Tag Archives: Documentary

New Documentary Explores President Obama’s Unprecedented Grassroots And Internet Campaign

Posted on by

Los Angeles, CA (PRWEB) April 15, 2009

Choices Inc, a documentary distribution company, is pleased to announce the release of “Barack Obama: People’s President – The Campaign That Changed History”, a timely and important look at the unprecedented grassroots campaign that elected Barack Obama President of the United States.

Thousands of media outlets worldwide reported on Barack Obama’s historic election, complete with endless commentary, punditry, and analysis of debates and polls and traditional coverage.

Yet what was new about this campaign–and what many feel made the difference–was extensive grassroots organizing, and innovative uses of the internet and technology in politics.

This is the story that has yet to be told.

Directed by former ABC Newsman Danny Schechter, known as “The News Dissector,” the film goes where the networks didn’t —inside the organizing effort of a political leader who has himself been a masterful and experienced community organizer.

“This is an amazing story that most of the media missed,” says Emmy Award winner Schechter, now of Globalvision, who has made 20 respected feature-length documentaries.

“As a former community organizer myself, I decided to reach out to the unknown people, young and old alike, who made the difference in innovative and creative ways. They were key to Obama’s victory as he has acknowledged many times.”

Schechter was tapped for the project by film producer Anant Singh, a South African, who with Schechter documented the campaign of another world icon, Nelson Mandela, as he went from prison to the Presidency. Singh’s company, Videovision/Distant Horizon, conceived and funded the film.

“Obama’s victory thrilled us in Africa and all around the world. It’s a global story and not just of interest for Americans,” says the internationally acclaimed Singh, producer of major anti-apartheid films like Sarafina and Cry The Beloved Country.

Through an army of volunteers, the campaign effectively used new media such as blogs, video portals and social networking sites such as Facebook to carry the message to the masses. Popular online videos such as “Obama Girl” and those featuring celebrities such as Sarah Silverman and Will.i.am, became one of the most important tools in the campaign’s success.

The film goes inside the grassroots campaign and interviews activists, journalists, and scholars who discuss how voter generated content and local grassroots efforts ignited intergenerational political activism and changed the way future campaigns are run.

Featuring interviews with Rev. Jesse Jackson, Archbishop Desmond Tutu and more, Barack Obama: People’s President will be a valuable resource for those seeking to inspire change in their community as well as a treasured keepsake of this historic campaign.

“We are exciting to be distributing this unique film,” said Gina Draklich, Senior V.P. at Choices. “We hope those watching the film will learn from it and continue to use the many grassroots techniques to effect change in their community.”

The DVD will be released on April 21st, 2009. Retail price: $ 24.95. Special Features include Director’s Overview of Inauguration Day, Inauguration Day 2009 Featurette and President Obama’s Inauguration Speech and Lesson Plan/Guidebook.

Director Danny Schechter is available for interviews. To schedule an interview or request a screener copy of the film, contact Stevin Espinoza at 310-839-1500.

About Choices:

Choices, Inc. is a specialty distributor of quality documentaries, educational programming, and feature films. The company believes that documentaries are highly effective teaching tools, and provides both lesson plans and guidebooks as a resource for educators. More information is available online at http://www.choicesvideo.net.

###



Eight New Documentary Teams to participate in the Bay Area Video Coalition’s 2009 Producers Institute for New Media Technologies

Posted on by


San Francisco, CA. (PRWEB) March 18, 2009

Eight documentary teams have been selected to develop interactive Web, mobile, multimedia, and game projects at the Producers Institute for New Media Technologies at the Bay Area Video Coalition (BAVC) in San Francisco from May 29 – June 7.

Projects selected for 2009 include stories from local, national, and international producers on a wide range of social justice topics including racism and apartheid, public health and the environment, human rights, and the global food crisis:

AMERICAN MEAT

Alejandro de Onis

In the documentary “American Meat,” producer Alejandro de Onis and director Graham Meriwether explore how the agricultural industry has brutalized the food production process, severed the source of food from consumers, and become America’s #1 polluter. De Onis and his team plan to bring farmers and communities to a “digital dinner table” by integrating the film within an e-commerce/social networking context. Through an innovative, intelligent web-based market place for local food called Harvest Cloud, consumers will be able to easily source and purchase local food, connect with food producers, and help local food movements proliferate and profit in the hands-and through the stomachs-of the public.

