The third annual Salem FIlm Festival gives the media and the public an opportunity to speak with the directors, producers and actors after their films are screened and during some special panel discussions. Don't miss out on the chance to get up close and personal with the stars! Our Opening Night Filmmakers' Party at j.james restaurant (325 High St SE), which gives you the opportunity to mingle with our visiting filmmakers, will be the soiree everyone will be talking about for months!

UC Berkeley's Samuelson Law, Technology & Public Policy Clinic conducted the first study on California's "Shine the Light Law" (SB 27). SB 27 allows Californians to request from almost any business a disclosure of its information sharing practices. Of the 86 requests, 22% of the companies either ignored the requests or questioned the validity of the requests and didn't respond. Study results: 2% disclosed a list of information sharing partners (e.g., Walt Disney, Restoration Hardware), 12% never responded (e.g., AT&T/Cingular, Barnes and Noble, Costco, Dell), 50% provided a letter indicating they did not sell personal information to third parties without opt-in consent, 26% responded by providing a privacy policy and an opportunity for the individual to opt out, and 10% claimed the requester did not establish that a business relationship existed and therefore didn't respond (although a followup letter was sent arguing that a relationship existed).