Free Republic

While “Jurassic World” swallows the box office, the White House has requested a copy of a more rarefied film based on the life of James Gralton — the only Irishman ever deported from Ireland, in 1933. Spies said President Obama and his family plan to watch “Jimmy’s Hall,” by social-realist UK filmmaker Ken Loach, on their upcoming Martha’s Vineyard vacation. (It’s PG-13.)

MELBOURNE (AFP) – Filmmaker and activist Ken Loach has moved to withdraw his work from Melbourne's International Film Festival in protest against partial sponsorship from Israel, a report said Saturday. Loach, whose work The Wind that Shakes the Barley won the Palme D'Or at Cannes in 2006, wrote to the festival's director Richard Moore threatening to pull his film Looking for Eric because the event had received Israeli funds. "Palestinians, including artists and academics, have called for a boycott of events supported by Israel," wrote Loach, according to The Age newspaper.

LONDON (EJP)--- Prominent British film director Ken Loach has called for a boycott of state-sponsored Israeli cultural institutions in response to Israel’s actions in Lebanon, and has encouraged others to follow suit. The 69-year-old winner of this year’s Palme d’Or award at the Cannes Film Festival has also refused an invite to attend this year’s Haifa Film Festival in protest against Israel’s actions during the recent hostilities in Lebanon. He said: “I support the call by Palestinian film-makers, artists and others to boycott state sponsored Israeli cultural institutions and urge others to join their campaign. “Palestinians are driven to call...