THE ELDERS PROJECT

Marc Boothe

“The Elders Project” is a major cross-media project that will engage intergenerational participants using a combination of photography, oral history, video, spoken word, text and interactive digital platforms to document and preserve the untold stories of the first generation of African-Caribbean settlers who came to Britain in the early 50′s. The Elders Project will provide a voice to under-represented young people and elders both in the UK and the US, engaging new, transitional audiences with innovative ways to tell their stories. The project will create both live physical and virtual spaces where participants can experience and create content through a remix in the tradition of ‘call and response’ in a unique cultural mashup. Through a partnership with the Tate Modern, this ambitious project will incorporate a major photographic exhibition, a social networking platform and content management tools. Marc Boothe is the Executive Director of B3 Media, one of the UK’s leading creative hubs for emerging black and minority ethnic artists and producers.

G.COM

Corey Tong

Transcending social, cultural, linguistic, generational and national borders, G.com is a multi-media, multi-platform, global channel and web portal – an intimate digital storytelling forum by, for and about international LGBT culture. G.COM will include professionally produced original content, including a documentary series featuring international news, social justice and public interest stories from global LGBT communities, along with user-contributed stories uploaded from queer artists and activists around the world. Additionally, the website will include aggregated resources and networks within an interactive map interface that will link LGBT NGOs and human rights organizations to each other, as well as to media and tools relevant to their work. Producer Corey Tong is developing this project with Emmy & Academy Award nominated director Johnny Symons.

HAVE YOU HEARD FROM JOHANNESBURG

Connie Field

Have You Heard From Johannesburg (HYHJ) is a new a six-part documentary series that tells the story of the global movement that took on South Africa’s apartheid regime and reveals how everyday people helped bring one of the most brutally repressive political systems in the world to its knees. Pulling together the many threads of this global story for the first time in any medium, “Have You Heard From Johannesburg” is an inspiring example for citizens and movements across the world. At the Institute, Academy-Award winning director Connie Field and her team will build an interactive, educational platform where drag-and-drop media “modules” created from “Have You Heard” footage will connect to blogs, online videos, maps, social networks (Facebook, Twitter, etc), RSS news and digital photo feeds to create a dynamic, participatory lesson planner and civic engagement tool.

HOPE AND HIGH WATER

Peter Nicks

More than one third of all Americans have no health insurance. And as more Americans lose their jobs, public hospitals are experiencing an increase in people seeking care. Hope and High Water is a documentary about a young band of public health executives at Highland Hospital in Oakland, California, persevering despite daunting systemic and financial obstacles. At the Institute, Emmy Award winner Peter Nicks and his team will develop Public Medicine/Public Lives, a hybrid, multiplatform public media experience that will bring the film into the conversations at center of the public health crisis, including “face-wall”-style video exhibitions in Emergency Rooms, public Twitter stations that will include reports from people living without health insurance, and a unique online portal that will distribute these stories nationally and become an archive for the testimonials that will highlight the urgency of the national dialogue around health care. The Executive Producer for this project is Academy Award winner Rob Epstein.

MINE

Jennifer Gilomen & Sally Rubin

To keep up with our increasing demand for energy, humankind is mining the earth for natural resources and putting communities worldwide at risk. Through an intimate, human story, the documentary “MINE” tells the story of a town deep in the Appalachian mountains of eastern Kentucky, where coal is king. Through an integrated media campaign that includes a podcast series disseminated through Appalachian Voices’ “Most Endangered Mountains” Google Earth collection, educational curriculum and community action kits, “MINE” will have a deep impact with a diverse audience. At the Institute, Co-directors Jennifer Gilomen and Sally Rubin will build a 3D Virtual Mine in order to bring the experience of mountaintop removal mining to a new level, empowering communities that now live in the shadows of extractive industries.

SANDS OF SILENCE

Chelo Alvarez-Stehle

In the documentary “Sands of Silence,” we learn some gruesome facts: there are 27 million slaves in the world today; and human trafficking is a global business that yields $ 9 billion annually. Every year in the United States, 18,000 women and children are trafficked and turned into sex slaves. Sexual slavery is a daily reality in our own neighborhoods: immigrants are lured into fake jobs that turn are merely a trap leading to enslavement; children are sold by their relatives to sexual predators during weekend visits; and teenage girls are forced by their boyfriends to turn tricks in locked motel rooms. At the Institute, Award-winning producer Chelo Alvarez-Stehle and her team will develop “SOS Slaves”, a unique, avatar-based video game to raise awareness about global human trafficking. In a geo-located, media-rich environment, players will learn how to avoid being sold and exploited, and how to identify a captive person, call a hotline, alert authorities, and get involved in the issues on the ground in their own communities.

