Press Releases
AMERICAN EXPRESS AND TAKEPART® ANNOUNCE 2010 MEMBERS PROJECT® EMPOWERING EVERYONE TO TAKE SMALL STEPS TO MAKE A BIG DIFFERENCE
New York [ March 8, 2010 ]
Partnership to Provide Ongoing Opportunities for People to Vote, Donate and Get Rewarded for Volunteering
Inspirational Members Project Spots Debut during 2010 Academy Awards® Broadcast
American Express and Take Part are proud to announce the return of Members Project, an innovative online initiative that provides those with a passion for philanthropy and interest in giving back an opportunity to take small steps to make a big difference. American Express has joined forces with TakePart, a content-driven social action network created by Participant Media, a company using entertaining films like Oscar®-winning documentary An Inconvenient Truth and 2010 Oscar nominee Food, Inc. to drive citizen engagement and social action. This announcement kicks off a multi-year relationship designed to help people make a difference in the lives of others through Members Project at TakePart.com/MembersProject. This program encourages everyone, whether an American Express® Cardmember or not, to do their part by providing numerous ways to get involved, including sharing their passion for worthy causes. Whether it’s volunteering for a local organization, making a donation or voting for a charity to receive additional funding from American Express, Members Project will provide the tools and resources to support the diverse causes people care about most and help empower everyone to be successful at making a difference.
read morePARTICIPANT MEDIA IS TAKING ITS SOCIAL ACTION CAMPAIGN FOR OCEANS ON THE ROAD
Los Angeles [ March 2, 2010 ]
SAVE MY OCEANS TOUR TO VISIT COLLEGES NATIONWIDE WITH LIVE MUSIC, ART AND FILM SCREENINGS TO RAISE AWARENESS ABOUT THE CRISIS FACING THE WORLD’S OCEANS
DISNEYNATURE'S FILM OCEANS OPENS IN THEATERS APRIL 22, 2010
Participant Media announced today that it will take its Social Action campaign for Disneynature’s upcoming motion picture OCEANS on the road with the SAVE MY OCEANS TOUR. In conjunction with the opening of the film, the tour will visit a cross-section of college campuses nationwide with a series of events that celebrate our collective passion for the oceans and educate students on what they can do to help protect them. Those universities tentatively set to participate include the University of Florida, San Diego State University, George Washington University, University of California, Berkeley, University of Hawaii, Arizona State University, University of Southern California, Louisiana State University and University of Utah.
read moreSOCIAL ACTION INITIATIVE FOR FOOD, INC.
PM AND ACTIVE VOICE COMMUNITY OUTREACH WITH GRANT FROM RWJ FOUNDATION [ February 25, 2010 ]
PARTICIPANT MEDIA AND ACTIVE VOICE ALIGNED FOR MAJOR COMMUNITY OUTREACH ON FOOD ACCESS AND CHILDHOOD OBESITY WITH GRANT FROM ROBERT WOOD JOHNSON FOUNDATION PROGRAM IS PART OF SOCIAL ACTION CAMPAIGN FOR ACADEMY AWARD®-NOMINATED DOCUMENTARY FOOD, INC.
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PARTICIPANT MEDIA, THE PALEY CENTER FOR MEDIA, GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTABILITY PROJECT AND WARNER HOME VIDEO PRESENT PANEL DISCUSSION, ANYONE CAN WHISTLE—THE ESSENTIAL ROLE OF THE WHISTLEBLOWER IN AMERICAN SOCIETY, FEBRUARY 17, 7PM AT NYC PALEY CENTER FOR MEDIA
New York [ February 16, 2010 ]
LIVE EVENT FEATURING SUCH FAMED WHISTLEBLOWERS AS FRANK SERPICO AND DANIEL ELLSBERG IS PART OF PARTICIPANT MEDIA’S SOCIAL ACTION CAMPAIGN FOR
THE INFORMANT!
