Press Releases

Biggest Names in Music Urge Fans to See New Film Countdown to Zero and Join the Movement
to Eliminate Nuclear Weapons and Ratify New START Treaty

Los Angeles [ July 15, 2010 ]

Macy Gray, Trent Reznor, Pearl Jam, R.E.M., Maroon 5, 
Tom Morello, Steve Earle, Ok Go, BoDeans, Circa Survive, Rise Against, Los Amigos Invisibles, Neon Indian, Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros, Bostich & Fussible, Mayer Hawthorne, Michael Franti, They Might be Giants, Ozomatli, Mexican Institute of Sound, Lotus, Fanfarlo, Jay Electronica, Weezer, Entrance Band, The Gossip’s Beth Ditto, Subsonica

LAURIE LUH NAMED SENIOR DIRECTOR OF HUMAN RESOURCES AND OFFICE OPERATIONS FOR PARTICIPANT MEDIA

Los Angeles [ June 16, 2010 ]

Laurie Luh has been named Senior Director of Human Resources and Office Operations for Participant Media, it was announced today by Participant CEO Jim Berk.
 


Said Berk, “This new position is both an acknowledgment of Laurie’s extraordinary skill in recruiting top talent to a company that uniquely combines entertainment with social action and digital media, and a reflection of her expanded responsibilities in managing all aspects of human resources for a team that has grown threefold over the course of her tenure.”


MEMBERS PROJECT® ANNOUNCES FIRST ROUND WINNERS TO SHARE $1.2 MILLION IN FUNDING FROM AMERICAN EXPRESS

New York [ June 1, 2010 ]

American Express and TakePart announced today that National Trust for Historic Preservation, Rails-to-Trails Conservancy, International Rescue Committee, DonorsChoose.org, ASPCA and Operation Smile are the winners of the first voting cycle in Members Project, an innovative online initiative that provides everyone with an opportunity to take small steps to make a big difference.  Based on the votes of the public, American Express will provide the six winning charitable organizations with a total of $1.2 million in funding that will positively impact millions of lives around the world, in the areas of arts & culture, community development, environment & wildlife, education and health & wellness.  The National Trust for Historic Preservation and Rails-to-Trails Conservancy tied in their category, and American Express has decided that both organizations will be receiving $200,000 in grant money.  Everyone, whether a Cardmember or not, has the opportunity to vote for the charity that they think deserves funding from American Express. The second Members Project voting cycle is now open for participants to select their favorite charity vying to share $1 million in funding.

PARTICIPANT MEDIA’S "SAVE MY OCEANS" NATIONAL SOCIAL ACTION CAMPAIGN FOR THE DISNEYNATURE RELEASE OCEANS TARGETS BOTH COASTAL AND LAND-LOCKED  RESIDENTS

Los Angeles [ May 11, 2010 ]

Multi-Platform Program Includes www.SaveMyOceans.com

“Save My Oceans,” Participant Media’s multi-platform nationwide social action campaign for Disneynature’s motion picture release OCEANS, is designed to create awareness about the crisis facing our oceans by informing people that regardless of where they live, everything we do impacts our oceans, and in return impacts us.  The social action campaign includes the online hub www.SaveMyOceans.com , the Save My Oceans college concert tour, an art installation, a Save My Oceans pledge and contest with unique art by renowned artist Shepard Fairey and his creative studio, Studio Number One, an entertaining short video titled Use Less Plastic, and a companion book to the film OCEANS.  



“Whether you live right next to a body of water or in a landlocked area, the things you do every day affect our oceans. The trick is getting people across the country to pause and think about the impact they are having,” said Wendy Cohen, Manager of Community and Alliances for Participant. “The Save my Oceans campaign which includes an animated video and presence on social networks, is raising awareness and inspiring people to make a small change that will have an enormous impact on the health of our oceans.” 


is the online hub for the Oceans Social Action campaign.  The site is designed to provide information about the most pressing issues currently affecting our oceans as well as solutions and actions that people can take every day, from supporting national oceans policy to modifications in the types of fish they eat or household cleaning products they use.  

  is a hub of oceans information and activism designed to inform, inspire, and compel change.

PARTICIPANT MEDIA’S SOCIAL ACTION CAMPAIGN FOR NEW FILM FURRY VENGEANCE, OPENING APRIL 30, BRINGS WILDLIFE AND HABITAT PRESERVATION TO CLASSROOMS ACROSS THE U.S.

Los Angeles [ April 13, 2010 ]

Campaign associates include National Wildlife Federation, Endangered Species Coalition, Defenders of Wildlife

For the upcoming feature film comedy Furry Vengeance, opening nationwide on April 30th, Participant Media’s social action campaign will focus on bringing the message of wildlife and habitat preservation to over 16,000  schools or approximately a half a million students around the country. Teamed with Summit Entertainment and the award-winning curriculum specialists at Young Minds Inspired (YMI), Participant has created a free educational program designed to teach 3rd to 5th grade pupils about the effects of every day decisions on our environment.

PARTICIPANT MEDIA TEAMS WITH GREENPEACE AND CHEMICAL SECURITY COALITION FOR THE CRAZIES SOCIAL ACTION CAMPAIGN

Los Angeles [ March 15, 2010 ]

Key Action Promotes Passage of Chemical Security Legislation in U.S. Senate

For its Social Action campaign in connection with The Crazies, Participant Media has joined forces with Greenpeace and the Chemical Security Coalition to educate, engage and activate people to support the passage of chemical security legislation in the U.S. Senate.  The film, which opened February 26th, deals with the horrifying effects of a mysterious toxin that contaminates the water supply of a small Midwestern town, causing insanity and death for the residents. Although fictional, it vividly portrays the potential result of an accidental release of an ultra-hazardous substance and the disregard for public safety, illuminating the real-world challenge of protecting communities in proximity to hazardous chemical plants across America.

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. 





PARTICIPANT 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.

SOCIAL 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.

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.

MAGNOLIA 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.

PARAMOUNT 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.

LIANA 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.

TEENS 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.