THE WAY WE GET BY

Gita Pullapilly

“The Way We Get By” is an intimate story of three senior citizens in America as they struggle with growing old and rediscovering their reasons for living. Dedicating their lives to greeting almost 800,000 troops at a tiny airport in Maine, Bill Knight, Joan Gaudet, and Jerry Mundy find the strength to overcome their personal battles and demonstrate the meaning of community during a time of need. At the Institute, Gita and her team will develop a mobile interface and social networking tool using MMS and Flash Lite to enable troops and the military families, veterans, and other visitors to participate in a robust, global support network – featuring customized e-greetings and an interactive, searchable archive. Producer Gita Pullapilly is an award-winning television journalist and Fulbright Scholar whose stories have aired on CBS, CNN, and ABC.

Major funding for the Producers Institute is provided by the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation. Additional foundation support for the Producers Institute is provided by The Nathan Cummings Foundation, The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, and The James Irvine Foundation.

The Producers Institute for New Media Technologies connects independent producers and their socially relevant content to emerging models of storytelling and distribution. Through the Institute, documentary production teams from across the US, Europe, and South America spend ten days at BAVC working with technologists, designers, storytellers, and programmers to develop new models of participatory media. Mentors from leading technology companies, including Apple, Adobe, Google, Mobile Active, Phantom Compass, Pentura, Map Office and others, work in teams to design and develop working prototypes, which are presented to international funding and review panels at the end of the Institute.

Projects from past Institutes include: a virtual, 3D Guantanamo Bay prison in Second Life; a national hate crime social network and Google Earth mash-up based on the national PBS broadcast series “Not In Our Town”; an interactive web portal for the international justice movement incorporating live twitter feeds and SMS based on the award-winning film “The Reckoning.”

Patrice O’Neill, producer of” Not In Our Town” has said of the Institute, “As filmmakers and people trying to create the right media tools for them, we have been under funded and have had such a lack of institutional support . . . (the Producers Institute) is the most support we’ve received in twelve years. And it has been incredible.”

The Bay Area Video Coalition (BAVC) was founded in 1976 to support freedom of expression by making advanced media technology accessible to independent media makers and nonprofits. We teach. We empower creative expression. We preserve the past. And we develop future media makers and innovators. BAVC’s mission is to be the nation’s most advanced noncommercial media access and training center. Visit BAVC on-line at http://www.bavc.org.

###





JENS PULVER | DRIVEN The Intimate Documentary About the Legendary Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) and former UFC Champion, Jens Pulver, Gets Nationwide Release

Posted on by


(PRWEB) August 09, 2011

JENS PULVER | DRIVEN, described as Brilliant, “Inspirational,” and “Raw and Powerful,” is now available for rent or purchase via several popular online and cable video on demand providers including iTunes, CinemaNow, Blockbuster, Zune, Xbox, Shaw Cable, AmazonVOD, DirectTV, Playstation and many more, with leading cable providers TimeWarner, Comcast and Cox coming online with the film in September. A full list of current and upcoming platforms carrying the film can be found at: http://jenspulverdriven.com

Additionally, the limited run Fan Edition DVD is available with an extended cut of the film and special features including extended interviews, outtakes, and deleted scenes from the film for just $ 19. This region free DVD ships worldwide and is available now. Find it at http://www.jenspulverdriven.com or on Amazon.com.

In production over the course of 2010, JENS PULVER | DRIVEN gained early support from fans who contributed to the production of the film via a kickstarter.com campaign which got the film underway. Jens himself was both surprised and deeply heartened by the outpouring of support stating, What it says to me is that I have friends rather than fans. I have people who were willing to support me in creating this filmI love them all for it.

The film captures a raw behind the scenes look of what it takes to live the life of a fighter, and both the mental and physical toll one endures when preparing for a bout. Jens allowed the camera to capture every moment, the good and the bad, It was scary at first, only because the emotion in this is not fake, and I am [putting myself] out there for all to judge and have an opinion about me. As to how hes portrayed in the film, Jens advises, Its dead on.

In 2011, JENS PULVER | DRIVEN has appeared at film festivals including the Beverly Hills Film Festival and the deadCENTER Film Festival in Oklahoma City, OK as well as on the GET DRIVEN Film Tour which has taken the film, and Jens, into communities to screen in front of at-risk youth audiences. Jens, who reveals much of his background growing up as a victim of child abuse and witness to domestic violence in the film, is very pleased to see the movie being used in this way, It makes me feel like I am contributing I want this movie to be there to help and to motivate those who are stuck in life, stuck at a crossroads I hope it helps set the wheels in motion so that they can find a direction, and a purpose.

