Fearing IRS, film center drops Obama documentary
U.S. Sen Barack Obama has come up against a force in his presidential campaign that no degree of popular support can overcome -- the Internal Revenue Service.
The Gene Siskel Film Center had scheduled the documentary "Senator Obama Goes to Africa" to be screened later this month, but fearing it could be construed as support of a candidate -- and thus endanger the film center's not-for-profit status -- all screenings of the film have been cancelled until Obama's presidential campaign is over.
(AP file)
The documentary chronicles Obama's 2006 trip to Africa, centering around the senator's emotional homecoming to Kisumu, Kenya, his father’s former home, where thousands turned out to meet him.
"We pulled it because, as a not-for-profit organization, we don't want to give the perceived aura of supporting any candidate," Jean de St. Aubin, executive director of the Gene Siskel Film Center, said.
"We are not showing it at this time because we could lose our not-for-profit status," she explained. "The IRS is very strict" about such matters.
The movie was scheduled to be screened Jan. 19 and 22, and de St. Aubin said the film center would like to screen it in the future, but will wait until either Obama is defeated in the primaries or November election, or elected president.