Free Republic

Readers perusing the Los Angeles Times, Variety or the Hollywood Reporter earlier this month would have stumbled upon a curious sight: a full-page advertisement signed by 84 actors, producers, directors, writers and other Hollywood types condemning terrorism. Originated by actress Nicole Kidman, the signatories included William Hurt, Danny DeVito, Michael Mann, Bernie Mac, Sam Raimi, Michael Douglas, Vivica Fox, Sylvester Stallone and Ridley Scott. The advertisement focused on the recent conflict in the Middle East and deplored civilian casualties in both "Israel and Lebanon." But it laid the blame squarely on Hamas and Hezbollah for initiating the violence, as well...

The Heartland Launches New Hollywood Values Movement By Kevin Fobbs There comes a time in the history of a nation where the values and the traditions which are part of the very fabric of our being implores us to reconnect to our roots, to restore our principles and to recapture the very essence of what our traditional family values were based upon in the founding of America. The Grand Traverse Bay Film Festival which exemplified Faith, Freedom and Family as the hallmark themes of its movies that were shown also helped to point out that Hollywood and the movie makers,...

NEW YORK (AP) - Iranian director Abbas Kiarostami failed to obtain a visa in time to attend the New York Film Festival because of heightened security after last year's terrorist attacks. Kiarostami went to the U.S. Embassy in Paris to apply for a visa and waited several days before learning he'd been turned down, said Richard Pena, chairman of the festival's selection committee and program director of the Film Society of Lincoln Center. The festival tried to help him get his visa, along with Harvard University and Ohio State University. Kiarostami had planned to visit both schools during a nine-day...

Film Fest Set for Palestinian Lands Sat Sep 7,10:10 AM ET VENICE, Italy (AP) - Despite ongoing conflict in the Mideast, film organizers announced plans for what they describe as the first international film festival in Palestinian territory. The Ramallah Film Festival is set to take place April 4-9 in the West Bank city, its director Adam Zuabi said in a statement released Friday at the Venice Film Festival. "It will be an international film festival, whose main idea is to bring a little fantasy to this place, in order to make it easier for the people to cope with...