With a nationwide release the film has also garnered several positive reviews with viewers calling the film Engaging Cinema, with the ability to cross over from traditional fight fans, with one viewer stating, I never thought I could enjoy a fight movie, but I was very wrong. Not only enjoyable but touching and beautiful as well. Jens admits he wasnt sure what to expect, but says hes, Very happy with the reviews so farit makes it all worth it.

Whats next for Jens Pulver? Beyond his work with director Gregory Bayne to continue to bring JENS PULVER | DRIVEN to audiences worldwide, he is currently appearing in the newly released video game Supremacy MMA, and looking forward to more opportunities in the cage, though as he states a new chapter of his life is appearing on the horizon. I am toward the end of my fighting days, and for now I just like learning and getting better. Eventually, I will hopefully be able to channel those desires to be a World Champion into desires for being some thing else. My main goal is to be a good father and husband and to watch my kids grow and experience life and to do all this with my best friend on the planet, my wife.

Jens will enter the cage next on Saturday, August 13th in MMA Fight Pit’s highly-anticipated debut event on Saturday, August 13th, “MMA FIGHT PIT: GENESIS,” which will be offered to fight fans via Pay-Per-View. The fight card is stacked with UFC

A Course In Miracles Documentary Reveals the True Meaning of Forgiveness to Spiritual Seeker in a Peak Experience

Posted on by
Reply


Lake Delton, WI (Vocus) August 13, 2009

At a screening on Wednesday of the acclaimed documentary, “A Course In Miracles Unleashed: A Direct Encounter with Jesus Christ In the Evolution and Enlightenment of the Human Species, one audience member found himself “in a full blown revelatory experience.” “I am fairly new to the Course In Miracles,” he explained, “and was hoping that the movie would help me better understand some of the ideas I have been grappling with. Quite unexpectedly, during the second part of the movie, I found myself in the brightest light I have ever seen. It was as if my entire being had suddenly become pure light emanation, and all I knew was Love – pure Love. At that point in the movie, the narrator was speaking about forgiveness and I knew by direct experience, without question or doubt exactly what was being said. I laughed and cried with indescribable joy for the rest of the film.”

In episode II of A Course In Miracles Unleashed, awakened minds give deeply moving accounts of their individual experiences of true forgiveness, as expressed by Jesus Christ in A Course In Miracles. In answer to the question, “What is Forgiveness?” Jesus answers thus:

“Forgiveness recognizes what you thought your brother did to you has not occurred. It does not pardon sins and make them real. It sees there was no sin. And in that view are all your sins forgiven. What is sin, except a false idea about God’s Son? Forgiveness merely sees its falsity, and therefore lets it go. What then is free to take its place is now the Will of God.”

“An unforgiving thought is one which makes a judgment that it will not raise to doubt, although it is not true. The mind is closed, and will not be released. The thought protects projection, tightening its chains, so that distortions are more veiled and more obscure; less easily accessible to doubt, and further kept from reason. What can come between a fixed projection and the aim that it has chosen as its wanted goal?”

“An unforgiving thought does many things. In frantic action it pursues its goal, twisting and overturning what it sees as interfering with its chosen path. Distortion is its purpose, and the means by which it would accomplish it as well. It sets about its furious attempts to smash reality, without concern for anything that would appear to pose a contradiction to its point of view.”

“Forgiveness, on the other hand, is still, and quietly does nothing. It offends no aspect of reality, nor seeks to twist it to appearances it likes. It merely looks, and waits, and judges not. He who would not forgive must judge, for he must justify his failure to forgive. But he who would forgive himself must learn to welcome truth exactly as it is.”

“Do nothing, then, and let forgiveness show you what to do, through Him Who is your Guide, your Savior and Protector, strong in hope, and certain of your ultimate success. He has forgiven you already, for such is His function, given Him by God. Now must you share His function, and forgive whom He has saved, whose sinlessness He sees, and whom He honors as the Son of God.”

“A Course In Miracles Unleashed: A Direct Encounter with Jesus Christ In The Evolution and Enlightenment of The Human Species”(2008 Source Resonance Films) is available on DVD from http://www.acourseinmiraclesunleashed.com.

