Message from Michael Moore: Sicko

"Sicko" in Top 5 Grossing Docs of All Time -- This Weekend it's "'Sicko' Night in America!"... from Michael Moore
Thursday, July 19th, 2007
Friends,
Good news! "Sicko," after less than three weeks in national release, has become one of the top five grossing documentaries of all time! So, this coming weekend, the distributor is expanding the movie by opening it in nearly 500 new theaters in small cities all over the country (for a total of nearly 1,200 screens nationwide)! From Rapid City to Carson City, from Gettysburg to Pearl Harbor, from Juneau to Battle Creek -- they're all getting "Sicko" tomorrow (Friday). Scores of cities that never have a documentary come to their local theater will now be able to see this one. It's happening all thanks to you who live in the larger cities and have supported "Sicko" so strongly. It's led the studio to say, "Let's make more prints and ship them to Oshkosh (and Beaverton and Brattleboro and Sault Ste. Marie and...)." The entire country goes "Sicko" in less than 48 hours! (Check here for the complete list of theaters showing "Sicko" in North America.)
So, friends, this is it. This is the weekend to go see "Sicko" if you haven't seen it. I get a lot of letters from people saying they plan to "get around" to seeing it "soon." Well, soon is here! Trying to get theaters to give us screens when we are up against huge summer blockbusters is an almost impossible task. "Sicko" won't be around forever. And if you're waiting for the DVD, ask anyone who's seen "Sicko" -- this is a movie you want to see with a crowd of people in a theater.
So let's pack the movie houses this weekend! Send an email to everyone you know, call your friends and tell them, "It's 'Sicko' Night in America!"
And, to show my thanks to all of you who'll go see "Sicko" this weekend, I'm going to send one of you and a guest on a free weekend to the universal health care country of your choice! That's right. You'll get to pick one of the three industrialized countries featured in the movie where, if you get sick, you get help for free, no matter who you are. All you have to do is send us your ticket stub (make sure it says "Sicko" on it and has the name of the theater and this weekend's date on it -- Friday, Saturday or Sunday - July 20th, 21st, 22nd). Attach the stub to a piece of paper with your name, address, phone number and email and send it to: 'Sicko' Night in America, 888c 8th Avenue, Suite 443, New York, NY 10019. (Yes, you have to use that old 18th century device called the U.S. Postal Service, and it has to be postmarked on or by Tuesday, July 24th). First prize is a weekend in the city of your choice: Paris, London or Toronto. This includes airfare, hotel, meals and, most exciting, a representative from their fine universal health care system who will give you a personal tour so you can see how they treat their fellow citizens. You'll meet people who pay nothing for college and citizens who are in the fourth week of their six-week paid vacation. Oh, and you'll have time to see the Eiffel Tower, Big Ben or whatever they have in Toronto that is old and tall. (If you don't have a passport, we'll pay for that, too!)
Canadians who are reading this -- you're probably thinking, "Hey, what about us? Where do we get to go?" Quit complaining! You're already there! But just to make it up to you -- and to prove we don't hold it against you for smugly walking out of a hospital with the same amount of money in your wallet that you went in with -- we'll let you participate in the drawing, too.
Thanks again to everyone who has gone to see "Sicko." Take a friend or two this weekend and celebrate "'Sicko' Night in America."
Yours,
Michael Moore

mmflint@aol.com

www.michaelmoore.com

MOCA's Optic Nerve Film Festival Thursday July 26

MOCA's Optic Nerve Film Festival
Thursday July 26 at 7 and 9 p.m.MOCA's Optic Nerve Film Festival has been, and remains to be, one of the few venues for South Florida's independent filmmakers to submit short movies (from 50 seconds to 6 minutes in length). Now in its 9th year, Optic Nerve continues to spotlight a wide range of genres including: narrative, abstract, film-noir and animation, just to name a few. After the initial screenings, one of the undiscovered magnum opuses will be chosen by MOCA's panel of judges and purchased for the museum's collection with funds provided by Starbucks Coffee Company. In the past, winning Optic Nerve pieces have easily contested those of video installation experts that are mostly seen during Miami's annual Art Basel convention. Help keep independent filmmaking in Miami alive by supporting these innovative installments. General admission is $5 and the Optic Nerve screenings are free with museum admission. RSVP is required. Seating is limited and not guaranteed. Starbucks reception between the 7 and 9 p.m. screenings.
Museum of Contemporary Art770 NE 125th St., North Miami

Taiwanese Film Nights ThursdayJuly 26

Taiwanese Film Nights
ThursdayJuly 26 at 6 p.m.The screening of "Yi Yi" is part of special programming to highlight Asian culture and history sponsored in conjunction with The Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Miami. This film complements the museum's current exhibition, "Clay and Brush: The Ceramic Art of China." "Yi Yi," by Edward Yang, is a drama that depicts a family of four who deal with their common hardships in diverse ways. Begin the evening with refreshments at the Lowe Art Museum at 6 and then continue on to the Storer Auditorium for the film, just a short walk away. Admission is free.
Begin at the Lowe Art Museum1301 Stanford Drive, UM Campus, Coral Gables305-284-3535

Casa Valentina; HOUSE OF LOVE

Coral Gables filmmaker Bruce Merwin interviews Sharon Langer, Chair Casa Valentina Board of Directors. "It was so much fun working with the folks at Casa Valentina. I shot for hours and when I went to edit the footage I realized I had many great stories to tell about a great group of girls in Miami-Dade County. I started with an interview from Sharon Langer because she told such a great story about people in our community coming together to help one another," said Merwin. See YouTube at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HFGK9rBOjFE.

After documenting the Miami International Film Festival (MIFF) for the second time Merwin realized the power of placing his work onto the Internet. "I shot all day into the night and at midnight I dropped off the footage each night for over a week. The footage was edited and placed on the Internet for the next day. I was so tiring at the time I never saw any of the work. By the time I did see what the MIFF was doing with my footage I knew it was great so I started looking for more clients to film and post onto the Internet," Merwin said.

The Casa Valentina project: HOUSE OF LOVE shows how people can get their messages out to an international audience 24/7. Merwin is located in Coral Gables and foresee a time when his calendar will be booked planning, filming, editing compressing and uploading peoples stories to the Internet. Enjoy House of Love; Casa Valentina.