists with Prez Gore? We'd rolling over on our backs and peeing on ourselves begging the terrorists to please, please stop hurting us.
BTTT
Ever notice thats its an error or inadvertant or wow my bad that was an oversight? but when its a conservative doing something? well WATCH OUT.
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