###





Find More Free Movies Press Releases

Award-Winning Filmmakers Using Products from Green Benefits to Market Environmental Documentary

Posted on by
Reply

Seattle, WA (PRWEB) September 1, 2009

Green Benefits, a leading green products company that sells custom printed promotional items, announces that MagicGreen Productions will use their merchandise to help market the film So Right So Smart. This environmental documentary celebrates the success of businesses that have begun to take positive steps toward a sustainable future. The movie will be promoted using Green Benefits’ non-leaching, toxin free and 100% recyclable stainless steel water bottles.

“We are proud to have our products chosen to promote such a significant movie,” said John Hamlin, co-founder of Green Benefits. “We are in alignment with the message of the film – that businesses need to minimize their impact on the environment and support an environmentally sustainable economy.”

So Right So Smart, narrated by actress and activist Darryl Hannah, sheds light on the work of a number of prominent business leaders, educators and environmentalists who have developed innovative techniques that have been used to blend social, environmental and financial initiatives intended to reduce landfill and hazardous waste and shows how being green can also be profitable. The film also shows that as acceptance of sustainability as a sound business strategy gains momentum, there are more and more

organizations going green.

Green Benefits has available a wide selection of 100% green promotional products that can be purchased through their secure website. There is a wide range of high-quality items including customizable retail shopping bags, baseball caps, backpacks, water bottles, buttons, pens and green clothing. “All of our merchandise for sale is made from recycled and sustainable materials, supporting all our efforts to be green,” said Hamlin.

About Green Benefits:

Green Benefits, headquartered in Seattle, WA, was started by business professionals John Hamlin and Derek Van Dyke, who understood that the need for environmental sustainability is a sound strategy for individuals, businesses and groups of any size. The primary goal of the company, founded in 2007, is to make it simpler for people to make “green” decisions and influence those around them. The team at Green Benefits strives to provide information that generates a higher level of understanding of the issues and the multitude of ways to foster a migration to greener habits. They promote sustainable practices that enable change and they organize socially responsible fund raising programs that elevate the environmental awareness of students, families and communities.

Contact:

John Hamlin

Green Benefits

(206) 264-3030

http://www.greenbenefits.net

###

Related Free Movies Press Releases

Documentary Features Actual Case New Matt Damon Movie “The Informant” is Based On

Posted on by
Reply


San Francisco, CA (PRWEB) September 16, 2009

The new Matt Damon comedy “The Informant” is based on a real-life corporate price-fixing scandal broken up by a whistleblower and the enforcement of antitrust laws. The true story of that scandal and the relevance of antitrust laws today are highlighted in a new award-winning documentary, “Fair Fight in the Marketplace”.

“Fair Fight” includes a segment that presents the facts of the Archer Daniels Midland (ADM) case, including some of the actual undercover FBI footage recorded by former ADM employee Mark Whitacre, the main character played by Matt Damon in “The Informant”. The segment also includes commentary from Department of Justice officials and others, and shows the negative impact of ADM’s price-fixing on farmers and consumers.

The Archer Daniel Midlands video segment is available to view on YouTube.

“Fair Fight in the Marketplace” also presents a short history of antitrust legislation in America and highlights two other antitrust cases to demonstrate how antitrust laws protect American consumers by ensuring that corporations compete fairly in the marketplace. The two other cases are:

Johnny Ramone’s Tribute to be Memorialized in New Documentary

Posted on by
Reply


San Diego, CA (PRWEB) October 1, 2009

San Diego-based 3D producer PassmoreLab, in conjunction with the Johnny Ramone Army, has confirmed that the legendary rocker’s memorial tribute will be filmed for a as-yet-untitled documentary during the previously announced 5th Annual Johnny Ramone Tribute, which will take place at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery in Los Angeles on Saturday, October 3, 2009.

Ramone’s annual tribute, now in its fifth year and attended by thousands of fans, takes place at the foot of his 8 ft. memorial bronze statue inside the cemetery.

The Hi-Definition 2D documentary will be worthy of the rockstar and will focus on capturing the raw, emotional, and endearing moments of the 5th Annual Johnny Ramone Tribute — a day-long rock-icon tribute event attended by thousands — as told by the people who were there: his loyal fans, trusted comrades, and the attending celebrities and rock musicians Johnny influenced through his storied career.

Ramone, who created the enduring template for punk rock guitar with his blazing power chords and brutal licks, energized Ramones’ classics like “Blitzkrieg Bop”, “Rockaway Beach” and “Sheena is a Punk Rocker”. Ramone inspired generations of punk bands until his untimely death from prostate cancer in 2004, at age 55.

