Negromancer News Bits and Bites from April 21st to 30th, 2024 - UPDATE #16

by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"

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ENTERTAINMENT AND CULTURE NEWS:

MOVIES - From Deadline:  Danny and Michael Philippou, the directors of the hit horror film, "Talk To Me," are reteaming with that film's distributor, A24, for a new film, "Bring Her Back."  The film is set to star Sally Hawkins.

EMMYS - From Deadline:  I missed this, dear readers.  The nominations for the 2024 / 51st Annual Daytime Emmy Awards have been announced.  The winners will be announced Sat., June 8, 2024.

CANNES - From Variety:    Lily Gladstone,  Eva Green, Omar Sy, Ebru Ceylan, Nadine Labaki, Juan Antonio Bayona, Pierfrancesco Favino, and Kore-eda Hirokazu comprise the jury for the 2024 Cannes Film Festival.  Oscar-nominee Greta Gerwig is jury president.

BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficePro:  The winner of the 4/26 to 4/28/2024 weekend box office is Amazon/MGM's "Challengers" (starring Zendaya) with an estimated take of 15 million dollars.

TELEVISION - From Deadline:  The fate of "NCIS: Hawai'i" is no longer up in the air. CBS has cancelled the series after three seasons, making the announcement yesterday, Fri., April 26th.

From Deadline:  CBS has renewed "The Equalizer" starring Queen Latifah for a fifth season.  However, the fate of "NCIS: Hawai'i" is still up in the air.

SCANDAL - From APNews:  The state Court of Appeals, New York’s highest court, overturned Harvey Weinstein’s 2020 rape conviction. The court found that the judge at the landmark #MeToo trial prejudiced the ex-movie mogul with improper rulings, including a decision to let women testify about allegations that weren’t part of the case.  The court ordered a new trial.  The 75-year-old Weinstein has been serving a 23-year sentence in the Mohawk Correctional Facility near Rome, New York.

From Variety:  Harvey Weinstein was admitted to Bellevue Hospital in Manhattan on Saturdays, just two days after his 2020 New York rape conviction was overturned (Thurs., April 25th).

MOVIES - From Deadline:  Sources tell the site that actors Jodie Comer, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, and Oscar-nominated Ralph Fiennes will star in the first film of the upcoming "28 Years Later" trilogy.  The new film will be directed by Danny Boyle and written by Alex Garland, the director and writer, respectively of the original film, "28 Days Later."

ANIMATION - From Variety: This year marks the 25th anniversary of the airing of the debut episode of Fox's long-running animated series, "Family Guy," specifically January 31, 1999.  Because it was cancelled twice, the series is currently concluding its 22nd season.  Recently voice actor, Patrick Warburton, who voices one of the series main character, paraplegic police officer, "Joe Swanson," says that his parents hate the show.  He says that his mother even tried to get "Family Guy" cancelled.

MOVIES - From Deadline:  Oscar-winning documentary filmmaker Davis Guggenheim, laments the end of the 20-year-old film and television production company, Participant.  Participant was behind Guggenheim and Al Gore's Oscar-winning doc, "An Inconvenient Truth."

From Variety:  The 20-year-old film and television production company whose mission was to inspire social justice and humanitarian action, Participant (formerly Participant Media), is shutting down.  Established in 2004, Participant co-produced or co-financed a number of notable movies including the "Best Picture" Oscar winner "Spotlight," as well as Steven Spielberg’s "Lincoln" and the Oscar-winning, breakthrough documentary "An Inconvenient Truth."

MUSIC - From Deadline:  The 2024 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees have been announced.  The inductees are as follows: A Tribe Called Quest, Cher, Foreigner, Dave Matthews Band, Kool & the Gang, Mary J. Blige, Peter Frampton, Ozzy Osbourne, Jimmy Buffett, Dionne Warwick, Norman Whitfield, Alexis Korner, John Mayall, MC5, Suzanne de Passe, and Big Mama Thornton.

POLITICS - From Salon:  "Mainstream conservatives" never really purged the fascists, according to a wonderful piece by Salon writer, Paul Rosenberg.  Rosenberg interviews David Austin Walsh about his new book, "Taking America Back: The Conservative Movement and the Far Right."

BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficeMojo:  The winner of the 4/19 to 4/21/2024 weekend box office is A24's "Civil War" with an estimated take of 11.1 million dollars.

MOVIES/TRAILERS - From Variety:  Warner Bros. has released the first trailer for M. Night Shyamalan's new thriller, "Trap."  Starring Josh Hartnett, the film follows a father and daughter who attend a pop star's concert only to realize that they are at the center of a dark and sinister event.  And Hartnett's character is a serial killer known as "The Butcher."  The pop star is played by M. Night's daughter, Saleka Shyamalan, who is an actual singer-songwriter.

OBITS:

From Deadline:  American television actress, Marla Adams, has died at the age of 85, Thursday, April 25, 2024.  Adams was best known for her roles as "Belle Clemens" on the former CBS soap opera, "The Secret Storm," from 1968 to 1974, and also as "Dina Abbott Mergeron" a recurring character on "The Young and the Restless," that appeared in 235 episodes on and off from 1983 to 2021.  Adams was twice nominated in the Daytime Emmy Award category of "Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series," winning in 2021.

From Deadline:  British art director and production designer, Ray Chan, has died at the age of 56, Tuesday, April 23, 2024.  Chan was best known for his work in art direction, production design, and additional photography for Marvel Studios, beginning with "Thor: The Dark World" (2013) to the upcoming "Deadpool & Wolverine" (2024).  He was nominated for five Art Directors Guild Awards and won twice.

