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July 26, 2005
'Mainstream' against 'extremist'Traverse Bay Freedom Filmfest says its films aren't politicalByRecord-Eagle staff writer 
Aldrich calls her FilmFest a conservative alternative to the larger Traverse City Film Festival, which opens Wednesday. That festival is the baby of Michael Moore - an Oscar-winning liberal filmmaker whose name is decidedly well known nationally, inspiring both admiration and acrimony. Aldrich spearheaded what early announcements dubbed a "counter festival ... in response to Michael Moore" after appearing at a June 6 Traverse City Commission meeting. At that meeting, "extremist Moore," as she consistently refers to him, and his planning committee asked for - and got - permission to show free movies at the Open Space. She said city officials seemed excited about Moore, the festival and films he wanted to bring to Traverse City. "It appeared to me they could hardly contain themselves when he came lumbering into the room," she said. "There are a lot of other people to get excited about than extremist Moore." She enlisted the help of Rhoads, a friend and Hollywood actress. Rhoads approached American Film Renaissance, a nonprofit conservative film festival in Dallas. And the Traverse Bay Freedom Film Fest was born. "He can't come here to northern Michigan and think we're a bunch of hicks up here and we're not going to challenge what he says," said Aldrich, who moved to Suttons Bay five years ago after living in Los Angeles for 32 years. "He picked the wrong town, the wrong state and the wrong country. "Michael Moore is an outsider, a superior capitalist, and he is dictating, coming in here." Some of the Traverse City Film Festival's 31 movies are good, she said. "But in some of them, he has this underlying covert propaganda. I've seen those movies: America is bad, big business is evil, and there are no terrorists." Moore, who grew up in the Flint area and has a home in Antrim County, has said many times that his festival, which has support from across the political spectrum, is non-political. The festival's sponsors are all listed on its Web site, and include more than 110 individuals and businesses such as WTCM Radio, which carries Rush Limbaugh and other conservative programming; Fifth Third Bank; and many downtown merchants and area professionals. Former Michigan Gov. William Milliken and his wife, Helen, are sponsoring a film on closing night; Rep. Kevin A. Elsenheimer, R-Bellaire, is also a supporter. While he has referred to Aldrich's festival as "the publicity stunt people," Moore declines additional comment. Festival manager Jason Pollock said "tons of Republicans" are supporting the festival, coming together with Democrats for an event that "has nothing to do with politics." Author Doug Stanton of Traverse City, a co-founder with Moore, also was reluctant to discuss the other festival. He would only say that his father had a 35-year career working for the city. As a lifelong resident of Traverse City himself, he views the festival as "a homage to my hometown." "We need to tell stories to each other, to bring people together," he said. "And movies do that." ALDRICH'S COFOUNDER Cheryl Rhoads, listed as the Freedom Film Fest's co-founder, is on the Celebrity Advisory Board of the Parents Television Council. She has given several speeches and published articles about what she says is a liberal bias in the entertainment industry. Rhoads said the timing of Aldrich's call to her was serendipitous. A friend of Aldrich's from California for 16 years, she was already scheduled to be in Onekama attending a family reunion and visiting Aldrich in Suttons Bay this week anyway. "It was kind of like, 'Let's be Judy Garland and Mickey Rooney and put on our own show...All I did was decide to stay a few more days and do this film festival. Why not? I was going to be there anyway," Rhoads said. Rhoads, who plays Mother Goose in children's videos, doesn't object to all of the films in the Moore-affiliated festival, but she likens the event to a food allergy. "It's like if somebody has a food allergy and they're rushed to the emergency room and doctors and nurses were to say 65 percent of the food you ate was just fine, only 35 percent is poison, you'd go, 'Great. It's still poison.' " ABOUT AFR Official sponsor American Film Renaissance is a conservative nonprofit organization in Dallas founded by Jim Hubbard and his wife Ellen. Both attorneys, they formed AFR after the choices at a movie theater left them wanting "product for just regular Americans." "We had a choice between 'Bowling for Columbine' - you know, Michael Moore's movie - and 'Frida,' which is about a Communist artist, and some other film," Hubbard told the St. Petersburg Times. A June 2004 Hollywood Reporter article posted on AFR's Web site when AFR was established bears the headline, "Michael and them: Moore foes hold fest." That article quoted Hubbard saying AFR is bankrolled primarily by some "big-time conservative donors." To date, they've held a conservative film festival in Dallas and helped with another in Arkansas. As of last week, callers to their office get a recording saying they're closed for July due to the film festival in Michigan. In an interview last week, Hubbard said AFR was coming to Traverse City because of Moore and the festival. "But our mission is not to slam Michael Moore. It's to promote another view of America," he said. Aldrich said their protest and festival are "our statement to the world." "We're the mainstream," she said. "They are the infinitesimal extremist fanatics." Hubbard insists his festival's films aren't political. (See film list.) 'HEARTLAND WAY OF LIFE' Aldrich has framed the premise for her festival around the theme of "a heartland way of life." To explain, she said that she knows Iranians in Beverly Hills, African-Americans living in the ghettos of south-central Los Angeles and many people in the entertainment industry who are all living a "heartland way of life." She defines that as meaning they love their families, go to church, earn good salaries and send their kids to good schools. Yet, she said, Hollywood typically mocks traditional values and people of faith. "Not only do they (not show) films that show our heartland way of life, they mock it," she said. "I lived there. I know that. "A heartland way of life is not a geography. It's a state of mind." Meanwhile, back at the Traverse City Film Festival, Stanton said, "We have popcorn to make." Features editor Kathy Gibbons contributed to this article. See Related Stories: FilmFest is 'one-woman show'; Donors prefer to remain anonymous - July 26, 2005 TC Film Fest movies AFR objects to - July 26, 2005 Coming back to her roots: Aldrich motivated by Moore's politics - July 25, 2005 AFR Freedom FilmFest opens next Friday - July 22, 2005 Conservatives offer alternate film festival - July 7, 2005
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