Sundance Channel

The Gr8 Debate

Paul Ohan — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 21:20:50 +0000

Photo by Jennifer Morrow, used under a Creative Commons license. No one gets a crowd to mingle and chatter better than the Gays, stereotypes be damned. So when the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled Proposition 8 was just a hate monger of a bill that looked to treat a section of tax paying Americans and their families as second class citizens, the bull horns and boutique hand soap boxes came out of the closet faster than the freshman class of High School for the Performing Arts. Everyone got to talking, tweeting, instagramming, and expressing them selves in anyway they felt prudent.

Agenda 21: First, they came for the light bulbs

Jeff McIntire-Strasburg — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 18:07:12 +0000

Remember when threats of a global government were symbolized by black helicopters and implied by the phrase "New World Order." They're so 20th century, it turns out: these days, the phrase "Agenda 21" and compact fluorescent light bulbs are the new signs of "They're coming to get you." Agenda 21 - it does sound a little spooky. You might think of it as a plan for world domination cooked up by a cabal of wealthy evildoers in a dark backroom. In truth, it's much more innocuous: Agenda 21 is the title of a non-binding plan released at the 1992 Conference on Environment and Development in Rio. No secrets or backrooms here: Agenda 21 even has its own UN website.

Robert Redford, Sundance and the State of the Union

Michelle Byrnes-Carney — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 21:41:23 +0000

America has got some issues and this year's slate of Sundance films is full of stories about 'em. Festival founder Robert Redford stopped by to talk with Sundance Channel about those issues, and he's got some valuable insights into the role independent cinema has to play in sharing stories about them.

And you thought Mississippi was conservative? Meet Mitt, Ron, Newt, & Rick

Em and Lo — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 18:00:00 +0000

Women's reproductive rights haven't been this threatened by a group of Republican presidential hopefuls in decades. As Rachel Maddow summarized brilliantly the other night, Rick Santorum, "libertarian" Ron Paul, Newt Gingrich, and Rick Perry have all signed pledges backing the Personhood movement that aims to make all abortions illegal (even in the case of rape and incest) by defining fertilized eggs as people, which would in turn ban most forms of birth control. Mitt Romney hasn't signed anything yet, nor did he attend the Presidential Prolife Forum in South Caroline this past Wednesday like all the others, but he did tell Mike Huckabee last October that he "absolutely" would have supported a personhood amendment to his state's constitution when he was Governor of Massachusetts. Rick Santorum is the only one -- so far -- who's actually said out loud that birth control is "not okay" and is a dangerous problem in this country, but that kind of thinking is basically built into the personhood movement (whether these candidates, who will say anything to appease their religious base, realize it or not). So you know where these guys stand.

GOP candidates summarized in hand signals

Matthew Rodriguez — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 21:05:20 +0000

BuzzFeed (going increasingly political with their recent hiring of Ben Smith from Politico) has a hilarious photo recap of the recent GOP debates that's focused on simply their hand gestures. My favorite is the one above of Romney displaying the "He Was THIS Tall" expression.

Newt Gingrich at sites of great tragedy

Matthew Rodriguez — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 18:07:14 +0000

The Atlantic highlighted this odd, to say the least, photo found on Newt Gingrich's website of the suited up presidential hopeful and his wife Callista posing in front of the gates of Auschwitz, the Nazi concentration camp. This might seem like a cheap shot at a presidential candidate, but regardless of the individual, there's a weird tone-deaf vibe and lack of awareness to this photo that gives me the same discomfort I feel whenever I see tourists posing with bright smiles in front of somber sites or memorials of great loss. Many Internet memes belong to the subgenre of image macros that includes superimposing a certain Photoshopped picture (most recent example: Pepper Spraying Cop) With the above, unfortunate photo Newt Gingrich might enter a pantheon that is even more indelible than being POTUS: A new meme.

