The American Film Renaissance Festival (Oct. 1 - 4)

Yes, Virginia, there are conservatives in Hollywood and some pretty talented ones at that. Among them are actors Gary Sinise (“CSI: NY”), Jon Voight (“National Treasure”), Kurt Russell (“Escape from New York”), James Woods (“Shark”), Kelsey Grammar (“Frazier”) and Patricia Heaton (“Everybody Loves Raymond”), screenwriter Bob Gale (“Back to the Future”), novelist Andrew Klavan (“True Crime”), filmmakers Clint Eastwood (“Mystic River”) and John Milius (“The Wind and the Lion”) and comedian Dennis Miller. (For those who listen to Miller’s radio show, I am the regular caller known as “Doug from Maryland.”)

But judging by the election year statements from Hollywood celebrities, you’d think that conservatives in the entertainment industry have pretty much gone the way of the dodo. It is precisely this impression that The American Film Renaissance was created to correct. Founded by Jim and Ellen Hubbard, the AFR has been sponsoring alternative film festivals around the country since 2004.

Starting this Wednesday, Oct. 1, the AFR will be hosting its 5th annual film festival here in D.C. The two most high-profile items on the schedule are the opening of “An American Carol” (Oct. 3) and the D.C. premiere of “The Dukes” (Oct. 1), a comedy about a once popular do-wop group who, having fallen on bad times, plan a heist. “The Dukes” is the directorial debut of actor Robert Davi (“Profiler,” “License to Kill”) who also stars, along with Chazz Palminteri and Peter Bogdanovich. Davi will be appearing in person and doing Q&A after the showing.

“An American Carol” is, of course, a parody of guess-what, co-written and directed by David Zucker (“Airplane”), in which left-wing documentary filmmaker Michael Malone (Chris Farley’s brother, Kevin, as a caricature of guess-who), is visited by the ghosts of three great Americans who teach him the meaning of patriotism. (Whether this turns out to be Zucker’s return to the heights of “Ruthless People” and the “Naked Gun” movies remains to be seen.)

Other films featured include an intriguing low-budget thriller called “Dangerous Calling” and the documentaries “Blocking the Path to 911,” “U.N. Me” and “Do As I Say,” based on the best-seller by Peter Schweizer. For information and tickets, call 202-375-7837 or visit www.afrfilm.org.

Topics: Film Festivals