The film will capture all the action from the event as it happens — celebrity guests and speakers in attendance; autograph signings with sole surviving founding member, Ramones drummer & producer Tommy Ramone, and CJ Ramone; a rare memorabilia exhibit; an art show of original paintings by the legendary Ramones bassist Dee Dee Ramone; opening featurettes of 3D animated music videos from the Johnny Ramone Army and Osaka Popstar; and never-before-seen 3D photos of Johnny Ramone himself.

The evening will continue with a 2D version of the original “Rock ‘N Roll High School” theatrical trailer, which will be introduced by special guest PJ Soles, who appeared in the classic film decades ago; and “Night of the Living Pinheads”, a rare clip from the “Ramones RAW” DVD where the band is seen in South America and their van is being mobbed by adoring fans.

The filming and the evening will conclude with a vintage Ramones concert shot in 1977 entitled “Its Alive” and the 3D World Premiere of George Romero’s original 1968 cult classic “Night of the Living Dead, Now in 3D”, produced by PassmoreLab, and introduced by actress Rose McGowan.

“Johnny’s annual tribute has become such an awe-inspiring event. We’ve started showing Johnny’s favorite movies and paired them with vintage Ramones concerts each year,” said John Cafiero, Chief of Staff of the Johnny Ramone Army. “This year, we are doing the same with ‘It’s Alive’ and premiering one of his all-time favorites with ‘Night of the Living Dead, Now in 3D’. Capturing the tribute on film for the first time will be a great time capsule and a real testament to the power of Johnny’s legacy, and the timeless legacy of the Ramones. It’s very exciting and will be a lot of fun for the fans to be such a big part of it too.”

The documentary has been an inspiration for everyone involved, including the film-makers.

“We are honored to be a part of this tribute, and as filmmakers, we felt obligated to capture this moment in time so future generations can experience it as it happened” said Steve Glum, PassmoreLab’s head of Branding & Distribution. “The journey of so many fans, young and old, to be present at an event like this is proof of Johnny’s ever-enduring spirit, and we are thrilled to co-produce this film with JRA.”

“Every year after the tribute, I always feel bad that there’s nothing to remember it by. This year there will be,” said Linda Ramone, wife of the legendary guitarist and founding member of the Ramones.

The 5th Annual Johnny Ramone Tribute and World Premiere of “Night of the Living Dead, Now in 3D” event are open to the public for a $ 10 per person minimum donation entrance fee with net proceeds benefiting the Johnny Ramone prostate cancer research fund at USC Westside Prostate Cancer Center lead by Dr. David Agus. Gates for the event will open at 5:30pm, and picnic dinners, drinks (including alcohol), pillows, blankets and small chairs are permitted. Attendees of the event will get free commemorative 3D glasses upon entering.

The 5th Annual Johnny Ramone Tribute documentary will be released on DVD at a future date.

About PassmoreLab

PassmoreLab, the “World’s Largest 3D Content Provider”, is a San Diego-based multi-media production studio that specializes in 3D production and 2D to 3D content conversion. The studio custom-designs and builds its own RED camera 3D rigs for both conventional and rugged film productions, shooting everything from feature films, television and science documentaries, to underwater diving, extreme sports and cave exploration http://www.passmorelab.com/PL2minTRAILER.mov. State-of-the-art facilities include a full 3D production studio, video/film post-production, optical development lab, and a software development environment. Production includes 2D, 3D, high dynamic range time lapse, stereoscopic microscopy and cutting-edge simulation technologies for real time SFX. Passmorelab’s proprietary technology for 2D to 3D video and film conversion is unmatched in the industry, in both turnaround times and conversion costs. PassmoreLab has additional offices in Russia and the Philippines. For more information, visit http://www.passmorelab.com.

About Johnny Ramone Army

For more information about the Johnny Ramone Army and tribute, visit http://www.johnnyramone.com

About Hollywood Forever Cemetery

For more information regarding directions, parking and screening rules, visit http://www.cinespia.org/howto

###





Find More Free Movies Press Releases

New Documentary ‘The Evangelist The Hitman & The ACLU’ Now Available Nationwide

Posted on by
Reply

Orlando, FL (PRWEB) November 28, 2009

4DPictures.TV is proud to announce the nationwide release of the documentary feature film The Evangelist The Hitman & The ACLU by filmmaker T. J. McCarthy IV. The film follows the Rev. George Crossley, Jr. a former televangelist imprisoned for attempted murder who, after his release from prison, became the chapter chair of the Central Florida ACLU and led them in a federal court fight with Orlando City Hall which set a new First Amendment precedent.

