WASHINGTON, Dec 11 (AFP) - Thirty-eight members of the US film community on Tuesday sent an open letter to the Chinese government to protest Beijing's moves to block a US film on exiled Tibetan leader Dalai Lama, Human Rights Watch said.

"We ... have, over the last several years, become increasingly alarmed at the Chinese government's attempts to dictate what artistic projects can be undertaken in or on China," Hollywood stars such as Paul Newman, Richard Gere and Susan Sarandon said in the letter addressed to Chinese Ambassdor Li Daoyu.

Disney Studios has resisted pressure from Beijing over "Kundun," a movie about the Dalai Lama, the exiled Tibetan leader, who has been a thorn in the side of China for decades.

The letter lauded Disney's stand against the Chinese government even though Beijing has hinted that Disney's plans to build a theme park near Shanghai could be jeopardized by the film.

China's efforts to "restrict the right of producers, directors, distributors, writers and others to freedom of expression are wholly unacceptable," said the letter released by Human Rights Watch.

"The latest example is your government's threat to use its market clout to halt production of "Kundun," the Hollywood notables said.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Cui Tiankai said in Beijing late last month that "any words or actions which distort the story of Tibet or make apologies for the Dalai Lama do not conform with reality."

Among those who signed the protest letter were film directors Oliver Stone, Bernardo Bertolucci, Spike Lee and actors Richard Dreyfuss, Tim Robbins and Barbara Streisand.