Sequel to Oscar-Winning Doc, "An Inconvenient Truth," Due in 2017

PARAMOUNT PICTURES TO RELEASE THE FOLLOW-UP TO AN INCONVENIENT TRUTH

A DECADE FOLLOWING VIDE PRESIDENT AL GORE’S LANDMARK CLIMATE CRISIS CALL TO ACTION WAS RELEASED, PARAMOUNT PARTNERS WITH PARTICIPANT MEDIA TO BRING A NEW MESSAGE TO AUDIENCES AROUND THE WORLD FILM WILL PREMIERE AT THE 2017 SUNDANCE FILM FESTIVAL ON OPENING NIGHT

HOLLYWOOD, CA – Paramount Pictures announced today it will release the follow-up to An Inconvenient Truth, former Vice President Al Gore’s two-time Academy Award-winning landmark documentary about the world’s climate crisis. From Participant Media, and directed by Bonni Cohen and Jon Shenk, the sequel follows Gore as he continues his decades long fight to build a more sustainable future for our planet. 

Esteemed film critic Roger Ebert said upon the release of AN INCONVENIENT TRUTH in 2006, “In 39 years, I have never written these words in a movie review, but here they are: You owe it to yourself to see this film. If you do not, and you have grandchildren, you should explain to them why you decided not to.” A decade after AN INCONVENIENT TRUTH brought climate change into the heart of popular culture comes the riveting follow up that shows both the escalation of the crisis and the real solutions we have close at hand.

Former Vice President Al Gore said, “Now more than ever we must rededicate ourselves to solving the climate crisis.  But we have reason to be hopeful; the solutions to the crisis are at hand.  I’m deeply honored and grateful that Paramount Pictures and Participant Media have once again taken on the task of bringing the critical story of the climate crisis to the world."

Paramount chairman and CEO Brad Grey said, “We are honored to be working again with Al, Jeff Skoll and everyone at Participant on a film whose message is as urgent as ever. Al’s tireless efforts to bring about change continues to inspire all of us as we fight for the health of our world for future generations.”

Executive producer, founder and chairman of Participant Media Jeff Skoll said, “A decade after we took a risk in backing a film centered around a slide show presentation and one human’s quest to awaken global consciousness about our changing planet, we are proud to bring global audiences a promising update: that a future powered by clean, safe, renewable, inexpensive, non-polluting energy is no longer a dream but a very attainable reality."

Commented directors Bonni Cohen and Jon Shenk, “It has been our honor to work with Participant on the follow-up to AN INCONVENIENT TRUTH.  Climate change is the story of our time and following Al Gore during this critical moment in history has been both sobering and incredibly inspiring.  We couldn’t be more excited to have Paramount taking the film out to a wide audience around the world."

Stepping beyond the limits of the first movie’s focus on Gore’s inspirational slide presentation, the new film travels the world and delivers an inspirational story of change in the making. Participant Media presents a film featuring Al Gore, directed by Bonni Cohen and Jon Shenk.  The FOLLOW-UP TO AN INCONVENIENT TRUTH is produced by Richard Berge and Diane Weyermann and executive produced by Jeff Skoll, Davis Guggenheim, Lawrence Bender, Laurie David, Scott Z. Burns, and Lesley Chilcott.

Paramount Pictures will release the film in 2017.


About Paramount Pictures Corporation
Paramount Pictures Corporation (PPC), a global producer and distributor of filmed entertainment, is a unit of Viacom (NASDAQ: VIAB, VIA), a leading content company with prominent and respected film, television and digital entertainment brands. Paramount controls a collection of some of the most powerful brands in filmed entertainment, including Paramount Pictures, Paramount Animation, Paramount Vantage, Paramount Classics, Insurge Pictures, MTV Films, and Nickelodeon Movies. PPC operations also include Paramount Home Media Distribution, Paramount Pictures International, Paramount Licensing Inc., and Paramount Studio Group.

About Participant Media
Participant Media (www.participantmedia.com) is the leading media company dedicated to entertainment that inspires and compels social change. Founded in 2004 by Jeff Skoll, Participant’s content combines the power of a good story well told with opportunities for real world impact and awareness around the most pressing global issues of our time. Participant’s more than 75 films, including Spotlight, Contagion, Lincoln, The Help, He Named Me Malala, The Look of Silence, CITIZENFOUR, Food, Inc., and An Inconvenient Truth, have collectively earned 50 Academy Award® nominations and 11 wins, including Best Picture for Spotlight. Participant’s digital entertainment division, SoulPancake (www.soulpancake.com), is an award-winning provider of thought-provoking, joyful, and uplifting digital content including such widely popular series as Kid President and The Science of Happiness and reaches an audience of nearly 9 million fans. Follow Participant Media on Twitter at @Participant and on Facebook and Instagram. Follow SoulPancake on Twitter @soulpancake and on Facebook and Instagram.

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Paramount and Participant Media Celebrates "An Inconvenient Truth" with Free Digital HD Copies

Paramount Pictures and Participant Media Commemorate 10th Anniversary of ‘An Inconvenient Truth’

Free Digital HD Copies of Academy Award®-Winning Film Available on May 24, 2016

Participant Media Launches #AIT10, Multi-Platform Campaign to ‘Share Your Truth’ About Climate Change

LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--An Inconvenient Truth (AIT), the critically acclaimed documentary film that ignited a global climate change movement, marks its 10th anniversary this year. To commemorate the event, Paramount Home Media Distribution will offer free Digital HD copies on May 24, 2016, the day the film was first released in 2006. Leading up to the anniversary, Participant Media is launching #AIT10, a multi-platform campaign recognizing the impact of the film and celebrating individuals like the Sierra Club’s Executive Director Michael Brune, actor Ed Begley Jr., and Andrew Youn of the OneAcre Fund who share why they are inspired to act on climate change, and encourage others to “Share Your Truth.”

