Request to ATF for list of 2021 film collaborations

Brett Carollo filed this request with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives of the United States of America.
Tracking #

2024-00141

Due Nov. 28, 2023
Est. Completion None
Status
Awaiting Response

Communications

From: Brett Carollo

To Whom It May Concern:

Pursuant to the Freedom of Information Act, I hereby request the following records:

A list of all the films that the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) has participated in the production of, in any capacity whatsoever, for the year 2021. Any and all such lists, full or partial, would be appreciated and may include, but are not limited to, entertainment liaison (ELO) reports. I request that you search for these documents in any location where they might be located, including but not limited to the entertainment liaison offices and communications HQ.

I am the Director of Research Operations at a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization called The Decoding Culture Foundation. These documents will be used for public education and research purposes. I therefore request a waiver of all fees that may otherwise apply.

The requested documents will be made available to the general public, and this request is not being made for commercial purposes.

In the event that there are fees, I would be grateful if you would inform me of the total charges in advance of fulfilling my request. I would prefer the request filled electronically, by e-mail attachment if available or CD-ROM if not.

Thank you in advance for your anticipated cooperation in this matter. I look forward to receiving your response to this request within 20 business days, as the statute requires.

Sincerely,

Brett Carollo

From: Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives

October 29, 2023 REFER TO: 2024-00141Mr. Brett CarolloMuckRock News, DEPT MR153853263 Huntington AveBoston, MA 02115Dear Mr. Carollo:This is to acknowledge receipt of your Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request dated October 29, 2023, and received by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) on October 29, 2023, in which you requested records concerning A list of films (ATF) has participated in the production of, in any capacity whatsoever, for the year 2021. The records you seek require a search in at least one other office within ATF, and so your request presents “unusual circumstances” under the FOIA. See 5 U.S.C. § 552(a)(6)(B)(iii)(I). Because of these unusual circumstances, we are extending the time limit to respond to your request beyond the ten additional days provided by the statute. We have not completed a search to determine whether there are records within the scope of your request. The time needed to process your request will depend on the complexity of our records search and on the volume and complexity of any records located. For your information, this office assigns incoming requests to one of three tracks: simple, complex, or expedited. Each request is then handled on a first-in, first-out basis in relation to other requests in the same track. Simple requests usually receive a response in approximately one month, whereas complex requests necessarily take longer. At this time, your request has been assigned to the Complex track. Your request has been placed in chronological order based on the date of receipt and will be handled as quickly as possible when it is assigned for processing. A tracking number has been assigned to your request and is set forth above. Please refer to this number in any future communications regarding this request.Because this Office is not assessing any fees in connection with the processing of your request, there is no need for us to determine whether your request qualifies for a waiver of fees.If you have any questions regarding the status of your request, you may contact our FOIA Public Liaison at 202-648-7390 to discuss any aspect of your request. Additionally, you may contact the Office of Government Information Services (OGIS) at the National Archives and Records Administration to inquire about the FOIA mediation services they offer. The contact information for OGIS is as follows: Office of Government Information Services, National Archives and Records Administration, 8601 Adelphi Road-OGIS, College Park, Maryland 20740-6001; e-mail at ogis@nara.gov; telephone at 202-741-5770; toll free at 1-877-684-6448; or facsimile at 202-741-5769. Sincerely,Ginae E. BarnettActing ChiefInformation & Privacy Governance Division
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v.E.1

From: Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives

05/10/2024 REFER TO: 2024-00141

Brett Carollo
MuckRock News, DEPT MR153853
263 Huntington Ave
Boston, Massachusetts 02115

Dear Mr. Carollo:

This responds to your Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request dated 10/29/2023, in which you requested records concerning A list of films (ATF) has participated in the production of, in any capacity whatsoever, for the year 2021.

The records you seek require a search in another office within the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and so your request falls within “unusual circumstances.” See 5 U.S.C. § 552(a)(6)(B)(i)-(iii). Because of these unusual circumstances, we are extending the time limit to respond to your request beyond the ten additional days provided by the statute. We have not yet completed a search to determine whether there are records within the scope of your request.

Due to this circumstance, we estimate that it will take three to four months from the date of this letter to respond to your request. Please note this is only an estimated date of completion as there may be circumstances that lead to a longer or shorter processing time. The time needed to complete our processing of your request will necessarily depend on the complexity of our records search and on the volume and complexity of any records located. In any event, we will follow up with you if we are able to locate potentially responsive documents from the appropriate ATF component. To allow us to respond more quickly to you, you may wish to narrow the scope of your request to limit the number of potentially responsive records or agree to an alternative time frame for processing.

I regret the necessity of this delay, but I assure you that your request will be processed as soon as possible. If you have any questions or wish to discuss reformulation or an alternative time frame for the processing of your request, you may contact our FOIA Public Liaisons, Lynette Carter and Jasmine Bryant, at 202-648-7390, for any further assistance and to discuss any aspect of your request. Additionally, you may contact the Office of Government Information Services (OGIS) at the National Archives and Records Administration to inquire about the FOIA mediation services they offer. The contact information for OGIS is as follows: Office of Government Information Services, National Archives and Records Administration, Room 2510, 8601 Adelphi Road, College Park, Maryland 20740-6001, e-mail at ogis@nara.gov; telephone at 202-741-5770; toll free at 1-877-684-6448; or facsimile at 202-741-5769.

Sincerely,

Elizabeth A. Wood
Acting Chief
Information and Privacy Governance Division

Files

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