2017 GI Film Festival

THE GI FILM FESTIVAL MARCHES BACK TO WASHINGTON, D.C.

11th ANNUAL “SUNDANCE FOR THE TROOPS” RUNS MAY 24^th– 28^th 

The Nation’s Only Military Film Festival Announces 2017 Lineup

Fest Program includes 50+ film premieres and scheduled appearances by Tom Berenger, Judd Nelson, Jamie Kaler, Ayla Brown, VA Secretary Dr. David Shulkin, Rep. Tim Walz, and Rep. Jack Bergman

The GI Film Festival (GIFF), the nation’s premiere entertainment enterprise exclusively dedicated to presenting the veteran experience through film, television and special events, today announced its lineup for the 11th annual event, running May 24 – 28, 2017 in Washington, D.C. (See www.gifilmfestival.com.)

This year’s five-day program boasts a dynamic lineup of 50+ films, interactive Q&As with filmmakers and on-screen talent, an embassy soiree, live music, stand-up comedy, star-studded red carpets, and awards ceremonies, all honoring and lending a voice to the veteran community.

“The quality, depth and diversity of this year’s GI Film Festival film line-up is staggering,” says GI Film Festival Chairman and Co-Founder Brandon Millett.  “We have packed this year’s fest schedule with films of every genre, from action films to historical documentaries, animated comedies to dramas, thrillers to sci-fi films. Start to finish this is the best group of films we’ve ever showcased.”

Hailed by Bloomberg News as “Sundance for the Troops,” the GI Film Festival’s mission is to preserve the stories of military veterans through film, television and dynamic live special events. Since 2007, the GIFF has spearheaded the lead-up to Memorial Day in our nation’s capital by offering the country’s most expansive view of military themes on film.

In addition to its film line-up, the festival also provides a wide range of other entertainment and educational experiences. Including, for the first time, a live two-hour variety show entitled, “The Cinematic Salute to the Troops” on Saturday night, May 27th at the Howard Theater. Hosted by Navy veteran, television host and comic Jamie Kaler, the event will also feature appearances by actors Tom Berenger and Judd Nelson, a musical appearance by former American Idol contestant Ayla Brown, a short film presentation and awards.

The festival will also hosts a Congressional Reception, “Veteran Health: A New Hope,” featuring guest speakers Dr. David Shulkin, Secretary of Veterans Affairs, and Congressmen Tim Walz and Jack Bergman. On Friday, May 26^th, GIFF will host a “Pitchfest” where filmmakers will present their best film and television ideas to top industry professionals. Sunday night, May 28^th, the festival will close with a special sneak peek of the epic 18-hour documentary series The Vietnam War, including a special message from Director Ken Burns during the festival’s “Best of Fest” Awards show.

Ticket prices range from $15 for a matinee screening with filmmaker Q&A to $375 for a festival “all access” pass providing access to select official GIFF screenings and special events. See www.gifilmfestival.com for a full schedule of events and to purchase tickets.

GI FILM FESTIVAL 2017 SELECT FILMS AND DESCRIPTIONS:

For the full 2017 festival and events schedule, please visit: www.gifilmfestival.com.

(Note: Details, including screening times, subject to adjustment.)

·        2 SIDES PROJECT (Documentary Feature): American and Vietnamese sons and daughters—who had all lost fathers fighting on opposite sides during the war—gather together in Vietnam seeking healing, closure and peace. [Thursday, May 25, 2:30 – 4:30 pm, U.S. Navy Memorial Theater.]

·        THE RIFLEMAN’S VIOLIN (Documentary Short): Revisit an extraordinary intersection of history and music that took place in July 1945 as Harry Truman, Winston Churchill and Josef Stalin prepared to negotiate the post-WWII fate of the world. With wit and verve, 90-year-old virtuoso violinist Stuart Canin recounts how, as a 19-year-old GI, he performed privately for the Big Three to break the ice of tense negotiations over the division of Europe and the prosecution of the war against Japan. [Thursday, May 25, 6:30 – 8:30 pm, Embassy of Canada. Part of International Warrior film block.]