    “The filmmakers’ dedication in bringing former Vice President Gore’s critical message to a global audience has since inspired countless social-action-minded movies, many of which have brought to light issues that, like AIT, help to ignite global conversations around important issues.”

“Al Gore, director Davis Guggenheim and the filmmaking team used the art of storytelling to catapult an urgent but misunderstood social issue into the middle of global consciousness,” said Jeff Skoll, Participant Media’s founder and an executive producer of the film. “I’m proud of the progress we’ve made over the last 10 years, and that solutions to climate change are now within our reach. Now is the moment for more concerted action.”

“While all movies have the potential to inspire and move people, the impact that An Inconvenient Truth has had over the last 10 years stands apart,” said Megan Colligan, president, Worldwide Distribution & Marketing, Paramount Pictures. “The filmmakers’ dedication in bringing former Vice President Gore’s critical message to a global audience has since inspired countless social-action-minded movies, many of which have brought to light issues that, like AIT, help to ignite global conversations around important issues.”

Directed by Davis Guggenheim, An Inconvenient Truth is a passionate look at Gore’s fervent crusade to halt global warming’s deadly progress by revealing the truths about it. Called “the most important moment of the effort to address global warming…” by environmentalist Bill McKibben, and “absolutely riveting” by Seattle Post-Intelligencer, AIT is the first documentary to win two Academy Awards® (Best Documentary, Feature and Best Original Song) and continues to inspire people around the world to take action on climate change.

Spotlighting the influence the film has had on individuals around the world and inviting others to join in the conversation, Participant’s #AIT10 is launching “Share Your Truth,” a series of videos from environmental leaders, business owners and government officials from around the world telling personal stories of the impact the film had on them at http://www.takepart.com/ait10. Updated information on climate change, details on the 24-hour free Digital HD offer, and ways to get involved and take action are also available on the site. Everyone is encouraged to join the AIT Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/AnInconvenientTruth to be part of the community.

The film will be available for free digital download for a 24-hour period from major digital retailers including Amazon Video, Cineplex Store, Comcast’s Xfinity On Demand, FandangoNOW, iTunes, Microsoft Movies & TV and VUDU.

An Inconvenient Truth was directed by Davis Guggenheim and presented by Paramount Classics and Participant Productions. Featuring Al Gore, the film was produced by Laurie David, Lawrence Bender and Scott Z. Burns. Jeff Skoll, Davis Guggenheim, Diane Weyermann, Ricky Strauss and Jeff Ivers served as executive producers, and Lesley Chilcott was co-producer.


About Paramount Home Media Distribution
Paramount Home Media Distribution (PHMD) is part of Paramount Pictures Corporation (PPC), a global producer and distributor of filmed entertainment. PPC is a unit of Viacom (NASDAQ: VIAB, VIA), home to premier media brands that create television programs, motion pictures, consumer products, and digital content for audiences in 180 countries and territories. The PHMD division oversees PPC’s home entertainment and transactional digital distribution activities worldwide. The division is responsible for the sales, marketing and distribution of home entertainment content on behalf of Paramount Pictures, Paramount Animation, Paramount Vantage, Paramount Classics, MTV, Nickelodeon, Comedy Central and CBS and applicable licensing and servicing of certain DreamWorks Animation titles. PHMD additionally manages global licensing of studio content and transactional distribution across worldwide digital distribution platforms including online, mobile and portable devices and emerging technologies.

About Participant Media
Participant Media (http://www.participantmedia.com/) is a leading media company dedicated to entertainment that inspires and compels social change. Founded in 2004 by Jeff Skoll, Participant combines the power of a good story well told with opportunities for viewers to get involved. Participant’s more than 70 films, including Spotlight, Contagion, Lincoln, The Help, He Named Me Malala, The Look of Silence, CITIZENFOUR, Food, Inc., and An Inconvenient Truth, have collectively earned 50 Academy Award® nominations and 11 wins, including Best Picture for Spotlight. Participant has also launched more than a dozen original series, including “Please Like Me,” Emmy® Award-winning “Hit Record On TV with Joseph Gordon-Levitt,” and “Fortitude,” for its television network, Pivot (http://www.pivot.tv/). Participant's digital hub, TakePart (http://www.TakePart.com), serves millions of socially conscious consumers each month with daily articles, videos and opportunities to take action. Follow Participant Media on Twitter at @Participant and on Facebook.

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Fox Searchlight and National Geographic Channel Unite for "He Named Me Malala"

National Geographic Channel Joins Fox Searchlight Pictures for Global Theatrical Release of the Highly Anticipated Feature Doc HE NAMED ME MALALA

Oscar Winner Davis Guggenheim-Helmed Film to Receive Cross-Platform Support from the Global Resources of National Geographic for Theatrical Launch; National Geographic Channel to also Premiere the Film on TV in 2016

"One child, one teacher, one book and one pen can change the world." – Malala Yousafzai

LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Fox Searchlight Pictures announced today that National Geographic Channel has joined forces with Fox Searchlight Pictures for the global theatrical release of Academy Award winner Davis Guggenheim’s upcoming feature documentary HE NAMED ME MALALA, an intimate portrait of Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Malala Yousafzai, who was targeted by the Taliban and severely wounded by a gunshot when returning home on her school bus in Pakistan’s Swat Valley.