Legalizing The Gays

Paul Ohan — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 18:46:09 +0000

A lot of people think the end of the world is something that will happen abruptly when no one’s expecting it, like a great flood (Katrina), or massive earthquake (there’s a big one yearly—Haiti, Virginia all the way up the east coast—but who’s counting) or even an alien race intent on genocide before plunging the planet’s natural resources. But good social conservatives, and the occasional homophobe, have been seeing the warning signs for decades. Slowly but surely equal rights have been granted to homosexuals in America. Can you believe it? They want to be like everyone else. Here are a few highlights from the past that make this eschatological theory plausible.

Occupying the mountaintop–Tennessee’s prayers for the planet

Jeff McIntire-Strasburg — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 18:09:49 +0000

While those of us following the Occupy movement online or on television may see it as a fairly conventional protest movement, complete with marching and chanting, a quick look at various encampments (or remnants thereof) around the country shows something quite different: alternative communities that value the input of all participants. Those communities themselves are the real protest: by living something quite different, even temporarily, Occupiers are able to highlight the absurdities of the current political structure.

Naked news: the frothy mixture edition

Em and Lo — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 18:00:38 +0000

With Santorum's recent surge in the polls, it's important to take time out to remind ourselves what a crazy sex-police zealot he is:

Writing about Santorum's "Google problem," a New York Times writer says Dan Savage's prank was in response merely to the senator's opposition to gay marriage, so Dan Savage sets him straight (try Santorum's comparison of homosexuality to bestiality and child rape); the writer corrects his mistake.
On Funny or Die, Dan Savage comedically threatens to change the definition of the name "Rick" if Santorum doesn't agree to stop attacking gay people during his campaign.

Rick Santorum’s twin: McLovin

Matthew Rodriguez — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 17:36:17 +0000

While digging through the Internet time capsule, someone found Rick Santorum's high school yearbook photo and apparently he is the twin of "McLovin", the memorable awkward character played by Christopher Mintz-Plasse in SUPERBAD (actually all the characters were pretty awkward, weren't they?). Along with the unfortunate looks, maybe this presidential hopeful's (sorry, just threw up a little in my mouth at that thought) odious views are some form of repressed retribution for his own frustrating, sad high school social experience, theorized this arm chair psychotherapist.

The frothiest comments on Iowa GOP results

Matthew Rodriguez — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 18:26:15 +0000

The big political news in the States this morning is Rick Santorum's resurgence in the GOP race (otherwise known as the hilarious new reality show The Amazing GOP Race) with his nearly come from behind upset over Mitt Romney, which may please the Santorum campaign and supporters (did they celebrate with some orders of Santorum salad?), but it sure freaked everybody else out. At least it made the Internet gleeful for all the NSFW pun opportunities. It's not a big secret that the number one return when you Google search "Santorum" is an explicit sexual definition, which was payback initiated by columnist Dan Savage following the senator's hateful comments on homosexuality. Here are some of the best comments I've seen so far this morning from various corners of the Internet and friends on the Iowa GOP nomination results:

A Republican primary style guide

Paul Ohan — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 16:37:58 +0000

Art plays an important role in society. It is a cultural mirror, a telling portrayal of some of our more irrational or eccentric tendencies. We appreciate the perspective it provides, but it’s always more entertaining when life imitates art, as was the case with Rick Perry’s latest presidential commercial. Tricky Ricky asserts that openly gay military personnel are the latest abuse of separation of church and state. Meanwhile, he’s dressed as Ennis Del Mar, America’s tragic man crush. Guess Rick went to the loo during the thirty-second guy on guy love scene in Brokeback Mountain. What else could explain his sartorial choice? No matter, the look works for him. Here’s a quick style guide for a few of the other 2012 Republican contenders. Lights, camera, and all that jazz.

And now for something truly mortifying: overwrought teenage anti-choice poetry

Em and Lo — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 18:00:33 +0000

Embarrassing diary entries, old yearbook photos, junior high love letters -- it's all fun and games until someone breaks out their unhinged teenage anti-choice poetry.

Redford urges Obama to stop the Keystone XL pipeline

Perrin Drumm — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 16:34:59 +0000

Robert Redford delivers a powerful message to President Obama, asking him to say no to the Keystone XL pipeline that threatens to destroy "the bread basket of America" so big oil can turn a profit.

