Neo Ned

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Neo Ned is an indie film about the unlikely love story between two mental patients; troubled lost souls who are institutionalized in the same asylum. Ned (Jeremy Renner), a white male neo-nazi, and Rachel (Gabrielle Union), a young black woman who believes she's the reincarnation of Adolph Hitler.

It was written by Tim Boughn and directed by Van Fischer (Blink of an Eye, aka Urban Jungle). It had its world premiere in the Narrative Feature Competition of the 2005 Tribeca Film Festival. The film also won Audience Award at the 2006 Slamdance Festival. Neo Ned continues to burn up the independent festival scene in 2006 winning best audience awards at the Ashland film festival and Sarasota film festival. Neo Ned won most outstanding achievement in film making at the Newport Beach film festival in 2006. Neo Ned also swept the Palm Beach film festival winning best actor, best actress, best director and best feature. At the recent San Diego film festival in September 2006 the movie won people's choice and best screenplay.

The movie Neo Ned finished filming in the year 2004 yet the movie has won nine awards at film festivals. The film has generated a large amount of buzz in the independent film world. So many bloggers wonder what is the problem? Why hasn't the movie obtained distribution? Van Fisher has spoken that there has been talk of distribution but distributors "worry" about how to market the film. Some bloggers believe ironically that Hollywood racism and American prejudice against white men loving black women is the real cause. Yet the movie has had stellar reviews in Variety, Hollywood reporter, Los Angeles Times, International Herald Tribune, and New York Times. One argument is movies such as Edward Norton's 1998 hit film American History X about a white male supremacist has found distribution, why hasn't Neo Ned? Others believe that perhaps Neo Ned upsets the Jewish community because of the Hitler factor and some believe its just a plot device. On the African American website www.playahata.com in the September 2006 archives there is a discussion about the movie Neo Ned and Gabrielle Union's involvement in the film. Some African American bloggers on www.playahata.com crticized Union for being in a movie that involves an interracial romance with a white man. Gabrielle Union has been labelled a "sell out" to the African American community for kissing a white man in the film. Others thought the movie was racist against African Americans because the N word is used often. Other bloggers on IMDB.COM believe Neo Ned is the best film of 2006 and should be distributed.