·        AMERICAN VETERAN (Documentary Feature): An intimate documentary portrait of Army Sergeant Nick Mendes, who was paralyzed from the neck down by a massive improvised explosive device in Afghanistan in 2011, when he was 21 years old. The film weaves together Nick’s past and present to show a nuanced portrait of a quadriplegic soldier’s sometimes harrowing, sometimes romantic and often surprisingly funny life. [Friday, May 26, 2:50 – 4:30 pm, U.S. Navy Memorial Theater.]

·        AFTER FIRE (Documentary Feature): AFTER FIRE highlights the challenges faced by the fastest-growing group of American veterans: women, who now account for one in five new recruits to the U.S. Armed Forces. Demonstrating courage during their military service and resilience in its aftermath, these women warriors confront the fallout of their experiences on their personal lives as they adjust to the civilian world. [Saturday, May 27, 12:30 – 2:30 pm, U.S. Navy Memorial Theater. Part of “Women Warriors” film block.]

·        COMEDY BOOTCAMP (Documentary Short): Meet the newest class of veteran comedians as they learn to use humor as a way to share their journeys and connect their stories to others. With a concluding White House performance, the participants share their stories of resilience, hope and humor. [Saturday, May 27, 3:00 – 5:00 pm, U.S. Navy Memorial Theater. Part of “Returning Home” film block.]

·        THE JOCKSTRAP RAIDERS (Animated/Narrative Short): THE JOCKSTRAP RAIDERS takes place during World War I in Leeds, England. A group of underdog misfits are excluded from the war due to various abnormalities. Threatened by the invading German Kaiser and his army, they must learn to become a team and overcome their deficiencies in order to save Britain and the world. [Saturday, May 27, 6:45 – 9:15 pm, The Howard Theater. Part of the “Cinematic Salute to the Troops.”]

·        THE COLONEL (Narrative Short): THE COLONEL begins in 1969 when a heralded Marine, Hap Tasker, on the brink of promotion to Brigadier, is told he has a deficient heart that prevents him from future military service. Crestfallen, he turns his disappointment into determination to continue serving his country through instructing his nation’s youth in his “time honored values,” by building a football program at a private high school battling rebellion, entitlement and bankruptcy. Based on a true story. Starring Kevin Durand. [Sunday, May 28, 12:30 – 2:30 pm, U.S. Navy Memorial Theater. Part of “Honor and Sacrifice” film block.]

·        STEALING VALOR (Documentary Short): This film examines military impostors and the phenomenon known as “stolen valor.” Veterans who make up an informal network of watchdogs work to expose these impostors and bring their lies to public exposure. [Sunday, May 28, 12:30 – 2:30 pm, U.S. Navy Memorial Theater. Part of “Honor and Sacrifice” film block.]

·        GARY SINISE: ALWAYS DO A LITTLE MORE (Documentary Short): Long before his role as Lt. Dan in the wildly successful film FOREST GUMP, Gary Sinise had developed a passion for the men and women who step into harm’s way to secure the freedom we enjoy as Americans. This film takes a look at the origins of Sinise’s commitment to the U.S. Military community, Veterans, First Responders and their families, and his unwavering dedication to serve them at every opportunity. [Sunday, May 27, 3:00 – 5:00 pm, U.S. Navy Memorial Theater. Part of “Honor and Sacrifice” film block.]

·        THE LIBERATION OF KUWAIT (Documentary Feature): Twenty-five years after the tanks of Saddam Hussein’s vaunted Republican Guard rolled into Kuwait, THE LIBERATION OF KUWAIT tells the story of a resilient Kuwaiti people skilled in diplomacy, and one of the most stunning, lopsided military victories in history, led by a brilliant American military. [Sunday, May 27, 5:30 – 7:30 pm, U.S. Navy Memorial Theater. Part of “Remembrance” film block.]