A GOP glossary

Em and Lo — Fri, 30 Sep 2011 17:00:45 +0000

Our friend Geoff Rice, a nimble Facebook poster and hilarious bleeding-heart liberal, recently began a GOP/Tea Party glossary in public "Note" form, defining such terms as "freedom", "immigrant" and "socialism", and calling for additional entries from readers. Here was our contribution:

Pro-Life

A belief in and dedication to the sanctity of life, except in the cases of women who might die from childbirth, prisoners on death row (even those with new evidence that may exonerate them), animals who are hunted for sport or tortured on factory farms, poor people who can't afford healthcare, and doctors who legally perform abortions (see "George Tiller").

The ability to believe that God creates all life at conception while simultaneously ignoring the fact that (when you consider the number of miscarriages women go through) God is the biggest abortionist of them all.

Redford urges resistance to the dirtiest oil on the planet

Robert Redford — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 15:56:28 +0000

When you challenge Big Oil in Houston, you can bet the industry is going to punch back. So when I wrote in the Houston Chronicle earlier this month that we should say no to the Keystone XL pipeline, I wasn't surprised when the project's chief executive weighed in with a different view. The corporate rejoinder, written by Alex Pourbaix, president for energy and oil pipelines for the TransCanada Corp., purported to cite "errors" in my oped. Let's set the record straight, point by point. First, the Keystone XL, as proposed, would run from Canada across the width of our country to Texas oil refineries and ports. It would carry diluted bitumen, a kind of crude oil, produced from the Alberta tar sands. On those points, we all agree. I say this is a bad idea. It would put farmers, ranchers and croplands at risk across much of the Great Plains. It would feed our costly addiction to oil. And it would wed our future to the destructive production of tar sands crude...

Do books ever change anything? And a note on Palin’s print problem

Perrin Drumm — Wed, 21 Sep 2011 18:45:45 +0000

With the Brooklyn Book Festival now behind us and the NY Art Book Fair just around the corner, I've been thinking a lot about the power of the printed word and whether or not books matter as much now as they used to. I'm not talking about how we're warming up to our e-readers and giving ink and paper the cold shoulder; I mean the relevancy and power of the content itself - no matter how you choose to access it.

Redford speaks out on Obama and sparks political debate

Sundance Channel — Wed, 07 Sep 2011 18:01:29 +0000

If you haven't been over to the Politico blog yet today, you might want to head over and check out the brewing debate started by Redford's comments on Obama's lackadaisical stance on environmental issues, which originally appeared on the Huffington Post. Politico's short version of Redford's longer piece is:

Is the Obama administration putting corporate profits above public health?

Robert Redford — Tue, 06 Sep 2011 20:51:03 +0000

One reason I supported President Obama is because he said we must protect clean air, water and lands. But what good is it to say the right thing unless you act on it? Since early August, three administration decisions - on Arctic drilling, the Keystone XL pipeline and the ozone that causes smog - have all favored dirty industry over public health and a clean environment. Like so many others, I’m beginning to wonder just where the man stands.

Rick Perry on abstinence-only education

Em and Lo — Thu, 25 Aug 2011 17:00:47 +0000

Rick "Hair Helmet" Perry - he's everywhere lately! (But we're with Jon Stewart: why he gets so much attention while consistent third-placer Ron Paul gets nil is beyond us.) So we're overdosing a bit on the big P - and the more we hear, the more frightened we get. Check out this YouTube clip where he struggles to answer a legitimate question: why does Texas continue to teach abstinence-only programs when they don't work, since Texas has one of the highest rates of teen pregnancy in the nation? (The Young Turks give the clip some context.) You'll get serious flashbacks to George W: the little laugh, the head shake, the grasping at straws. And no, that's not your video buffering -- he actually freezes several times as his brain tries to defy rationality and logic. If that's not enough of Perry's ass-backwards views on sexuality for you, check out the section on homosexuality from his 2008 book "On My Honor," his defense of the Boys Scouts' "American values" (read: prejudice).