    “That is why we are joining this project as true partners, from the global theatrical release through our eventual television broadcast, and dedicating our collective resources to bring Malala’s important journey and advocacy for girls’ education to millions of people worldwide.”

With this partnership, National Geographic Channel and National Geographic Society will join the global launch campaign to support the theatrical release this October. Additionally, in 2016 the film will air on the National Geographic Channels in 171 countries and 45 languages.

National Geographic will support this important film from theatrical release through the broadcast television premiere with all of the resources of the National Geographic Channels as well as through the National Geographic Society in National Geographic Magazine, National Geographic Digital Media, National Geographic Education Programs, National Geographic Kids, and more.

“This is a film that you leave not only feeling incredibly inspired, but truly wanting to make a difference. As leaders in bringing stories of global importance to the largest audience possible, it is more than just an honor to be part of this project, I feel it is our duty,” said Courteney Monroe, CEO, National Geographic Channels. “That is why we are joining this project as true partners, from the global theatrical release through our eventual television broadcast, and dedicating our collective resources to bring Malala’s important journey and advocacy for girls’ education to millions of people worldwide.”

“We are excited to be partnering with the National Geographic Channels to help bring Davis’ passion and commitment in the telling of Malala’s moving story to audiences worldwide across their extensive media platforms. Davis’ masterful eye captures this inspiring young individual and we are proud to champion her efforts to bring awareness to the critical global issue of the education of girls,” said Fox Searchlight Pictures Presidents Nancy Utley and Steve Gilula.

The documentary offers a look into Malala’s life both before and following the attack. Fifteen at the time of the incident, she was singled out, along with her father, for advocating for girls’ education. The shooting sparked an outcry from supporters around the world. Malala miraculously survived and is now a leading campaigner for girls’ education globally as co-founder of the Malala Fund.

Acclaimed documentary filmmaker Davis Guggenheim (“An Inconvenient Truth,” “Waiting for 'Superman'”) examines how Malala, her father Zia and her family are committed to fighting for education for all girls worldwide. The film delivers an inside glimpse into this extraordinary young girl’s life – from her close relationship with her father who inspired her love for education, to her impassioned speeches at the United Nations, to joking around at home with her parents and brothers.

The launch of the film will also coincide with an international advocacy and fundraising campaign in partnership with the Malala Fund, Malala’s nonprofit organization working to empower adolescent girls globally through a quality secondary education.

HE NAMED ME MALALA is being released by Fox Searchlight Pictures, in association with Image Nation Abu Dhabi and Participant Media, with National Geographic Channel. The film is produced by Walter Parkes, Laurie MacDonald and Davis Guggenheim. Executive producers are Mohamed Al Mubarak and Michael Garin from Image Nation Abu Dhabi, Jeff Skoll from Participant Media, and Shannon Dill.


About National Geographic Channels
Based at the National Geographic Society headquarters in Washington, D.C., the National Geographic Channels US are a joint venture between National Geographic and Fox Networks. The Channels contribute to the National Geographic Society’s commitment to exploration, conservation and education with smart, innovative programming and profits that directly support its mission. Launched in January 2001, National Geographic Channel (NGC) celebrated its fifth anniversary with the debut of NGC HD. In 2010, the wildlife and natural history cable channel Nat Geo WILD was launched, and in 2011, the Spanish-language network Nat Geo Mundo was unveiled. The Channels have carriage with all of the nation’s major cable, telco and satellite television providers, with NGC currently available in more than 90 million U.S. homes. Globally, National Geographic Channel is available in more than 432 million homes in 171 countries and 45 languages. For more information, visit www.natgeotv.com.

About Image Nation Abu Dhabi
Since launching in 2008, Image Nation Abu Dhabi has become one of the leading content creators in the Middle East. The company produces filmed content across a wide range of platforms, with a particular focus on audiences in the UAE and Gulf region. Image Nation seeks to fulfill four key commitments: Developing Emirati filmed entertainment; growing the local film and television industry through training and internship programs; supporting Abu Dhabi entities in creating content to meet strategic and marketing objectives; and co-producing an aggressive slate of international films through several strategic partnerships.

About Participant Media
Participant Media (http://www.ParticipantMedia.com) is a global entertainment company founded in 2004 by Jeff Skoll to focus on feature film, television, publishing and digital content that inspires social change. Participant's more than 60 films include Good Night, and Good Luck, Syriana, An Inconvenient Truth, Food, Inc., Waiting for ‘Superman’, The Help, Contagion and Lincoln. Participant launches campaigns that bring together government entities, foundations, schools, and others to raise awareness and drive people to take action on issues from each film or television show. Pivot (http://www.pivot.tv/), the company’s television network, is available nationally in 47 million homes, with a diverse slate of talent and a mix of original series, acquired programming, films and documentaries. TakePart (http://www.TakePart.com) is Participant’s digital news and lifestyle magazine and social action platform for the conscious consumer. Through its films, social action campaigns, digital network, and its television network, Participant seeks to entertain, encourage and empower every individual to take action.