In the 1980′s and early 90′s, the Rev. George Crossley, Jr. was among the Who’s Who of the Christian Right in Orlando FL. He was sought after by conservative politicians for his ability to mobilize the followers of his TV and radio talk shows. He led the boycott of Universal Studios theme park in Orlando which resulted in successfully blocking The Last Temptation of Christ from being shown in Central Florida movie theaters. He helped to organize protests against abortion clinics, sex education in schools, adult bookstores, gay rights, and even rock concerts.

His career as a paragon of virtue came to an abrupt end on July 3rd 1996 when he was arrested for attempted murder. Ultimately he was convicted of trying to hire a hitman to kill the husband of a woman with whom he was having an affair.

After his release from prison, George returned to the airwaves as host of The People Power Hour, and returned to politics by becoming the chapter chair of the Central FL ACLU. When the local chapter of Food Not Bombs came to him for help with fighting the City of Orlando’s attempt to ban their ongoing protests, he got both the local and state levels of the ACLU to support a Federal court fight. It not only overturned the City’s ordnance, but also set a First Amendment precedent when the judge ruled that Food Not Bombs’ protests, which consist of simply feeding homeless people in public places, were expressive conduct and thus protected as free speech.

Filmmaker T. J. McCarthy IV said of his new film It started out as a character study of this fascinating guy who had lived a very interesting life, and then became much broader and deeper as I followed his involvement in the issues of homelessness and government encroachment on civil liberties, issues that are problems all across this country. It was just sheer good fortune that I was there to catch this precedent setting victory in the ongoing struggle for free speech and social justice.

The Orlando Weekly called it, …required viewing for those that care…

The film also features a cameo appearance from Rep. Alan Grayson in exclusive footage from an interview with him while he was on the campaign trail in 2008.

The Evangelist The Hitman & The ACLU is available nationwide now on DVD and Blu-ray exclusively at http://www.4DPictures.TV

###





Find More Free Movies Press Releases

China to be New Global Empire? Documentary Tackles Thorny Question

Posted on by
Reply


New York, NY (PRWEB) May 20, 2010

Peaceful rise or potential threat? When it comes to China, thats the question on everyones mind. The countrys unprecedented growth has raised the possibility of it overtaking the United States as the worlds biggest economy within the next 15-20 years. But what type of superpower will China become? In todays interconnected and globalized world, the answer affects each and every one of us.

A new documentary produced by brothers Jesse and Jeremy Veverka tackles this issue head-on. China: The Rebirth of an Empire, slated for release later this year, weaves together such diverse issues as free trade, Islamic fundamentalism, North Koreas nuclear program and the Pro-Tibet movement under the umbrella of the national aspirations of an increasingly wealthy China. The documentary is the first of its kind to reconcile American economic decline with Chinas blistering growth, changing political climate and treatment of ethnic and religious minorities such as the Uyghurs and Falun Gong.

The film suggests that while Americas current economic problems may be a direct result of the recent financial crisis, their seeds were planted long ago by the confluence of US militarism and an economic doctrine that champions free trade above national well-being. As a result, the US has relied on cheap imports from a stream of Asian countries, starting with Japan in the 1970s, to the Asian Tigers (South Korea, Taiwan, Singapore and Hong Kong) in the 80s and 90s, and now China, to prop up its living standard, while spending increasing sums on its global empire of bases. While the economists keep expounding the virtues of offshoring and Wall Street rallies around loose monetary policy, people on Main Street know things are amiss: Americas real economy is in unrelenting decline, and it might just be enough to put China on top. China seems to understand that the most important asset a nation can possess is its economy, this is something that we in the United States should remember before it’s too late, comments director Jesse Veverka. The film interviews East Asia expert and author of the bestsellers Blowback, The Sorrows of Empire and Nemesis, Chalmers Johnson, on this topic.

Meanwhile, exiled Uyghur spokeswoman, Rebiya Kadeer, labeled as a separatist by the Chinese government for her alleged role in inciting riots in Muslim populated Xinjiang in western China, suggests the nation has a long way to go if it wants to become a mature peer among the international community. The Chinese government has gone to great lengths to censor media that mention Kadeer. The Hollywood Reporter named China: The Rebirth of an Empire as one of two films that resulted in China blocking access to the online movie database IMDb, in January 2010, because Kadeer is listed as a credit. Other interviews include exiled political dissident and former Chinese Communist Party member Wei Jingsheng, former Afghan prime minister Ahmad Shah Ahmadzai, and Freddie Lim, pro-democracy activist and lead singer of the Taiwanese heavy metal band ChthoniC. Join China: The Rebirth of an Empire on Facebook.