Wedding photos from New York’s first day of legal gay marriage

Em and Lo — Fri, 29 Jul 2011 17:00:05 +0000

Our photographer friend David Jacobs (he took our deceptively flattering bio pic) was hired by Human Rights Campaign, a gay rights organization, to document New York's first day of legal gay marriage this past Monday at Manhattan's City Hall. HRC will soon have more on their site, but for now here's a round-up of the day's events by their National Field Director, Marty Rouse. And below is our friend Dave's take on events (he's not gay, but he's married and does rock the occasional pink shirt with flare), followed by more of his cool photos of the happy couples.

Sexist Bill Maher on sexism

Em and Lo — Fri, 22 Jul 2011 17:00:18 +0000

We’re two of those poor HBO-less saps who have to wait until the following Wednesday to get the free podcast of the previous Friday night’s episode of “Real Time with Bill Maher.” And so we only just discovered his final “New Rule” from last week: “Republicans have to stop thinking up intricate, psychological explanations for [...]

Lady Gaga asks for the repeal of Don’t Ask Don’t Tell

Sundance Channel — Fri, 17 Sep 2010 20:03:42 +0000

In the clip, Gaga addresses several senators by name — including Republicans John McCain, Kentucky’s Mitch McConnell and Oklahoma’s James Inhofe — and asks them to vote in favor of the Defense Authorization Bill, which includes language that would repeal “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.” She says: “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell” is a law that was [...]

Q&A With Artist Robbie Conal

Sundance Channel — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 21:58:35 +0000

Robbie Conal was born in New York City in 1944. He studied art at San Francisco State University and obtained his MFA at Stanford University before moving to Los Angeles in 1984. It was during this time in the 1980s that he combined his art with his social concerns: politics, power and the abuses of both. Realizing the limited opportunities for art institutions to showcase his work, he transferred his paintings to posters and showcased them on the streets of Los Angeles with the help of his volunteer “guerrilla army.” His books include “Art Attack: The Midnight Politics of A Guerrilla Artist” and “Artburn.” Sundance Channel caught up with Robbie at his studio in California to discuss his background, influences, work, and future projects.

Support grows for CRUDE team

Amy Reiter — Mon, 24 May 2010 18:10:49 +0000

More organizations have come forward to voice their support for documentary filmmaker Joe Berlinger. The director was ordered by a judge earlier this month turn over 600-plus hours of footage shot for his film CRUDE to the oil giant Chevron, which hopes to use the footage to defend itself from the litigation efforts chronicled in the film. Berlinger's lawyers have argued that the filmmaker's material should be protected under journalistic privilege and that, by turning over the footage, he would be violating an understanding of confidentiality with his subjects. Last week, as Berlinger sought to appeal the court's decision, the Writers Guild of America, East, threw its support behind the director, just as the Independent Documentary Association and 20 Oscar-winning directors had done before it. "To accede to such a demand is tantamount to a reporter being told to turn over all of his or her notes and to violate confidentiality agreements with sources," the Writers Guild wrote in an open letter. "As with the members of the IDA, our WGAE members working in the documentary field 'hold ourselves to the highest of journalistic standards in the writing, producing, and editing of our films.' Those standards include the protection of our outtakes, script drafts, research and sources."

Documentary filmmakers rally around CRUDE director

Amy Reiter — Thu, 20 May 2010 18:27:01 +0000

CRUDE director Joe Berlinger. Earlier this month, when a judge ruled that documentary filmmaker Joe Berlinger was to turn over all 600-plus hours of footage he shot for his film CRUDE to the oil giant Chevron, which is seeking the footage to help the company defend itself from the litigation efforts depicted in the film, several of Berlinger's fellow directors immediately expressed dismay at the decision and support for their colleague. "It makes me shudder to think that all that stuff would be turned over," documentarian Ric Burns (who produced THE CIVIL WAR (1990) with his brother Ken Burns) told the New York Times, "not because of any secrets that are revealed, but because of the killer blow to the trust a filmmaker cultivated, deeply, over a very long period of time." Burns contended that the ruling, if upheld, could have long-term effects. "Next time, there won't be a CRUDE. There won't be a film," he said. "That'll be good for Chevron, I guess. Because the next time you go, you're going to have a much leerier group of informants." Michael Moore (of FAHRENHEIT 9/11 and BOWLING FOR COLUMBINE) agreed. "The chilling effect of this is, someone like me, if something like this is upheld, the next whistle blower at the next corporation is going to think twice about showing me some documents if that information has to be turned over to the corporation that they're working for," Moore told the New York Times, suggesting that Berlinger resist turning over the footage "if he can." He added, "I think that he'll find that he'll have the support of hundreds of filmmakers who will back him in this." While Moore has occasionally been accused of exaggerating for effect, in this case, his prediction proved to be spot-on.

