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In a win for filmmakers, the U.S. Senate has given final approval to a bill loosening restrictions around shooting in national parks without a permit.

The passage on Thursday, a day after a lawsuit was filed seeking to overturn federal permit and fee requirements on free speech grounds, cleared the bill for consideration by President Biden, who’s expected to sign the measure.

In a statement, Alexander Rienzie, the filmmaker who sued the government, said the move will spur production from “outdoor filmmakers who struggled to navigate the outdated and arbitrary permit system.” He added, “We’re deeply grateful for the legislators on both sides of the aisle that stood up for free speech and the rights of Americans across the country.”

National Press Photographers Association President Carey Wagner called the bill’s approval a “remarkable victory for the First Amendment rights” of members, who sought protections for the...

Two filmmakers are suing to overturn government guidelines requiring a permit to film in national parks.

In a lawsuit filed Wednesday in Wyoming federal court, Alexander Rienzie and Connor Burkesmith challenge the constitutionality of federal permit and fee requirements on First Amendment grounds. They accuse National Park Services of censoring speech by requiring advance permission to film commercial content.

In a statement, Burkesmith stressed that “independent filmmakers don’t have the resources of the big production companies.” He added, “It’s a gut punch every time we throw down hundreds of dollars, only to be denied permits for reasons that are vague, arbitrary and unfair. As someone who needs to film outdoor sports where they happen, it’s a threat to my livelihood.”

The permitting scheme dates back to 2000, when lawmakers passed a law regulating commercial filming on federal lands motivated in part by major studios shooting in national parks.

Turn Trailer. AMC and Rupert Wyatt‘s Turn (2014) TV show trailer stars Jamie Harris, Aidan Fiske, Gordon Price, W. Keith Scott, and Jamie Bell. Turn‘s plot synopsis: “’Turn’ is a spy thriller set during the American Revolutionary War. Based on remarkable new research featured in the book “Washington’s Spies,” [...]

Continue reading: Turn (2014) TV Show Trailer: AMC’s Story of America’s First Spy Ring...

The first trailer for the horror feature The Watermen is below and the film stars Jason Mewes (Clerks II), and Richard Riehle (Halloween II). This is an independent production from Seven Cities Media and the clip below shows one fisherman aka waterman with a bad temper and a dislike for fishing youths. The clip is rated mature and horror fans will enjoy the villainous characters inside, whom resemble another hooked antagonist from I Know What You Did Last Summer (1997).

The short synopsis is here:

"A clan of watermen capture a crew of sport fishermen who must then fight for their lives" (IMDb).

Director/writer: Matt L. Lockhart.

Cast: Floyd Abel, Blakely, Bunnell, Scott Davis, Joy Glass, Luke Guldan, Tara Heston, Jason Mewes, Joe Monds, Ashley Myers, Richard Riehle, and Gordon Price.

The trailer for The Watermen is here and is mature rated (sexual suggestiveness, violence, language, sado-masochism):

*estimated budget $1 million.