2017 GIFF XI sponsors include: TriWest Healthcare Alliance, USAA, The Military Times, The Gary Sinise Foundation, American Airlines, Pentagon Federal Credit Union, Got Your 6, Stars and Stripes, WMAL, and many more sponsors and partners. See here: https://gifilmfestival.com/sponsors-2017/.

The Unholy Trinity By Matt Walsh

THE UNHOLY TRINITY:

BLOCKING THE LEFT'S ASSAULT ON LIFE, MARRIAGE, AND GENDER

By TheBlaze contributor Matt Walsh

For years, conservative Americans have felt they have been under attack. Now, in a surprising turn of events, with a Republican-controlled presidency, Senate, and House of Representatives, many in the nation feel empowered to challenge the cultural revolution that quickly redefined the beliefs and traditions that many in the nation hold dear.

Matt Walsh, a contributor to TheBlaze, believes that this is the time to take a close look at the values that are under attack from the Left. In his new book, THE UNHOLY TRINITY: Blocking the Left's Assault on Life, Marriage, and Gender, Walsh, a lifelong Catholic, driven by his faith, draws on conservative Christian and political teachings that expose liberal hypocrisy concerning abortion, gay marriage, and the redefinition of what it means to be a man or a woman.

In The Unholy Trinity, you'll learn:

• That "liberalism" is really just the worship of self - the belief in the supremacy of the individual;
• How modern liberals promote tolerance and acceptance as not just cardinal virtues, but the only virtues;
• Why abortion is liberalism's crowning achievement;
• How feminism has been hijacked by ideological pirates;
• How gay marriage is lauded and celebrated in the mainstream; and
• About the insanity of transgenderism.

While conservatives have worried endlessly about peripheral issues, Walsh contends, liberals have been hard at work chipping away at the bedrock of our civilization, and putting a new foundation in its place. Liberal attitudes on abortion, gay marriage, and gender identity have radically altered the public discourse, dangerously placing man above God and the individual above the good of the whole. 

The potential consequences are dire, Walsh believes. If progressivism can bend life, family, and sex to its whims, he says, it has established relativism over God as the supreme law, which not only causes confusion and strife, but has the power to upend Western civilization. With his convictions, Walsh demands that conservatives stand up against what he sees as the value-bending ideologies that looks to unravel the fabric of traditional culture in America. 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Matt Walsh is a writer, speaker, and one of the religious Right's most influential young voices. His columns on TheBlaze are read by millions of people. You can learn more about the book at unholytrinitybook.com.

Horowitz Targets SoCal Schools with Posters Opposing “Sanctuary Campuses”

Horowitz Freedom Center Targets 11 Southern California Schools with Posters Opposing “Sanctuary Campuses”

Freedom Center Calls for the Withdrawal of Federal Grants and Prosecution of University Administrators who Refuse to Uphold Federal Immigration Law

The David Horowitz Freedom Center is putting up the posters that are appearing on the campuses of 11 Southern California schools in the UC and Cal State system.  These posters are part of a national campaign targeting university administrators who flagrantly break federal immigration law by supporting “sanctuary campuses.”

“This ‘sanctuary movement’ is a concerted effort by left-wing administrations in major American cities to undermine federal immigration law and cripple the efforts of the Department of Homeland security to protect American citizens from terrorist threats,” says David Horowitz, CEO of the Freedom Center.  “Rather than having second thoughts about this movement, which has led, among other things, to murders and other crimes committed by the illegal immigrants to whom sanctuary cities give immunity and protection, the left has doubled down and is now working to spread this seditious movement from our cities to our colleges and universities.

Close to 30 campuses in the U.S. have already declared themselves “sanctuaries,” with dozens more now considering adopting this status as a result of an open “escalation campaign” by student groups attempting to undermine the Trump presidency, and in particular its efforts to secure America’s borders and deport criminals who have entered the country illegally.

The Freedom Center’s campaign demands a withdrawal of federal grants from universities that embrace this seditious principle. It also calls for the prosecution of those administrators like UC President Janet Napolitano and Cal State Chancellor Timothy P. White, who have implemented measures that prohibit campus authorities from cooperating with federal immigration officials and enforcing existing federal laws.  The Freedom Center will press this case with legislators in the states where sanctuary campuses are located and particularly to those sitting on Higher Education committees.