Robert Redford: “Mr. President, now is the time for clean energy.”

Robert Redford — Wed, 19 May 2010 20:15:04 +0000

Thursday, May 20, 2010, marks one month since BP’s oil rig exploded in the Gulf Coast, killing 11 people and unleashing one of the worst environmental disasters our nation has ever seen. Since then, millions of gallons of oil have gushed into the ocean, poisoning marine life and threatening hundreds of miles of coastal [...]

Academy Award winning filmmaker to screen documentary on Sundance

Sundance Channel — Tue, 23 Mar 2010 21:32:57 +0000

Directed by Academy Award winning filmmaker Cynthia Wade, LIVING THE LEGACY follows four young students as they separate from their parents and enroll in Milton Hershey School, a residential school in Pennsylvania. The film follows the children during their first school year - a turbulent, dramatic and eye-opening experience for the students and their families. One hundred years ago, chocolate magnate Milton Hershey and his wife Catherine decided to use their wealth to create a home and a school for orphaned children. Today, Milton Hershey School provides an exceptional residential education for 1,800 boys and girls at no cost to their families. In this centennial year, LIVING THE LEGACY celebrates Hersheys generosity and vision and tells a raw and honest story of our countrys youngest generation.

THE RED CHAPEL: North Korea as you’ve never seen it

Dennis Lim — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 18:40:27 +0000

Image from THE RED CHAPEL. One of the oddest non-fiction stunts in recent memory, THE RED CHAPEL combines two inherently dubious genres — the culture-clash comedy and the ambush documentary — and pushes them to surreal extremes. The film’s director, Mads Brügger, a Danish journalist, recruited two Danish-Korean performers, Simon Jul and Jacob Nossell (who is handicapped but prefers the term “spastic”) to pose as a comedy act, and convinced the North Korean authorities to allow them to perform in the country’s capital, Pyongyang, in the spirit of cultural exchange.

THE OATH: an intricate and provocative portrait of a would-be jihadist

Dennis Lim — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 18:09:10 +0000

Abu Jandal, a Yemeni cab driver and former Al-Qaeda member in THE OATH I’ll be surprised if I see a fiction film at Sundance this year that comes close to the novelistic scope and richness of Laura Poitras’s exemplary documentary THE OATH — or has a character even half as complicated as THE OATH’s main subject, Abu Jandal, a Yemeni cab driver and former Al-Qaeda member.

Madeleine Albright: Read her pins

Bradford Shellhammer — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 17:08:12 +0000

Madeleine Albright, the US’s first ever female Secretary of State, wrote a book about her pins. Yes, her pins. She used pins to subtly convey her mood, and the nation’s intentions, via costume jewelry. At one point Saddam Hussein called her a serpent; from then on she wore a serpent pin whenever Iraq was the [...]

RESTREPO, how’s this for an opening salvo?

Dennis Lim — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 19:31:17 +0000

Still from RESTREPO. How’s this for an opening salvo? RESTREPO, the first documentary to screen at Sundance 2010, kicks off with a grunt’s-eye view of being caught in a roadside-bomb explosion, and only gets more intense from there. In 2007 and 2008, journalist Sebastian Junger and photographer Tim Hetherington made 10 trips to Afghanistan’s Korengal Valley, a six-mile corridor near the Pakistan border, at the time the focal point of the fighting between U.S. forces and the Taliban. A raw, often harrowing piece of frontline reportage, the film uses post-facto interviews with the soldiers to orient the viewers, but mostly, it opts for disorientation — for the surreal ground-level experience of combat, alternating between restless downtime and confusing firefights.