New York, NY, February 16, 2010 – To kick off Participant Media’s social action campaign for Steven Soderbergh’s film The Informant!, Participant Media, The Paley Center for Media, the Government Accountability Project and Warner Home Video will present a panel discussion titled Anyone Can Whistle—The Essential Role of the Whistleblower in American Society on February 17 at 7PM at The Paley Center for Media in New York. Some of the most well-known whistleblowers in history will discuss their own personal experiences as well as the importance of speaking out and advocating change.
read moreMAGNOLIA ACQUIRES NO. AMERICAN THEATRICAL RIGHTS TO COUNTDOWN TO ZERO/HISTORY ACQUIRES NO. AMERICAN BROADCAST RIGHTS
New York [ February 12, 2010 ]
The Wagner/Cuban Companies' Magnolia Pictures announced today that it has acquired North American theatrical rights to COUNTDOWN TO ZERO, a stunning documentary about the escalating global nuclear arms crisis that recently bowed at the Sundance Film Festival. In addition, Participant announced that HISTORY™ channel has acquired the US television broadcast rights. Written and directed by acclaimed documentarian Lucy Walker (The Devil’s Playground, Blindsight), the film features an array of important international statesmen, including President Jimmy Carter, Mikhail Gorbachev, Pervez Musharraf and Tony Blair. It makes a compelling case for worldwide nuclear disarmament, an issue more topical than ever with the Obama administration working to revive this goal today. Valerie Plame Wilson, who is also featured in the film, spoke and introduced a clip from COUNTDOWN TO ZERO at the annual TED Conference in Long Beach yesterday, and a screening for TED attendees took place at a nearby theater last night. Additionally, it screened earlier this month in Paris for select attendees of this year's Global Zero Summit.
read morePARAMOUNT VANTAGE ACQUIRES WORLDWIDE RIGHTS TO THE NEW FILM BY OSCAR WINNING DOCUMENTARIAN DAVIS GUGGENHEIM AND PARTICIPANT MEDIA
Hollywood [ January 21, 2010 ]
Worldwide rights for the new documentary from Oscar®-winning director Davis Guggenheim (AN INCONVENIENT TRUTH) and Participant Media have been acquired by Paramount Vantage, it was announced today by Adam Goodman, Paramount Film Group President and by Participant Media’s CEO Jim Berk.
The documentary will have its world premiere tomorrow, January 22, at the Sundance Film Festival. Paramount Vantage will release the movie in the fall of 2010 in the U.S. with international release dates not yet determined.
PARTICIPANT MEDIA ENTERS INTO AN AGREEMENT WITH SUBMARINE ENTERTAINMENT TO HANDLE SALES, CONSULT ON UPCOMING SLATE OF DOCUMENTARIES FILMS INCLUDE NEW DOCS BY GUGGENHEIM, WALKER AND HILL
Los Angeles [ September 15, 2009 ]
Participant Media has entered into an agreement with Josh Braun’s Submarine Entertainment to handle North American sales and consult on worldwide sales of its upcoming slate of documentary features. These include new documentaries by Davis Guggenheim (the Academy Award®-winning An Inconvenient Truth), Lucy Walker (Blindsight) and Brian Hill (Songbirds). In addition, Braun will serve as a consultant to Participant on business and general strategy relating to its documentary films.
Submarine recently was responsible for securing distribution deals with Magnolia Pictures, Alliance Films and PBS’s “P.O.V.” for Participant and River Road Entertainment’s hit documentary, Food, Inc. which has grossed over $4 million to date at the North American box office, and the critically-acclaimed The Cove, which was recently released by Roadside Attractions with Participant handling the social action campaign. Other independent films handled by Submarine include Humpday, Valentino: The Last Emperor, Soul Power, The Mystery Team, Burma VJ and this year’s Academy Award®-winning feature documentary Man on Wire.
PARTICIPANT MEDIA AND IMAGENATION ABU DHABI JOINING WITH RIVER ROAD ENTERTAINMENT ON THE PRODUCTION OF FAIR GAME
Los Angeles [ July 13, 2009 ]
The film fund created by Participant Media and Imagenation Abu Dhabi announced today it will partner with River Road Entertainment in the production of the political thriller Fair Game, starring Sean Penn and Naomi Watts, directed by Doug Liman.
