Disney Blocks Anti-Bush Movie

The principal investor in "Fahrenheit 911", which will be screened in Cannes this month, is Miramax Films, a division to Disney co-founded by Harvey Weinstein.

Moore’s agent Ari Emanuel said Disney had pulled out because its involvement could affect tax breaks the company gets from the state of Florida, where Bush’s brother Jeb is governor, reported the Guardian.

The movie criticizes the Bush administration handling of the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

The film is highly critical of Bush’s handling of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks and his actions leading up the attacks.

"This is not an anti-Bush diatribe. It is, I hope, a skillfully made film that documents our time," Moore was quoted as saying by the New York Times Thursday.

"Fahrenheit 911" also highlights the financial connections between the Bush family and prominent Saudi families, including the family of bin Laden.

‘Monied’ Interests

In a statement on his website, Moore, 50, said: "I would have hoped by now that I would be able to put my work out to the public without having to experience the profound censorship obstacles I often seem to encounter".

"At some point, the question has to be asked, ‘Should this be happening in a free and open society where monied interests essentially call the shots regarding information that the public is allowed to see?’

"If this is partisan in any way it is partisan on the side of the poor and working people in this country ,who provide fodder for this war machine."

Moore said he was upset that Miramax would not be the distributor, adding that it was listed as producer and distributor in his contract.

"No filmmaker looks forward to this kind of fight," he said. "You want your film distributed in the way you were told it was going to be distributed."

Miramax and Disney have a contractual arrangement that would allow Disney to prevent distribution under particular circumstances, such as a budget of more than $30 to $35m or an adult rating, said the Guardian.

‘Stupid Men’

Moore used his Oscar win on March 23, to launch a diatribe on wartime Bush and his invasion of Iraq.

"We are against this war Mr Bush. Shame on you. Shame on you!" he addressed an audience of 3,500, including most of Hollywood’s top stars.

On the eve of the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq, Moore wrote a letter to Bush, hitting out his bellicose plans and branding him as a liar.

"Having survived 440 days of your lying and conniving, I wasn’t sure if I could take much more. So I’m glad to hear that today is Truth Day, ’cause I got a few truths I would like to share with you, " he told Bush. (The Letter).

Moore ran into similar interference with his book "Stupid White Men."

Publication was postponed after September 11, but later came out uncensored.

It almost immediately sold out a first printing of 50,000 and went on to top the New York Times nonfiction best seller list.