2009: The Year in Pictures

Perrin Drumm — Tue, 29 Dec 2009 19:38:05 +0000

Two were killed from the explosion of a homemade bomb in Helman Province, Afghanistan.

These last few days of 2009 seem jam packed with "Top Ten" lists. The Top Ten best movies and the Top Ten worst. The Top Ten breakout designs and their designers. The Top Ten most shocking celebrity moments. The Top Ten best commercials, best albums, best nose jobs - the lists only gets more inane. Who decided on ten anyway? When we're talking about the year in general, ten just doesn't cut it. To spare you yet another numbered list, the New York Times recently published "2009: The Year in Pictures," because sometimes words just aren't enough. Take a minute to scroll through the significant moments from this past year.

Green tech finds (11/12/09)

Jeff McIntire-Strasburg — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 22:07:53 +0000

Recycled bridges, "road trains," and baby poop power... this week's green tech finds!

Electric cars: an answer for climate change... right? According to Britain's Environmental Transport Association, that may be a flawed assumption if the electric grid remains largely c0al-powered. (via AutoBlog Green)
The push-powered snow mover: If you think the available options available for shoveling snow are bad (either shoveling, or snow blowing), check out the Snow Wovel. (via Green Tech Pastures)

Are required eco-driving lessons an affront to personal liberty?

Jeff McIntire-Strasburg — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 20:30:34 +0000

Whether you agree with the argument or not, you might understand how global warming legislation might be viewed as a government intrusion into the private sector. Same might be said of the "no child left inside" bill? But mandating "eco-driving" habits be taught to teenagers? While this seems relatively harmless, a bill introduced by Detroit Democrat Bert Johnson into the Michigan legislature has spurred debate over the proper roles of both driver's education and government.

Green tech finds (10/22/09)

Jeff McIntire-Strasburg — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 21:17:03 +0000

From a green ride to a clean (hand-cranked) shave, it's all here: this week's green tech finds.

Solar that doesn't stand out: Or, not as much, anyway... Iowa's Powerfilm has developed "thin, flexible solar sheets that can be integrated with architectural building materials." (via Springwise)
Eco wifi: Australia's D-Link has announced its Green Ethernet^TM technology which "automatically detects link status and network cable length, then adjusts power accordingly." It's also allows a user to schedule wireless up time (like thermostats).

Teddy Kennedy’s environmental legacy

Jeff McIntire-Strasburg — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 15:39:05 +0000

As commentators, politicians, and friends mourn the death of Senator Edward Kennedy, much of the discussion has focused on the issue that the Senator himself described as “the cause of my life”: health care reform. A tweet from fellow green blogger Chris Baskind reminded me that Kennedy also had a strong record on environmental issues. [...]

Congress takes another shot at No Child Left Inside

Jeff McIntire-Strasburg — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 17:53:51 +0000

Richard Louv's 2005 book Last Child in the Woods introduced the phrase "nature deficit disorder" into our lexicon. Louv argued that kids spend much less time outdoors, and, as a result, not only fail to develop an appreciation for and connection to nature (and, by extension, the importance of environmental challenges), but also suffer from health problems such as obesity, attention deficit disorder, and even depression to a greater degree.

How’s President Obama doing on his energy and efficiency promises?

Jeff McIntire-Strasburg — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 17:26:12 +0000

The House's passage of Waxman-Markey (aka the American Clean Energy and Security Act) isn't just a step forward in moving the United States away from addiction to fossil fuels, and towards a cleaner energy economy; it's also evidence that President Barack Obama plans to fight for many of the campaign promises he made on energy and the environment. Candidate Obama laid out a very ambitious and comprehensive approach to energy policy, recognizing that it's intimately tied to environmental concerns and economic growth and development.

Waxman-Markey takes first step towards a cleaner, more efficient energy economy

Jeff McIntire-Strasburg — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 15:59:07 +0000

Friday's passage of the American Clean Energy and Security Act (ACES) signaled a definite shift in US policy towards energy use and climate change. Though the bill had its detractors -- most notably Greenpeace, Friends of the Earth, and even progressive Representative Dennis Kucinich (D-OH) -- ACES, or Waxman-Markey, set new standards for clean energy adoption, energy efficiency, and, most notably, greenhouse gas emissions.