“The growing movement for sanctuary campuses is not just another fad in the 'social justice' agenda sweeping higher education,” says Freedom Center CEO David Horowitz.  “It has direct and serious implications for national security. Would a sanctuary campus forbid the FBI and ICE from investigating a student suspected of terrorist activities, for instance?  Would it prohibit these agencies from trying to find out what campus resources such a student had access to?  Or the networks he or she had built in support of a possible terror plot? These are not far fetched scenarios given the support for Hamas and other radical Islamist groups that now exists among leftist political student groups throughout American higher education.”

The Freedom Center began its campaign opposing sanctuary campuses in the state of California - ground zero of the resistance to the Trump administration’s efforts to crack down on illegal immigration and particularly criminal aliens. University of California president Janet Napolitano has taken the lead in appeasing immigration radicals.  After awarding $5 million to enhance access to funding and other aid for the hundreds of illegal immigrants now attending UC schools, she prohibited campus police on the UC campuses from giving any cooperation to federal immigration officials.

That this attack on federal immigration law generated contempt for the law itself was clear last month when Berkeley immigration radicals prevented activist Milo Yiannopolous from speaking about the Freedom Center’s No Sanctuary Campuses campaign.  The riot that ensued led to over $100,000 in property damage and to serious injuries for several bystanders the rioters attacked. No arrests were made.

“This is a situation that cannot be allowed to stand,” declared Horowitz. “If the illegal immigrant’s first act on American soil is to break U.S. law, these university administrators are extending that lawlessness into society’s most important intellectual institutions. Our campaign will galvanize trustees, alumni and attorneys general to take action against these administrators who are thwarting American law and will also make this case to the American public whose taxes underwrite most of these institutions.”

Talk Radio Host Takes on the Left in New Book

Whether you're a conservative wanting to instill good, old-fashioned values in your children, a Christian wanting to preserve your 1st Amendment rights to worship freely, or someone fed up with the politically correct, walk-on-eggshells society that we have become, you'll enjoy talk radio host, Joe Messina's new book, Ramblings of a Right Wing, Bible Thumping, White Guy - a humorous yet serious look at the problems facing America today.

In his new book, Messina takes an honest look at the issues of our day with common sense analysis. It's a light, easy read breakdown of all that's gone on during and after the presidential election. Messina tackles everything from racism to religion, to media bias, to safe spaces, and, yes, even women's issues. If you're not supposed to talk about it in 'polite' circles, you'll likely find it in this book.

In his big Italian family, Messina reflects that the daily conversation always happened around the kitchen table, where they'd mull over the goings on around town and the big news stories around the world. There was an inherent common sense passed down from one generation to the next at those dinnertime discussions that stayed with him all his life.

On his daily radio show, with his unapologetic approach to real world issues, Joe takes on the progressive socialist liberal agenda that promotes an "anything goes" attitude. He believes these liberal principles have been and will continue to ruin this country if we allow them to pervade.

In his new book, Joe Messina asks:

• Why has the left become so violent and bombastic?
• Why are the Democrats so out of touch with their own party?
• Why do some people see nationalism as a threat to our freedom?
• Why do the very people who say they want fair and equal education for everyone
  seem to get in the way of fair and equal education for those who need it most?
• Why have U.S. college campuses become leftist propaganda cesspools?
• How PC (political correctness) and the PC police are destroying free speech.

Cop Under Fire By Sheriff David Clarke

Sheriff David Clarke: New Book Tackling Controversial Issues of Race, Religion, Politics and Patriotism

From the TV studios of FOX News to the stage at the Republican National Convention, Milwaukee County Sheriff David Clarke Jr. speaks passionately on controversial issues, earning him both fans and critics across the country.

Now, in Cop Under Fire: Moving Beyond the Hashtags of Race, Crime and Politics for a Better America, Sheriff Clarke navigates the choppy waters of race, religion, politics, and patriotism, while sharing how America can once again become a great nation under God.