About Parkes/MacDonald
Parkes/MacDonald Productions was founded in 2005 by Walter Parkes and Laurie MacDonald to develop and produce feature film and television projects. Previously, Parkes and MacDonald served as the founding presidents of Dream Works SKG motion picture studio; during their 12 year tenure, they led the studio to three consecutive Best Picture Oscars. Films produced or executive-produced by Parkes & MacDonald include GLADIATOR, MEN IN BLACK I, II & III, FLIGHT, MINORITY REPORT, THE MASK OF ZORRO, CATCH ME IF YOU CAN, LEMONY SNICKET’S A SERIES OF UNFORTUNATE EVENTS, THE TERMINAL, ROAD TO PERDITION, THE RING, THE KITE RUNNER, and Stephen Sondheim’s musical thriller, SWEENEY TODD: THE DEMON BARBER OF FLEET STREET, among many others. In total, films produced or executive-produced by Parkes and MacDonald have earned in excess of $6 billion in worldwide box office. Their 2015 slate includes NBC’s critically acclaimed The Slap, the NBC pilot Warrior, RINGS for Paramount Pictures and KEEPING UP WITH THE JONESES for Fox. Upcoming productions include the live action BARBIE film for Sony scheduled for production late 2015/early2016.

In 2012, Parkes/MacDonald teamed with Image Nation Abu Dhabi to form Parkes + MacDonald/Image Nation. HE NAMED ME MALALA is the first film financed by this new partnership.

About the Malala Fund
Malala Fund is a non-profit organization that empowers girls globally through education to achieve their potential and be agents of change in their communities. Co-founded in 2013 by student, education activist and Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Malala Yousafzai and her father and teacher Ziauddin Yousafzai, the Malala Fund invests in and advocates for girls’ secondary education and amplifies the voices of adolescent girls globally.

About Fox Searchlight Pictures
Fox Searchlight Pictures is a specialty film company that both finances and acquires motion pictures. It has its own marketing and distribution operations, and its films are distributed internationally by Twentieth Century Fox. Fox Searchlight Pictures is a unit of 21st Century Fox.

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"The King's Speech" Takes Upset Win at Producers Guild Awards

The Producers Guild of America held its Producers Guild Awards last night (Sat. Jan. 22nd), and they weren't on The Social Network's bandwagon.  The King’s Speech, the film dramatization of King George VI’s efforts to conquer his stuttering, won the PGA "Best Picture" Award.  Could this be the first bump on the road that is The Social Network's march to Oscar best picture glory?

This coming Saturday is the Screen Actors Guild Awards, and if The Social Network does not win the best ensemble award (SAG's equivalent of a best picture award), then the Oscar best picture award race is tighter than some of us think.

Anyway, until I can get the PGA press release, here is the winners' list:

Best Picture: The King’s Speech


Episodic TV, drama: Mad Men

Documentary: Waiting for Superman

Long Form TV: The Pacific

Live TV award: The Colbert Report

Animated Feature: Toy Story 3

Episodic Television Show, Comedy: Modern Family

Black Film Critics Circle "The Social Network," But Spread the Love

There is a new film critics organization, the Black Film Critics Circle.  This is how they describe themselves on their website:

Welcome to the Black Film Critics Circle (BFCC), a new film critic’s organization dedicated to honoring excellence of professionals in the film industry in U.S. and World Cinema.

BFCC is a professional organization of film critics working in all areas of the media to include print publications,broadcast television, radio and on-line outlets.

I'm curious to see how long they last.  Like just about every critics organization, they chose The Social Network as their best picture,while also awarding it "Best Ensemble" and "Best Adapted Screenplay."  They also liked Black Swan with two wins, director and actress (Natalie Portman) and The Fighter, giving supporting acting honors to Christian Bale (actor) and Melissa Leo (actress).

The group also handed out special awards.  One of them is a surprise - a notice for Gareth Edwards, director of science fiction flick, Monsters, "for taking an original and organic approach to cinema that brings the industry back to its roots (visual storytelling) and favors creativity and resourcefulness over contrived storytelling and reliance on big budgets and mindless spectacle. 'Monsters' is a great look at how sci-fi is done right (human stories, not creature-features) by a director who just shot the film and THEN found the story to tell, with good visual effects employed economically to enhance the film - not define it."

THE WINNERS:
Picture: The Social Network

Director: Darren Afronosky, Black Swan

Actor: TIE
Colin Firth (The King's Speech)
James Franco (127 Hours)

Actress: Natalie Portman (Black Swan)

Supporting Actor: Christian Bale (The Fighter)

Supporting Actress: Melissa Leo (The Fighter)

Best Original Screenplay: Christopher Nolan – Inception

Best Adapted Screenplay: Aaron Sorkin – The Social Network

Best Documentary: Waiting For Superman

Best Foreign Film: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

Best Animated Film: Toy Story 3

Best Ensemble: The Social Network


BFCC Pioneer Award - Haile Gerima
BFCC Rising Star/Best Newcomer Award - Jaden Smith
BFCC Special mention: Gareth Edwards for "Monsters"

TOP 10 Films:
1. The Social Network
2. Inception
3. Black Swan
4. The Fighter

5. TIE:
The Kids Are All Right
The Town

7. Toy Story 3
8. The King's Speech
9. Winter's Bone
10. The Ghost Writer

http://blackfilmcriticscircle.org/

African-American Film Critics Choose Christopher Nolan

Didn't know they existed: The African-American Film Critics Association.  Apprently, the AAFCA is a nationwide group composed of African-American media professionals.

Like just about every critics group, they have chosed The Social Network as their "Best Picture."  The surprise, however, is that they gave Christopher Nolan their "Best Director" citation for Inception instead of to David Fincher for The Social Network.  They also seem to be the first group to notice Halle Berry for Frankie and Alice.

