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Moore plans unofficial North American 'Sicko' premiere in Michigan

BELLAIRE, Mich. (AP) - Michael Moore plans to hold an unofficial North American premiere of his documentary "Sicko" in Michigan to benefit the local county Democratic party.

"Sicko," an attack on the U.S. health care industry that was the talk of the Cannes Film Festival, will be shown June 16 in Bellaire ahead of an official North American premiere in New York City.

"I'm doing this at my wife's request," Moore told the Traverse City Record-Eagle for a Saturday story. "Everyone is invited."

Moore is a native of Flint, Mich., and his wife, Kathleen Glynn, is vice-chairwoman of the Antrim County Democratic party and executive producer of the documentary.

There are two showings planned at the Bellaire Theatre and a premiere party at Lulu's Bistro.

Moore, who is being investigated by the U.S. Treasury Department for travelling to Cuba for one of the segments in the film, said he agreed to the benefit partly because the organization regularly holds events to help the needy.

"I'd be glad to do a screening for any Republican group ready to provide assistance to those having a difficult time making it," he said.

Moore has a home in the northern Michigan resort town of Traverse City, some 40 kilometres from Bellaire.

The Oscar-winning filmmaker is founder of the Traverse City Film Festival, which this year is July 31 to Aug. 5.

"Sicko" is scheduled to open in the U.S. on June 29, but Moore said the film will not be shown at this year's Traverse City festival.

"I don't set up the festival to show my movies," Moore said.

Moore told the Flint Journal that he is facing a blitz of interviews following Cannes.

"It's been pretty overwhelming for me. Most of the week, I ran into Americans, and it didn't matter what their political stripe was, who were embracing the film," Moore said during a Flint-area stop Friday.