Reader Robin tells me that Clarion Fund, producers of Third Jihad, have scored a mini-coup by snagging a deal to distribute their film online (for free) with Snag Films. The company is producing an election themed online film festival with such serious titles as Inside the Bubble, Relentless, and Nightmare in Jamestown. Snag Films was founded by AOL alumni Steve Case and Ted Leonsis and describes its mission:
SnagFilms is committed to finding the world‘s most compelling documentaries, whether from established heavyweights or first-time filmmakers, and making them available to the wide audience these titles deserve.
SnagFilms.com is a website where you can watch full-length documentary films for free, but we’re also a platform that lets you “snag” a film and put it anywhere on the web. With a library of over 300 films, and rapidly growing, you’re bound to find films that resonate with your interests. We make it easy for you to find a film that shines a light on a cause you care about. You can then open a virtual movie theater on any web site, so any one can watch your favorite SnagFilms for free.
They appear to be attempting to be a guerrilla distribution outlet for indie documentaries. Getting picked up by Snag is a real coup for Third Jihad and lends it that much more legitimacy as a credible documentary, which it isn’t. I invite you to visit the site and express your feelings in the film’s comment section and provide feedback to the company executives. My own comment appears to have gotten caught in the comment filter because I used the word “turd” in describing the film. So I guess you have to be more polite than I was. But do express yourself.
By the way, in interviews Clarion staff deny their films are intended to have any political impact and that the premiere of Third Jihad during election season has any significance. This claim is given the lie by the fact that Snag is including the “documentary” in Snag the Vote: Election 08 Film Festival, about which it says:
We are in the final stretch of perhaps the most consequential election in recent history. For years, most Americans have felt that election coverage and candidate carping obscured issues and confused decision-making. So we’re taking a different approach — we want to illuminate the topics that consistently top voters’ concerns…
Here we present over 60 films mapped to the ten issues that have consistently topped national polls during this election cycle…
Pick the issue below that matters most to you and start there. Instead of 30-second ads or sound bites, you will see long-form, substantive, and high-quality documentaries…Time is short, the stakes are high.
“High quality??” I’d say Snag has gotten itself snagged in the wily subterfuge of Clarion’s stealth marketing campaign on behalf of its pro-McCain film series.
UPDATE Richard, Snag Films has removed the dvd, SUPPOSEDLY at the request of the film maker, which wasn’t the deletion notice that was originally there which was “sorry we can’t find what you are looking for” which is still there if you link to “view more” on the front page of Snag
Are we to believe that the Clarion fund suddenly didn’t want their film to be posted on the website owned by Steve Case, co-founder of AOL and his wife Jean Case? Well, methinks there was a bit of a conflict with the submission and the acceptance of the dvd to begin with. It was removed after my comments and an email I sent to the website. Here are the comments I left.
Posted 10/15/08 by Robin on The Third Jihad
Rick,
I am more than willing to engage you as the CEO of SnagFilms who has chosen to feature this film. If you have checked the emails for submission of films, then you would see that I addressed an email to Jean Case who with her husband, Steve Case, are founders and supporters of this website and the Case Foundation
Have you watched the film Rick? Because if you haven’t I suggest both you and Jean Case do so, in full length since you have chosen to host an abridged version here to be disseminated to blogs, Facebook, other websites by “snagging it”
It starts out with the hostage/murder in the Russian school, note be taken, these were Muslims. It then gives the number of more than 30 “terrorist plots” uncovered before they could take place. It cherry picks the “Sears Tower plot”. Link to
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miami_bomb_plot_to_attack_the_Sears_Tower
The film erroneously claims government victory when there has been NO government victory, only two mistrials and evidence to the contrary, that this was a government sting to CREATE a so called terrorist plot. Does this film say that? Not hardly, with dramatic music playing in the background it gives “proof” that Muslim bogey men are at large using this faux example.
Last week Rick I attended a “premier” of the full length version of “The Third Jihad”. The “premier’ which I attended had been scheduled by members of Brigitte Gabriel’s ACT for America. The same Brigitte Gabriel who stated, “”The difference, my friends, between Israel and the Arabic world is the difference between civilization and barbarism. It’s the difference between goodness and evil [applause]….and this is what we’re witnessing in the Arabic world, they have no soul! They are dead set on killing and destruction.” – Bridgette Gabriel, CUFI 2007.
The audience as they let out made it abundantly clear that we are in a war with ISLAM which attempting to take over America. We must be hyper-vigilant against ALL Muslims.
On Monday I came face to face with Gregory Ross, spokesman for the Clarion Fund, producers and disseminators of this film. After informing him of my experience I asked him if the Clarion Fund was willing to put on their website a public disclaimer that their film was not to be used in any fashion shape or form to spread hatred or distrust of Muslim Americans at large. He refused to do this Rick, instead stating to me that they cannot control how their film is used.
What You’re Talking About
Posted 10/15/08 by Robin on The Third Jihad
In addition Rick, I find this film which has been chosen to be hosted here at complete cross purposes to Mrs. Case’s work with U.S.-Palestinian Partnership where CERTAINLY she works with Muslim Palestinians both in Palestine and here in the US. Just yesterday she attended a summit meeting for this organization with Condaleeza Rice who appointed her.
In the full length version of this film Jasser gives a chart and claims that by the year (I believe 2100), Muslims will constitute 20% of the US population due to 1)Islam is the fastest growing faith in the US 2) their birthrate is higher.
He has provided proof positive of what occurs when the Muslim population reaches 20% by showing Muslim riots in Europe where the population in some countries has reached that critical mass. He then states, “People say that Muslims in America are assimilated, I’m showing you proof that a large majority of them are not, it is only a matter of time before what has occurred in Europe occurs here” WITHOUT stating the fact that millions of Muslims live in Europe peacefully.
Rick, is this the sort of scare tactic Mrs. Case would want to further? Especially in light of her work with Condaleeza Rice who is working til the last days of this administration to try to establish peace in Israel/Palestine (and Palestine is obviously majority Muslim)
Mrs. Case was also a Bush appointee to President’s Council on Service and Civic Participation. President Bush himself has stated quite clearly that Muslim Americans are not to be scapegoated and has called PUBLICLY for full restraint in attacking or condemning them. Is not the purpose of this film, and those who are using it as their tool at complete cross purposes to his call?
These are some questions I think need to be answered Rick, because anti-Muslim sentiments are at an all-time high in this election, and this website is offering the means by which to spread them.
Thank you.
So now it’s gone POOF, because Clarion has asked it to be removed until further notice. How gracious of them!
Why no post about the PFLP’s threat to kill Avigdor Lieberman? Is it because you think that with his views, he brought it on himself?
@Yoni: Do you think I’m Zeus on Mt Olympus? I can’t read yr mind, man. If a news item interests you why don’t you provide a link so people can judge what you’re talking about?
As far as I’m concerned Lieberman is a filthy slime not much better than Meir Kahane. I don’t relish the idea of him being ‘offed’ by the PFLP or any other terror group. But if it happened it would be a case of “reaping what you sow.”
Thanks for clarifying.