LOS ANGELES - September 13 - ‘Fascism’ has become the new catchphrase in the war on terror. In August, Bush coined the term “Islamo-fascism” to refer to the ideology of terrorists. Recently, Donald Rumsfeld compared critics of the Bush administration to those who tried to appease the Nazis before World War II, saying the country is facing “a new type of fascism.” Aaron Russo’s timely documentary, “America: Freedom to Fascism,” posits the idea that it is actually the U.S. government that is going down the road to fascism.

Originally shown to American audiences at test screenings in July, “America: Freedom to Fascism,” which takes on the IRS, the Federal Reserve and other organizations and entities that have abridged the freedoms of U.S. citizens, is set to open in theaters across the country. Cinema Libre Studio will release the film in cities including Los Angeles, Portland, and Denver beginning September 29 and widening thereafter.

There was a rush to the box office July 28 as “America: Freedom to Fascism” opened in test markets in New York, Chicago, Austin, Tampa and Kansas City. The estimated box office for the week was $87,400. Russo used the test markets to evaluate audience response before a wider release. The film was met with standing ovations and excellent exit polls. Now, Russo and Cinema Libre Studio will bring the film to theaters across the country.

The film has received phenomenal support from the grassroots and online community. During the test run weekend, one grassroots supporter went as far as chartering a bus from Allentown, PA to New York just to help people attend the premiere of the film and meet Russo. There have been requests from all over the country to bring the film to more cities since the initial test run. Over $450,000 has been raised to support the film through donations from grassroots supporters. There have been over 750,000 trailer views on the www.freedomtofascism.com.

Russo’s timely film connects the dot between money creation, voter fraud, the national identity card (which becomes law in May 2008), the implementation of Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology to track citizens and the evolving police state in America. Through interviews with experts including Congressman Ron Paul (R - TX), former IRS criminal investigator Joe Banister, author of “Spychips,” Katherine Albrecht, author and founder of www.fromthewilderness.com Michael Ruppert, and G. Edward Griffin (Author of “Creature from Jekyll Island”), Russo makes a startling examination of government that exposes the systematic erosion of civil liberties in America that is neither left nor right-wing.

Russo is best known as the producer of feature films including “The Rose” with Bette Midler, “Trading Places” with Eddie Murphy and Dan Aykroyd; and “Teachers” starring Nick Nolte and Morgan Freeman. To date his films have been nominated for six Academy Awards as well as seven Golden Globes. His films have won three Golden Globes and the NAACP Image Award. He also won an Emmy-award for the best television special of the year starring Dustin Hoffman and Bette Midler in 1979. He also won a Tony on Broadway for his production of “Clams on the Half-Shell Review.”

For more information about the movement behind and the film, please visit: www.freedomtofascism.com

Sources:

Bush and Islamofascism: August 7

Rumsfield and Fascism: August 29

About The Distribution Company:
Cinema Libre Studio is a haven for independent filmmakers with views, offering one-stop shopping for production, co-production, distribution, foreign sales, marketing, and post-production services. Headquartered in Los Angeles, the company is best known for distributing in theaters and on DVD titles that include: “Outfoxed,” “Uncovered,” Tim Robbins’ “Embedded Live,” “Giuliani Time” and “Through the Fire.” In the past five months, Cinema Libre Studio productions have won four awards including “Conventioneers,”(Winner of the 2006 Independent Spirit Awards ‘John Cassavetes’ Award and Best Feature at the Miami International Film Festival), “The Empire in Africa,” (Best Documentary at Slamdance 2006), and “Giuliani Time” (Best Documentary at the Silver Lake Film Festival 2006). For more information visit www.cinemalibrestudio.com.

EDITORS AND PRODUCERS:

To receive a screener or to schedule an interview with director Aaron Russo or other experts interviewed in film, contact Mary Keeler, mkeeler@cinemalibrestudio.com, 818-349-8822.

Available for phone interviews:

° Joe Banister: Former Special Agent (criminal investigator) for the Department of the Treasury, IRS Criminal Investigation Division (IRS-CID). Unable to resolve conflicts between the way the IRS administered the Federal Income Tax and Mr. Banister's oath of office, he resigned from IRS-CID on February 25, 1999.

° Katherine Albrecht: Author of “Spychips,” founder of Consumers Against Supermarket Privacy Invasion and Numbering (CASPIAN) and recognized worldwide as an expert on consumer privacy, particularly RFID technology.

° Michael Ruppert: Author of "Crossing The Rubicon: The Decline of the American Empire at the End of the Age of Oil” and founder, publisher and editor of the online newsletter, www.fromthewilderness.com.

° G. Edward Griffin: Author of “Creature from Jekyll Island” which examines the Federal Reserve System, international banking and the history of taxation. ° Sherry Jackson: Former investigator for the IRS.

THEATRICAL SCHEDULE:

OPENING SEPTEMBER 29
Portland, OR: Clinton St. Theatre
Denver, CO: Regency Theatres Tamarac Square

OPENING OCTOBER 6
Salt Lake City, UT: Tower Theatre
Tucson, AZ: The Loft Cinema
Phoenix, AZ: Harkins Valley Art
Los Angeles, CA: Laemmle’s Music Hall 3
Dallas, TX: Angelika Film Center

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