LINCOLN, Neb. — Since the release of “Clerks” in 1993, Kevin Smith has been one of the preeminent directors in the world of comedy.

MADISON, Wis. — At one point during “Sydney White,” a background player shakes his head in disbelief after witnessing his fellow classmates humiliate themselves in an overly “wacky” scene.

ITHACA, N.Y. — Kevin Smith, better known onscreen as Silent Bob, has created a nice little niche for himself in his View Askewniverse of convenience stores, malls, heavenly creatures and lesbians.

ATHENS, Ohio — MobyGratis.com, an online music download site, is a new initiative to provide free music to independent filmmakers.
Created by singer/songwriter Moby, the Web site has an extensive library of unreleased songs, which will continue to grow as the project moves forward.

SOUTH BEND, Ind. — Film and television producer Barbara Martinez Jitner stressed Tuesday the dangers female factory workers face in their jobs and on the streets in cities along the Mexican-American border.

LOS ANGELES — Somewhere between “I’m catching cold because I was covering Emmy night” and “There hasn’t been an original movie since ‘Memento,’” the flow of dramatic possibility inside the Beverly Wilshire Hotel shifts, almost imperceptibly, in a new direction.