Lou Adler

Jay Leno, Bill Maher, Peter Coyote, Cheech Marin, and others come to the defense of popular comedian Tommy Chong when he became the target of a federal prosecution under the Bush administration for selling bongs over the Internet.

A/k/a Tommy Chong -- A film depicting comedy legend Tommy Chong, of Cheech and Chong, and his headline-making legal problems with The Department of Justice.

a/k/a Tommy Chong chronicles the entrapment and incarceration of comedy icon Tommy Chong of the legendary comedy duo, Cheech and Chong. Josh Gilbert takes on the event in his documentary, and offers a sometimes frightening, often hilarious account of Operation Pipe Dreams, a nationwide drug paraphernalia sting spearheaded by a federal prosecutor named Mary Beth Buchanan, appointed by George Bush three short days after the attacks of 9/11. After fully armed SWAT teams raided the comedian's home and his business, Chong Glass, Chong was sentenced to 9 months in federal prison for "conspiracy to manufacture and distribute drug paraphernalia through his family business, specializing in handmade glass water pipes, or "bongs". The film provides a charming portrait of a counter culture icon set against the backdrop of a War on Drugs gone horribly awry.

In what The Hollywood Reporter calls "a brilliant debut", award-winning actor Edward James Olmos sets the screen ablaze with his directorial bow - a powerful, stunning examination of a Latino crime lord, set against a backdrop of prejudice and hopelessness. Olmos stars as Santana, a youth from the streets of East Los Angeles who becomes the leader of the Mexican Mafia behind the gates of Folsom Prison. Once out, Santana discovers that the harsh reality of barrio life and his blood-stained past will not give him the chance to turn his back on his former way of life. With a vehement anti-drug and anti-gang theme, American Me is an explosive and unforgettable epic.