Want a seat at Saturday’s free AAAFF screening of 9500 Liberty? You might have to fight for space with State Representatives Elliott Naishtat and Mark Strama and Austin City Council Members Laura Morrison and Bill Spelman: They’re all confirmed to attend the just-added screening of Eric Byler’s new documentary about immigration policy.

Byler, the director of the award-winning narrative films Charlotte Sometimes and Americanese, will be in attendance at the screening, which is co-sponsored by the ACLU and will be subtitled in Spanish. It screens at Nov. 14, 5pm, at the Mexican American Cultural Arts Center. Wanna know more? Go here or here.

See below for film description:
Prince William County, Virginia becomes ground zero in America’s explosive battle over immigration policy when elected officials adopt a law requiring police officers to question anyone they have “probable cause” to suspect is an undocumented immigrant.

9500 Liberty reveals the startling vulnerability of a local government, targeted by national anti-immigration networks using the Internet to frighten and intimidate lawmakers and citizens. Alarmed by a climate of fear and racial division, residents form a resistance using YouTube videos and virtual townhalls, setting up a real-life showdown in the seat of county government.

The devastating social and economic impact of the “Immigration Resolution” is felt in the lives of real people in homes and in local businesses. But the ferocious fight to adopt and then reverse this policy unfolds inside government chambers, on the streets, and on the Internet. 9500 Liberty provides a front row seat to all three battlegrounds.

This article appears in November 13 • 2009.

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A graduate of the Michener Center for Writers at the University of Texas, Kimberley has written about film, books, and pop culture for The Austin Chronicle since 2000. She was named Editor of the Chronicle in 2016; she previously served as the paper’s Managing Editor, Screens Editor, Books Editor, and proofreader. Her work has been awarded by the Association of Alternative Newsmedia for excellence in arts criticism, team reporting, and special section (Best of Austin). The Austin Alliance for Women...