Fair Game stars two time Academy Award® winner Sean Penn (Milk, Mystic River) and Academy Award® nominee Naomi Watts (21 Grams, The Ring) and was directed by Doug Liman (The Bourne Identity, Mr. and Mrs. Smith). The film, which recently wrapped principal photography, was written by Jez & John-Henry Butterworth (Birthday Girl) and produced by Bill Pohlad (Into the Wild, Brokeback Mountain), Janet Zucker (Rat Race, First Knight), Jerry Zucker (Airplane, Ghost), Akiva Goldsman (Hancock, I Am Legend), Doug Liman and Jez Butterworth.
PARTICIPANT MEDIA’S SOCIAL ACTION CAMPAIGN FOR FOOD, INC. SENDS HEALTHY SCHOOL FOOD BRIGADE TO CAPITOL HILL
Los Angeles [ June 25, 2009 ]
130 Parents and Kids From Across the U.S. Lobby for Passage of the Child Nutrition Promotion and School Lunch Protection Act
As part of Participant Media’s social action campaign for the acclaimed new documentary, Food, Inc., parents and children from nearly 30 states proclaiming themselves the Healthy School Food Brigade converged on Capitol Hill Wednesday to urge passage of legislation that would update and reauthorize 30 year old school food nutrition standards. The Child Nutrition Promotion and School Lunch Protection Act would get junk foods out of our nation’s schools and help assure that our children have healthy food choices.
read moreLIANA SCHWARZ NAMED SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT, CAMPAIGN DEVELOPMENT & OPERATIONS FOR PARTICIPANT MEDIA
Los Angeles [ June 16, 2009 ]
Liana Schwarz has been named Senior Vice President, Campaign Development & Operations for Participant Media, it was announced today by John Schreiber, Participant’s Executive Vice President of Social Action and Advocacy.
STONYFIELD PROMOTES NEW DOCUMENTARY FOOD, INC. WITH 10 MILLION YOGURT LIDS AND MONEY-SAVING COUPONS
Los Angeles [ June 11, 2009 ]
Food, Inc., from Magnolia Pictures, Participant Media and River Road Entertainment, is being promoted on foil lids of 10 million cups of Stonyfield Farm organic yogurt in dairy cases across the country this month.
“What better way to get the word out on a film about our food system, than with a message aimed at food shoppers?” asks Stonyfield President and CE-Yo Gary Hirshberg, who appears in the film.
LYNN HIRSHFIELD NAMED SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT OF PUBLISHING FOR PARTICIPANT MEDIA
Los Angeles [ June 8, 2009 ]
Lynn Hirshfield has been promoted to the newly created position of Senior Vice President of Publishing for Participant Media, it was announced today by Buffy Shutt and Kathy Jones, Executive Vice Presidents of Marketing.
Shutt and Jones said, “Since she joined Participant, beginning with her work as a consultant in late 2005 on social marketing and outreach on An Inconvenient Truth, Lynn has contributed innovative thinking to our campaigns. Early on, she recognized the importance of extending Participant’s mission of presenting entertainment that inspires and compels social change into different media. This led her to create our company’s monthly newsletter, and more recently, to get buy-in from like-minded publishers.”
PARTICIPANT MEDIA’S SOCIAL ACTION CAMPAIGN FOR THE SOLOIST PRESENTS A NEW VOICE TO COVENANT HOUSE—JAMIE FOXX
Los Angeles [ April 24, 2009 ]
Participant Media’s social action efforts have delivered a new caring voice to Covenant House to bring hope to kids in crisis: Academy Award® winner Jamie Foxx, star of The Soloist, opening in theaters today. “The NINELINE is free, it’s confidential, and it’s for you,” Mr. Foxx assures young callers in a donated taped message being heard by thousands of young people who call the NINELINE (1-800-999-9999) for help off the streets.
read moreTEENS DONATE 200,000 JEANS FOR HOMELESS YOUTH IN AEROPOSTALE/DOSOMETHING.ORG CLOTHING DRIVE
Los Angeles [ April 14, 2009 ]
"TEENS FOR JEANS" PROGRAM IS PART OF PARTICIPANT MEDIA'S SOCIAL ACTION CAMPAIGN FOR THE SOLOIST
Teens across North America collected over 200,000 pairs of gently-worn jeans for DoSomething.org and Aéropostale’s Teens for Jeans program tied to Participant Media's social action campaign for THE SOLOIST. The initiative was launched on January 26th and encouraged teenagers to collect and donate jeans to their local Aéropostale stores.
