To Live and Write in LA

Archive for July, 2015

Anthem FilmFest: Top 10 Libertarian Films Rock with Jennifer Lawrence, Scarlett Johansson and Natalie Portman

“When I grow up, I want to be Dr. Manhattan,” was one of the responses Anthem Film Festival organizer Jo Ann Skousen received during the “Top 10 Films Every Libertarian Should Know” panel. Sometimes you get more than you ask for. After the audience joined the panel in suggesting films, well, there were a lot more than 10.

Anthem FilmFest: ‘Searching for Eddie Running Wolf’

Searching for Eddie Running Wolf, a feature length documentary by director Thomas Hartmann, defies easy classification.

Anthem Film Fest: County Charges Farmer $15,000 for Hosting a Birthday Party

Eight little girls at a birthday party on their neighbor’s farm; what could be more innocent than that?

Anthem FilmFest: Putting People Back Together

At the Anthem Film Festival, part of the libertarian FreedomFest conference July 8-11, 2015, at Planet Hollywood in Las Vegas, I was discussing films with a young woman who commented, “I like documentaries, but so many of them are so depressing. I want to see positive stories.” She was in the right place.

Anthem Film Fest: Help Me, Obi Penn Jillette – You’re My Only Hope

Producer Ted Balaker said, “There has always been outrage, but now with technology, we can supercharge outrage.”

Anthem FilmFest: Plato, Revolting, and Mendocino – All in a Cave

Ancient Greek philosopher Plato put in a couple of appearances at the Anthem Film Festival in Las Vegas, July 8-11. Two of the short films showed influence, if not direct inspiration, by Plato’s tale of the cave, written 2,500 years ago. The films, ‘The Cage’ and ‘Helio’ both deserve praise for supporting the human quest for freedom and individualism. Cinematically, ‘Helio’ was a winner and ‘The Cage’ was not.

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