Best Picture: The Social Network


Runner-Ups/the rest of the Top 10:

2. The King's Speech
3. Inception
4. Black Swan
5. Night Catches Us
6. The Fighter
7. Frankie & Alice
8. Blood Done Sign My Name
9. Get Low
10. For Colored Girls

Best Director: Christopher Nolan, Inception

Best Actor: Mark Walhberg, The Fighter

Best Actress: Halle Berry, Frankie & Alice

Best Supporting Actor: Michael Ealy, For Colored Girls

Best Supporting Actress: Kimberly Elise, For Colored Girls

Best Song: Nina Simone "Four Women", For Colored Girls

Best Documentary: Waiting for Superman

Best Screenplay (Original or Adapted): Tanya Hamilton, Night Catches Us

http://www.aafca.com/

Countdown to Oscar 2011: "Winter's Bone" Wins Big at Gotham Awards

The Gotham Awards were handed out Monday night, November 29th. The Gotham Awards honor independent films.  The winners are as follows:

Best Film: Winter’s Bone
Best Documentary: The Oath
Best Ensemble: Winter’s Bone
Best Breakthrough Performance: Ronald Bronstein, Daddy Longlegs
Best Breakthrough Director: Kevin Asch, Holy Rollers
Best Film Not Playing At A Theater Near You: Littlerock
Festival Genius Audience Award: Waiting for “Superman”

Here is a list of the nominees (with the winners in bold) for the 20th Anniversary Gotham Independent Film Awards:

Best Feature
Winter’s Bone
Debra Granik, director; Anne Rosellini, Alix Madigan-Yorkin, producers (Roadside Attractions)

Black Swan
Darren Aronofsky, director; Mike Medavoy, Arnold W. Messer, Brian Oliver, Scott Franklin, producers (Fox Searchlight Pictures)

Blue Valentine
Derek Cianfrance, director; Jamie Patricof, Lynette Howell, Alex Orlovsky, producers (The Weinstein Company)

The Kids Are All Right
Lisa Cholodenko, director; Gary Gilbert, Jeffrey Levy-Hinte, Celine Rattray, Jordan Horowitz, Daniela Taplin Lundberg, Philippe Hellmann, producers (Focus Features)

Let Me In
Matt Reeves, director; Simon Oakes, Alex Brunner, Guy East, Tobin Armbrust, Donna Gigliotti, John Nording, Carl Molinder, producers (Overture Films)

Best Documentary
The Oath
Laura Poitras, director/producer (Zeitgeist Films and American Documentary/POV)

12th & Delaware
Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady, directors/producers (HBO Documentary Films)

Inside Job
Charles Ferguson, director; Charles Ferguson, Audrey Marrs, producers (Sony Pictures Classics)

Public Speaking
Martin Scorsese, director; Martin Scorsese, Graydon Carter, Margaret Bodde, Fran Lebowitz, producers (HBO Documentary Films)

Sweetgrass
Lucien Castaing-Taylor and Ilisa Barbash, directors; Ilisa Barbash, producer (Cinema Guild)

Best Ensemble Performance
Winter’s Bone
Jennifer Lawrence, John Hawkes, Dale Dickey, Lauren Sweetser, Garret Dillahunt, Kevin Breznahan
(Roadside Attractions)

The Kids Are All Right
Annette Bening, Julianne Moore, Mark Ruffalo, Mia Wasikowska, Josh Hutcherson (Focus Features)

Life During Wartime
Shirley Henderson, Ciarán Hinds, Allison Janney, Michael Lerner, Chris Marquette, Rich Pecci, Charlotte Rampling, Paul Reubens, Ally Sheedy, Dylan Riley Snyder, Renée Taylor, Michael Kenneth Williams (IFC Films)

Please Give
Catherine Keener, Amanda Peet, Oliver Platt, Rebecca Hall, Ann Guilbert, Lois Smith, Sarah Steele, Thomas Ian Nicholas (Sony Pictures Classics)

Tiny Furniture
Lena Dunham, Laurie Simmons, Grace Dunham, Rachel Howe, Merritt Wever, Amy Seimetz, Alex Karpovsky, David Call, Jemima Kirke, Sarah Sophie Flicker, Garland Hunter, Isen Hunter (IFC Films)

Breakthrough Director
Kevin Asch for Holy Rollers (First Independent Pictures)
John Wells for The Company Men (The Weinstein Company)
Glenn Ficarra and John Requa for I Love You Phillip Morris (Roadside Attractions)
Tanya Hamilton for Night Catches Us (Magnolia Pictures)
Lena Dunham for Tiny Furniture (IFC Films)

Breakthrough Actor
Ronald Bronstein in Daddy Longlegs (IFC Films)
Prince Adu in Prince of Broadway (Elephant Eye Films)
Greta Gerwig in Greenberg (Focus Features)
Jennifer Lawrence in Winter’s Bone (Roadside Attractions)
John Ortiz in Jack Goes Boating (Overture Films)

Best Film Not Playing at a Theater Near You
Littlerock
Mike Ott, director; Frederick Thornton, Laura Ragsdale, Sierra Leoni, producers

Kati with an i
Robert Greene, director; Douglas Tirola, Susan Bedusa, producers

On Coal River
Francine Cavanaugh and Adams Wood, directors; Jillian Elizabeth, Adams Wood, Francine Cavanaugh, producers

Summer Pasture
Lynn True and Nelson Walker, directors/producers; Tsering Perlo, co-director/co-producer

The Wolf Knife
Laurel Nakadate, director/producer

"Waiting for 'Superman'" Advances in Oscar Documentary Race

Press release:

15 Documentary Features Advance In 2010 Oscar® Race

Beverly Hills, CA (November 18, 2010) – The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced that 15 films in the Documentary Feature category will advance in the voting process for the 83rd Academy Awards®. One hundred-one pictures had originally qualified in the category.