European Union leaders thank activists for pressure on global warming

Jeff McIntire-Strasburg — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 18:12:07 +0000

"It was only thanks to your massive pressure over the past six months that we could so dramatically shift our climate-change policies.... To those who were arrested, we thank you." Ever heard such a statement from a politician? Me either. Yet, last week, EU leaders thanked European citizens who'd participated in months of non-violent direct action on the causes of global warming, and noted this activism had resulted in the political will to address climate change in a meaningful manner.

Sundance Film Festival Filmmaker Detained in Iran

Sundance Channel — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 21:01:39 +0000

The New York Times and the film blog Hot Splice are reporting that director James Longley was briefly detained along with his translator in the aftermath of the Iranian elections. Longley was the winner of the 2006 Sundance Film Festival Best Director, Documentary for his film IRAQ IN FRAGMENTS. He has been working in Iran on a new documentary when the riots broke out this weekend. His translator, who is Iranian, was beaten by the Iranian security forces and also briefly detained before Longley could get him released. Check out links to the Longley's impassioned reporting of the incident after the jump.

The “T” is for totalitarian

Andrew Hearst — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 18:30:59 +0000

Webnewser’s Hunter Walker made an interesting find: North Korea’s repressive regime is apparently selling T-shirts and other kitschy propaganda through Cafepress, the online custom gift store. Promoted on the official website of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, the store features stylish offerings like this one: More at Webnewser. [via Gawker.]

White conservatives can’t rap

Andrew Hearst — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 19:45:45 +0000

A couple of young conservatives put together this rap video to “promote constructive debate and tolerance”: [via Talking Points Memo.]

Frank-IN: Al Franken Finally Wins Minnesota Senate Race

Sundance Channel — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 23:00:00 +0000

Al Franken can finally declare victory tonight after a painstaking recount in Minnesota that lasted 62 days and involved the hand inspection of nearly 3 million votes. Franken, a comedian, author, radio host and host of “The Al Franken Show,” which ran for two seasons on Sundance Channel can now add Senator to his long [...]

Robert Redford: Democracy Is Working

Robert Redford — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 16:00:00 +0000

Democracy is working. At least that’s the news for now from my friends at the Natural Resources Defense Council, which has filed a lawsuit against last-minute Bush Administration plans to lease huge swaths of majestic wilderness in Utah for oil and gas extraction. Late last night, NRDC and a coalition of environmental and preservation groups [...]

Robert Redford: You Can’t Put A Price On Silence Or Solitude

Robert Redford — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 18:00:00 +0000

You can’t put a price on silence or solitude. You can’t quantify the beauty of wilderness. And yet that’s not going to stop the Bush administration from trying to sell off what should be the birthright of future generations. In three days, this Friday, 110,000 acres of majestic Utah wild lands go on the auction [...]

Robert Redford: Mr. President, Respect Our Choice

Robert Redford — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 22:00:00 +0000

Americans Rejected ‘Drill, Baby, Drill.’ Bush Should Respect Our Choice. By Robert Redford Part of the change Americans just voted for in overwhelming numbers was to move away from the failed energy philosophy of “drill, baby, drill” to a more farsighted strategy, emphasized by Barack Obama, based on clean, renewable energy and efficiency. Yet on [...]

Election 2008: The Winners

Sundance Channel — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 17:15:00 +0000

We thought about adding John McCain to the Winners list, as his loss on Tuesday assured that he won’t have the unenviable task of fixing the colossal clusterf@&% left behind by the Bush administration. But then we’d have to add Barack Obama to the Losers list (congratulations bub, it’s your problem now), and that just [...]

Election 2008: The Losers

Sundance Channel — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 17:15:00 +0000

As the political season comes to a close and we turn our attentions back to our neglected jobs, friends, spouses and significant others, we thought we’d take the time to look back at some of the winners and losers of the 2008 election. So without further ado, and because we don’t want to keep them [...]