From the June 2006 Idaho Observer:

America: Freedom to Fascism—

"FOUR STARS (Highest Rating). The scariest damn film you’ll see this year. It will leave you staggering out of the theatre, slack-jawed and trembling. Makes ‘Fahrenheit 9/11’ look like ‘Bambi.’ After watching this movie, your comfy, secure notions about America—and about what it means to be an American—will be forever shattered. Producer/director Aaron Russo and the folks at Cinema Libre Studio deserve to be heralded as heroes of a post-modern New American Revolution. This is shocking stuff. You’ll be angry, you’ll be disgusted, but you may actually break out in a cold sweat and feel a sickness deep in your gut; I would advise movie theatre managers to hand out vomit bags.

You may end up needing one." ~ Todd David Schwartz, CBS

Cannes Premiere Gets Standing Ovation

CANNES, FRANCE —Aaron Russo’s incendiary political documentary which exposes many of the governmental organizations and entities that have abridged the freedoms of U.S. citizens had its international premiere at Cannes and won a standing ovation. The event, which was held on the beach and filled to capacity, was open to the public and drew a crowd of people who stood along the boardwalk to watch the film.

Through interviews with U.S. Congressmen, as well the former IRS Commissioner, former IRS and FBI agents, tax attorneys and authors, Russo proves conclusively that there is no law requiring citizens to pay a direct tax on their labor. His film connects the dots between money creation, federal income tax, voter fraud, the national identity card (which becomes law in May 2008) and the implementation of Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology to track citizens. Neither left nor right-wing in perspective, the film concludes that the U.S. government is taking on the characteristics of a police state. The film will open on multiple screens in cities across the U.S. beginning July 28.

The international audience at Cannes as well as the European media has been fascinated by Russo’s fiery diatribe against the direction America is heading. The discussion that followed the preview lasted for 30 minutes. Actor Nick Nolte, in Cannes for the premiere of "Over The Hedge," joined Russo during the event. "The information in this film is something everybody has to know," said Nolte, who was the lead actor in "Teachers," a film produced by Russo.

Russo, who is best known as the producer of feature films including "The Rose" with Bette Midler and "Trading Places" with Eddie Murphy and Dan Aykroyd, wrote, produced, and directed America From Freedom to Fascism. "I am disgusted by the direction America is heading," says Russo. "I made this movie because I want to live in a free country and I want my kids and grandkids to live in a free country. The American people must abandon the myth that America is still the land of liberty that it once was."

Russo’s documentary already has a tremendous grass root groundswell behind it. The film has previewed in over twenty-five cities with sold out theatres and standing ovations throughout America last spring. The website, www.freedomtofascism.com has been had over five hundred thousand (500,000) streams of the video trailer. Additionally, through the website and from grassroots screenings, over $100,000 in non-deductible donations has been collected to help with the theatrical release.

ABOUT THE DISTRIBUTION COMPANY:

Cinema Libre Studio, a full-service mini-studio that offers production, co-production, distribution (theatrical and home entertainment), foreign sales, marketing and post-production services, is best known for producing and distributing provocative independent titles in that include "Outfoxed," "Uncovered: The War On Iraq," Tim Robbins’ "Embedded Live" and currently in U.S. theatres, "Giuliani Time," For more information visit www.cinemalibrestudio.com