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Anti-Bush film gets US release
02/06/2004 09:37 - (SA)
Los Angeles - Michael Moore's award-winning documentary Fahrenheit 9/11 has picked up a US distributor and will hit US theatres on June 25.
The film will be released by a partnership of Lions Gate Films, IFC Films and the Fellowship Adventure Group, which was formed by Harvey and Bob Weinstein specifically to market Moore's film.
Moore's film, which recently won the top prize at the Cannes Film Festival, criticises President George W Bush's response to the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks and connects the Bush family with Osama bin Laden's.
The Weinsteins, who run Miramax Films, bought the rights to the movie from The Walt Disney Co, which owns Miramax and refused to distribute Fahrenheit 9/11.
The Weinstein brothers will personally finance and control distribution and marketing, they said on Tuesday.
"I am grateful to them now that everyone who wants to see it will now have the chance to do so," Moore said.
"On behalf of my stellar cast - GW, Dick, Rummy, Condi and Wolfie - we thank this incredible coalition of the willing for bringing Fahrenheit 9/11 to the people."
Disney chief executive Michael Eisner said the company "did not want a film in the middle of the political process" because he believed that theme park and entertainment consumers "do not look for us to take sides".
In a settlement reached last week, the Weinsteins repaid their parent company for all costs of the film to date, estimated at around $6m. Any profits from the film's distribution that go to Miramax or Disney will be donated to charity.
- AP
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South Africa