read moreDarfur Dream Team Launches Sister Schools Program
Los Angeles [ April 13, 2009 ]
March 18, 2009 (Washington, D.C.) — Basketball stars Tracy McGrady, Derek Fisher, Baron Davis, Luol Deng, Etan Thomas, and Jermaine O'Neal have joined together to announce the launch of the Darfur Dream Team’s Sister Schools Program. As part of the program, the players will work with U.S. schools to raise awareness about the crisis in Darfur and money for Darfuri refugee camp schools. The Sister Schools Program links American middle schools, high schools, and universities with schools in Darfuri refugee camps in eastern Chad. U.S sister schools will raise funds to improve the education of their Darfuri peers through the construction and rehabilitation of school buildings as well as providing teacher training, sports equipment, and other school supplies. The program will also foster cross-cultural relationships and mutual understanding between U.S. and Darfuri refugee students through letter exchanges and video blogging.
read moreGET “INFECTED” AND “CRAZY” FOR GREENPEACE: AUCTION CAUSE, PARTICIPANT MEDIA AND EBAY OFFER UNPRECEDENTED OPPORTUNITY TO BE PART OF HORROR CINEMA HISTORY
Los Angeles [ April 13, 2009 ]
Auction Cause and Participant Media have teamed up to present an eBay charity auction for a walk-on role in Overture Films and Participant Media's horror thriller, THE CRAZIES, with the proceeds to benefit Greenpeace.
PARTICIPANT MEDIA’S AND DOSOMETHING.ORG’S “FEED THE NEED" PROGRAM COLLECTS 1.2 MILLION POUNDS OF FOOD THROUGH YOUTH LED FOOD DRIVES NATIONWIDE
LOS ANGELES [ March 16, 2009 ]
Over 1.2 million pounds of food were collected from food drives around the country under Participant Media’s and DoSomething.org’s “Feed the Need” program, in which more than 26,000 young people took part. Participant Media, the leading provider of content that inspires and compels social change, and DoSomething.org, an organization dedicated to empowering young people to take action in their communities, partnered for the initiative to combat hunger, which was one component of Participant’s social action campaign for the upcoming film The Soloist.
read morePARTICIPANT MEDIA’S THE VISITOR INSPIRES LAWYER TRAINING WORKSHOPS IN 10 U.S. CITIES
LOS ANGELES [ March 9, 2009 ]
For Participant Media’s social action campaign for the film The Visitor, the law firm O’Melveny & Myers and the NGO National Legal Sanctuary for Community Advancement (NLSCA) have joined forces to offer a pro bono Continuing Legal Education training program in 10 cities across the country. These workshops for lawyers and law students consist of a screening of The Visitor, followed by a four hour training session on how to represent immigrants, detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), at bond hearings. The first workshop was held last month in San Francisco, with the next one scheduled to take place in Los Angeles next month.
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LIONSGATE, ROADSIDE ATTRACTIONS, PARTICIPANT MEDIA AND THE WORKS INTERNATIONAL TO EXPOSE THE COVE
LOS ANGELES, CA [ March 5, 2009 ]
Sundance Award-Winning thriller The Cove will be let loose in domestic and international waters beginning this summer. Lionsgate (NYSE: LGF) and Roadside Attractions have acquired all U.S. rights, with The Works International (the U.K. based sales agent of Academy Award® winner MAN ON WIRE), in conjunction with James Atherton’s London-based Quickfire Films Fund, acquiring all other territories.
read more‘Food Inc.’ Opened 3rd Annual Culinary Cinema of the Berlin International Film Festival
LOS ANGELES, CA [ February 10, 2009 ]
Participant Media's and River Road Entertainment's documentary Food, Inc., directed by Robert Kenner, opened the 3rd annual Culinary Cinema of the Berlin International Film Festival on Sunday, February 8.