In Cop Under Fire, you'll learn about:

• How Sheriff Clarke's faith helps him to do his job and understand the problems in urban America today;
• The real meaning behind hate groups like Black Lives Matter and leftist ideology in America;
• Racial tension, animosity and violence toward law enforcement professionals;
• The Second Amendment and how important it is in America today;
• Homeland Security, the TSA and intelligence failure; and
• Border protection and illegal immigration in the new Trump era.

Written in his characteristically no-nonsense style, Cop Under Fire examines the ways in which America has become increasingly polarized in recent years. With growing racial tension, animosity toward law enforcement, government corruption, and disregard for the constitution, no easy answer is in sight.  

But Sheriff Clarke knows where we must begin: we must stop blaming others; look at our problems with open eyes; take ownership of our family, community, and country; and turn to God for solutions.

"You might pick up this book because you have seen me on television or heard me on the radio," says Sheriff Clarke. "But I have to admit: most hand-wringing pundits have no idea what they're talking about when it comes to 'police brutality,' racial politics, and the intersection of law enforcement and some of the poorer people of America. I want to shed light on these topics to give Americans a better understanding of the scope of the problem, the challenges we're facing, and - hopefully - some solutions."

Deeply rooted in Sheriff Clarke's personal life story, Cop Under Fire is not a dry recitation of what has gone wrong in America. It's about the issues that deeply affect us today - both personally and politically - and how we can rise above our current troubles to once again be a truly great people in pursuit of liberty and justice for all.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: David A. Clarke Jr. was elected to serve as Milwaukee County Sheriff in 2002 and has served in the position for four consecutive terms. He was honored with the 2013 Sheriff of the Year Award from the Constitutional Sheriffs and Peace Officers Association, and in 2016 he was named Law Enforcement Leader of the Year by the Federal Law Enforcement Officer Association Foundation. He is a graduate of the prestigious FBI National Academy in Quantico, VA and received an M.A. in Security Studies from the U.S. Naval Postgraduate School, Center for Homeland Defense and Security. He is a regular and frequent guest on Fox News Channel.

Trump Book Hits New York Times Bestseller List

Trump Book Hits New York Times Bestseller List

Despite a major media blackout of a blockbuster new book on the Trump presidency, The New York Times reports that it is debuting at No. 6 on its bestseller list.

In this Sunday's New York Times, David Horowitz's Big Agenda: President Trump's Plan to Save America, will be the No. 6 bestseller in the nation for both hardcover nonfiction books and e-book/hardcover nonfiction.

Released the week of President Donald Trump's inauguration, the book immediately shot to the top of online bestseller lists, including Amazon.

Big Agenda is the first major book to be released on Trump's presidency. It reveals what Horowitz says is Trump's "secret plan" to radically change America and roll back President Barack Obama's policies in his first 100 days.

Big Agenda has been hailed by leading conservatives, including Rush Limbaugh, Ann Coulter, Lou Dobbs and others for its surprising predictions about Trump's agenda. [more...]

Watch David Horowitz on Hannity.

"Big Agenda" By David Horowitz

Horowitz's 'Big Agenda' Reveals Trump's Coming D.C. 'Earthquake'

Donald Trump's victory in the 2016 election was more than a historic upset. It was the beginning of a major political, economic, and social revolution that will change America - and the world - forever.

So posits New York Times bestselling author David Horowitz in his new book, out this week: Big Agenda: President's Trump's Plan to Save America, which is the first major book to be released on Trump's presidency, and reveals major components of his "first 100 days" plan and first-term agenda.

Radio host Rush Limbaugh has praised Big Agenda, saying it "provides a clear assessment of the challenges the new president faces and a road map for a winning agenda that conservatives will embrace."

Big Agenda is published by Humanix, which also offered the #1 bestselling book on the 2016 campaign with its "Armageddon: How Trump Can Beat Hillary."