The 15 films are listed below in alphabetical order by title, with their production company:

“Client 9: The Rise and Fall of Eliot Spitzer” Alex Gibney, director (ES Productions LLC)

“Enemies of the People” Rob Lemkin and Thet Sambath, directors (Old Street Films)

“Exit through the Gift Shop” Banksy, director (Paranoid Pictures)

“Gasland” Josh Fox, director (Gasland Productions, LLC)

“Genius Within: The Inner Life of Glenn Gould” Michele Hozer and Peter Raymont, directors (White Pine Pictures)

“Inside Job” Charles Ferguson, director (Representational Pictures)

“The Lottery” Madeleine Sackler, director (Great Curve Films)

“Precious Life” Shlomi Eldar, director (Origami Productions) “Megamind”

“Quest for Honor” Mary Ann Smothers Bruni, director (Smothers Bruni Productions)

“Restrepo” Tim Hetherington and Sebastian Junger, directors (Outpost Films)

“This Way of Life” Thomas Burstyn, director (Cloud South Films)

“The Tillman Story” Amir Bar-Lev, director (Passion Pictures/Axis Films)

“Waiting for ‘Superman” Davis Guggenheim, director (Electric Kinney Films)

“Waste Land” Lucy Walker, director (Almega Projects)

“William Kunstler: Disturbing the Universe” Emily Kunstler and Sarah Kunstler, directors (Disturbing the Universe LLC)

The Documentary Branch Screening Committee viewed all the eligible documentaries for the preliminary round of voting. Documentary Branch members will now select the five nominees from among the 15 titles on the shortlist.

The 83rd Academy Awards nominations will be announced live on Tuesday, January 25, 2011, at 5:30 a.m. PT in the Academy's Samuel Goldwyn Theater.

Academy Awards for outstanding film achievements of 2010 will be presented on Sunday, February 27, 2011, at the Kodak Theatre at Hollywood & Highland Center®, and televised live by the ABC Television Network. The Oscar presentation also will be televised live in more than 200 countries worldwide.

Robin Hood Makes Good with "Waiting for 'Superman'"

Press release:

ROBIN HOOD TEAMS UP WITH “SUPERMAN”

ROBIN HOOD JOINS PARTICIPANT MEDIA IN SOCIAL ACTION CAMPAIGN TO BRING WAITING FOR “SUPERMAN” TO THOUSANDS OF NEW YORKERS FREE OF CHARGE

LOS ANGELES – October 28, 2010 – The Robin Hood Foundation has teamed up with Participant Media’s Social Action Campaign for WAITING FOR “SUPERMAN” by underwriting a ticket giveaway program that is allowing a variety of New Yorkers from underserved neighborhoods in Manhattan, the Bronx and Brooklyn to see the film.

The landmark documentary has sparked a vital conversation on the current state of public education in the United States. The program’s goal is to spread awareness by providing 50,000 New Yorkers tickets to see WAITING FOR “SUPERMAN” at no charge.

Robin Hood has distributed thousands of vouchers redeemable for admission to any performance of the film at select New York theaters over a three-week period starting Friday, October 22. There will be additional free screenings of the film to be shown throughout the five boroughs over the next several months.

“As a result of Robin Hood’s support, tens of thousands of New Yorkers from underserved neighborhoods will now have the chance to see WAITING FOR “SUPERMAN” and be able to be part of the national conversation,” said Jim Berk, CEO Participant Media. “Their next step is to text ‘POSSIBLE TO 77177’ or visit waitingforsuperman.com/action, where they can find a variety of ways to get actively involved in changing the quality of education in their own communities.”

Geoffrey Canada’s Harlem Children’s Zone, which is featured in the film, has distributed 10,000 of the free vouchers, valid from now through November 11, for admission to any performance of the film at the AMC Magic Johnson Harlem 9 theatre and the AMC Empire 25 theatre in Manhattan. 19,000 have been distributed by Robin Hood’s network of grantees, with 12,500 redeemable at the two AMC theatres from now through November 11, and 6,500 vouchers, valid from now through November 4 at the UA Court Street theatre in Brooklyn.


About WAITING FOR "SUPERMAN”
From An Inconvenient Truth director Davis Guggenheim comes WAITING FOR "SUPERMAN”, a provocative and cogent examination of the crisis of public education in the United States told through multiple interlocking stories—from a handful of students and their families whose futures hang in the balance, to the educators and reformers trying to find real and lasting solutions within a dysfunctional system. Tackling such politically radioactive topics as the power of teachers’ unions and the entrenchment of school bureaucracies, Guggenheim reveals the invisible forces that have held true education reform back for decades.

The film is produced by Lesley Chilcott, with Participant Media’s Jeff Skoll and Diane Weyermann serving as executive producers. It is written by Davis Guggenheim & Billy Kimball.

About Participant Media
Participant Media (participantmedia.com) is a Los Angeles-based global entertainment company specializing in socially-relevant documentary and non-documentary feature films, television, publishing and digital media. Participant exists to tell compelling, entertaining stories that bring to the forefront real issues that shape our lives. For each of its projects, Participant creates extensive social action and advocacy programs, which provide ideas and tools to transform the impact of the media experience into individual and community action. Participant’s online Social Action Network is TakePart (takepart.com).

Participant Media is headed by CEO Jim Berk and was founded in 2004 by philanthropist Jeff Skoll, who serves as Chairman. Ricky Strauss is President.