###





Documentary Film Community Rallies Around “Crude” Filmmaker

Posted on by
Reply

Los Angeles, CA (PRWEB) June 24, 2010 -

Industry organizations and documentary filmmakers joined forces today by lending their names to an amicus brief filed on their behalf by attorney Michael C. Donaldson in support of Joe Berlinger who was ordered to turn over some 600 hours of raw footage shot in connection with his film “Crude.”

American petrochemical company Chevron Corporation asked the court for the order in connection with an Ecuadorian class-action lawsuit. Chevron is being sued over environmental contamination in the Amazon rainforest (the Lago Agrio Litigation). Additionally, Chevron intended to use the footage to help fend off threatened Ecuadorian criminal prosecution of two of its attorneys in the litigation. A related international arbitration is also pending.

Chevron’s attorneys are seeking to obtain footage shot during the production of appellant Joe Berlinger’s 2009 film “Crude,” a documentary which reports on the Ecuadorian lawsuit and focuses on indigenous efforts to hold Texaco (now owned by Chevron) accountable for its role in polluting the Amazon rain forests. Chevron obtained the order to turn over the raw footage on May 10, 2010. A federal appeals court stayed the order pending the appeal, but is handling the matter on an expedited schedule due to the timing of the lawsuits in Ecuador.

The brief was filed for fear that the subpoena, if upheld in the Court of Appeal, would have far-reaching and potentially devastating consequences on documentary filmmakers’ ability to not only acquire the statements they need from confidential sources, but also to protect through anonymity those who do come forward to tell their stories, often at great personal risk to themselves and their families.

The amicus brief is filed as a friend of the court in order to bring to the court’s attention the interests of the broader group of filmmakers who are not a party to the dispute. “Allowing an entity–any entity–to have access to all the raw materials that comprise a film–any film–effectively muzzles the future of free speech as it applies to our profession,” states Eddie Schmidt, IDA President and Oscar nominee for the 2005 documentary Twist of Faith. “The scope of this order–all 600 hours of shot footage for a 105-minute film–is so vast, it threatens to swallow an entire profession along with it.”

Initially, the brief was prepared on behalf of the International Documentary Association. The following organizations joined the brief: Center for Asian American Media, Directors Guild of America, Film Independent, IFP, Inc., Latino Public Broadcasting, Native American Public Telecommunications, National Association of Latino Independent Producers, Pacific Islanders in Communications, Producers Guild of America, Tribeca Film Institute, University Film and Video Association, Women Make Movies, Writers Guild of America East and Writers Guild of America West. Individual amici also joined the brief: Patricia Aufderheide, Theodore Braun (“Darfur Now”), Kirby Dick (“This Film Is Not Yet Rated”), Alex Gibney (“Casino Jack and the United States of Money”), Andrew Goldberg (“Armenian Genocide”), Robert Kenner (“Food, Inc.”), Tia Lessin (“Capitalism: A Love Story”), Eddie Schmidt (President of the International Documentary Association) and Ricki Stern (“Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work”).

The United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit in New York City will rule on the decision of the lower federal court that granted Chevron’s request forcing Berlinger to hand over the footage. Attorney Michael C. Donaldson plans to attend the hearing, which will be held on July 14, 2010.

Michael C. Donaldson, of Donaldson & Callif, organized the writing of the amicus brief along with his partner Lisa Callif and their legal team: Chris Perez, Melissa Radin and Brianna Dahlberg. The International Documentary Association recruited filmmakers and organizations as declarants and signatories.

About Michael C. Donaldson, Donaldson & Callif

Michael C. Donaldson is an entertainment attorney who has been fighting for independent filmmakers for over 30 years. In addition to representing writers, producers and directors, he serves as General Counsel to Film Independent (home of the Independent Spirit Awards and the Los Angeles Film Festival) and the Writers Guild Foundation. Michael is a founding partner of the Beverly Hills-based entertainment law firm Donaldson & Callif, where he is the industry’s go-to attorney for fair use and other clearance-related issues.

In appreciation of his tireless work on behalf of documentary filmmakers, the International Documentary Association (IDA) recently presented Michael with its Amicus Award, an honor granted only two other times in the IDA’s 25-year history.

For more information on Michael C. Donaldson, please visit: http://www.donaldsoncallif.com.

Case Number: 10-1918(L).

Court of Record: United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit.

Media contact:

Marlan Willardson

MWPR

marlan(at)mw-pr.com

310.701.3350

###