Like Armageddon, Horowitz's Big Agenda gives the inside scoop on Trump's plan and his strategy to take back Washington. Few know Donald Trump and his top administration players and advisers like David Horowitz, one of the nation's foremost conservative commentators.

Big Agenda shows that Trump is not just seeking to implement a populist plan as America's first citizen president, but is intent on defeating and rolling back Barack Obama's progressive agenda.

Big Agenda presents the Trump White House battle plan to halt the Democrats' march to extinguish the values America holds dear. 

Big Agenda details President Trump's likely moves, including his:

• First wave of executive orders - amending and repealing Obamacare, restoring Guantanamo, Keystone XL, nixing amnesty.
• Surprising judicial appointments - Supreme Court and the federal judiciary.
• Radical changes to federal rules & regulations - Obama's gun restrictions, EPA overreach, and a New Deal for black America.

With the House and Senate in GOP hands, plus a Supreme Court soon to follow, President Trump will have a greater opportunity than even Ronald Reagan to reshape the American political landscape while securing the nation's vital security interests abroad.

"No president since FDR and his famed '100 Days' has the chance Donald Trump has," Horowitz argues.

But he writes that the GOP and Trump must recognize they are not fighting policy ideas, but an ideology - a progressive one with a radical agenda to stop Trump in an effort to reduce America's power and greatness.

Big Agenda is a rallying cry and indispensable guide for how to claim ultimate victory for the conservative cause. 

Horowitz writes, "One battle is over, but there are many more to come. This book is a guide to fighting the opponents of the conservative restoration. It identifies who the adversaries are - their methods and their motivations. It describes their agenda - not merely the particular issues with which they advance their goal, but the destructive goal itself. And it lays out a strategy that can defeat them."

David Horowitz is a noted conservative commentator and New York Times bestselling author. He is the founder and CEO of the David Horowitz Freedom Center in Los Angeles and the author of The Black Book of the American Left. 

WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING ABOUT Big Agenda

"Provides a clear assessment of the challenges the new president faces and a road map for a winning agenda that conservatives will embrace."

- Rush Limbaugh

"With trademark candor, Horowitz lays out a Trump agenda for restoring the country and sinking the ship of the left once and for all."

- Dinesh D'Souza

New York Times Bestselling Author of Hillary's America

"A compelling road map for Donald Trump - a must read for everyone concerned about the future of America."

- Peter Schweizer

New York Times Bestselling Author of Clinton Cash

"Progressives have declared war on America and Donald Trump. Every conservative should arm themselves with this brilliant battle plan for beating them back and winning the war."

- Ann Coulter

Bestselling Author

"David Horowitz brilliantly illuminates the road forward for conservatives in America."

- Milo Yiannopoulos

Breitbart News Technology Editor

The Truth About Obama's Legacy

Director Joel Gilbert is available to discuss Obama's farewell address as well as Obama's legacy in light of his research and revelations about Obama's background, as chronicled in his film, Dreams from My Real Father.  Gilbert details new information obtained from meeting with Obama's best friend in high school, Keith Kakugawa, in Corcoran State prison, including when and how Obama discovered Soviet agent Frank Marshall Davis was his real father. Gilbert also goes in depth on Obama's radicalization by Frank Marshall Davis in his youth, Obama's junior year abroad in Pakistan, and how Obama successfully obscured his radical agenda in order to get elected twice to the Presidency. [more...]

About: Joel Gilbert is both a filmmaker and political and foreign policy commentator. Gilbert has written and directed recent political documentary feature films on Barack Obama, Dreams from My Real Father and There's No Place Like Utopia, as well as on the Middle East conflict, Farewell Israel and Atomic Jihad. Gilbert was a videographer and media advisor to the Ted Cruz for President campaign, and then produced the Super Trump Times Square video ad and the widely- seen documentary Banished - The Story of Bill Clinton's black son. Gilbert has also produced documentary films on music icons like Bob Dylan. Gilbert gives hard hitting insight from a behind-the-scenes perspectives, and is known for his outspoken criticism of Barack Obama and the radical Left.