Participant's films include The Kite Runner, Charlie Wilson's War, Darfur Now, An Inconvenient Truth, Good Night, and Good Luck, Syriana, The Visitor, The Soloist, Food, Inc., The Informant!, The Cove, The Crazies, Oceans, Countdown to Zero, WAITING FOR "SUPERMAN” and Fair Game.

About Robin Hood Foundation
Robin Hood holds steadfast to a single mission: fight poverty in New York City. Robin Hood is changing the fates and saving the lives of our neighbors in need by applying investment principles to charitable giving. We find, fund and create the most effective programs and schools serving families in New York City’s poorest neighborhoods. To ensure that every dollar is invested wisely, we rigorously assess each program using independent, third-party evaluators to hold each program accountable. Because Robin Hood’s board of directors pays all administrative, fundraising and evaluation costs, 100 percent of donations go directly to organizations helping impoverished New Yorkers build better lives. www.robinhood.org

About Paramount Pictures Corporation
Paramount Pictures Corporation (PPC), a global producer and distributor of filmed entertainment, is a unit of Viacom (NYSE: VIA, VIA.B), a leading content company with prominent and respected film, television and digital entertainment brands. The company's labels include Paramount Pictures, Paramount Vantage, Paramount Classics, Insurge Pictures, MTV Films, and Nickelodeon Movies. PPC operations also include Paramount Digital Entertainment, Paramount Famous Productions, Paramount Home Entertainment, Paramount Pictures International, Paramount Licensing Inc., Paramount Studio Group, and Worldwide Television Distribution.

About Walden MediaWalden Media specializes in entertainment for the whole family. Past award-winning films include: “The Chronicles of Narnia” series, “Journey to the Center of the Earth,” “Nim’s Island” and “Charlotte’s Web.” Upcoming films include the third installment in the Narnia series “The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader.”

150,000 People Have Now Pledged to See "Waiting for 'Superman'"

Press release:

NewSchools Venture Fund Announces $5 Million Investment in Entrepreneurial Organizations as 150,000 People Pledge to See “Waiting For ‘Superman’”

SAN FRANCISCO, CA (October 11, 2010) – Honoring a pledge to the viewers of “Waiting for ‘Superman,’” national nonprofit venture philanthropy firm NewSchools Venture Fund announced today that it will invest $5 million in innovative education organizations to help close achievement gaps in low-income communities.

The new investments, which will be announced in the coming months, come in connection with the commitment http://www.newschools.org/about/news/press-releases/waiting-for-superman-pledge NewSchools made once 150,000 people pledged http://www.waitingforsuperman.com/pledge-progress to see the film. The “Waiting for ‘Superman’” pledge meter surpassed that level on October 8 – a testament to the movie’s powerful narrative and its urgent call for dramatic change and innovative solutions to the crisis facing our nation’s public schools.

“‘Waiting for “Superman”’ shines a bright light on two important truths,” said Ted Mitchell, CEO of NewSchools Venture Fund. “Excellent schools, with outstanding teachers, make all the difference in a child’s life. But in some places in this country, access to an excellent school is a matter of chance. It’s not fair, and we all need to step up to change the odds. NewSchools and its entrepreneurs are demonstrating every day that it can be done.”

NewSchools provides funding and management guidance to entrepreneurial organizations working to improve public education for low income children. NewSchools’ investments include organizations that recruit and train teachers, start public charter schools, turn around failing public schools, and create technology tools for the classroom. Some of the schools featured in “Waiting for ‘Superman’” were built by organizations in the NewSchools portfolio. NewSchools and its portfolio of entrepreneurs are developing innovative solutions to address the toughest challenges facing public education and create better opportunities for all of our nation’s children.

“With the hard work that these new investments will support, we will move a bit closer to a day when a good public education is a right for every child,” Mitchell said. “No child should have to win a lottery to get on the path to college.”

Founded in 1998, NewSchools has been committed for more than a decade to transforming public education through powerful ideas and passionate entrepreneurs so that all children – especially those in underserved communities – have the opportunity to succeed. To achieve this goal, NewSchools has supported more than 40 education entrepreneurs, helping them to build strong, high-impact organizations making a real difference in the lives of children and connecting their work to the broader public education reform movement to catalyze broader systems change.

“Waiting for ‘Superman,’” directed by Davis Guggenheim (An Inconvenient Truth), is a Paramount Vantage and Participant Media presentation in association with Walden Media. It examines the crisis of public education in the United States through multiple interlocking stories. Designed to start a national conversation, the movie and corresponding “Take the Pledge” campaign aim to inspire everyone to create innovative and long-term solutions to help change the course of our kids’ lives for the better. The “Pledge Progress Meter” launched in May as a way for non-profits, foundations, and corporations to match individual pledge levels with powerful action items aimed at helping both students and public schools.

The film opened in New York and Los Angeles on September 24, and continues to expand nationwide throughout October. The film is produced by Lesley Chilcott, with Participant Media’s Jeff Skoll and Diane Weyermann serving as executive producers. It is written by Davis Guggenheim & Billy Kimball.

For more information about the movie, or to take the pledge go to http://www.waitingforsuperman.com/. To join the conversation visit us on Facebook at http://www.Facebook.com/Newschools or Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/nsvf


About NewSchools Venture Fund
NewSchools Venture Fund seeks to transform public education through powerful ideas and passionate entrepreneurs so that all children – especially those in underserved communities – have the opportunity to succeed. As a national nonprofit venture philanthropy firm, NewSchools supports education entrepreneurs, a special breed of innovators who create new nonprofit and for-profit organizations that redefine our sense of what is possible in public education. Founded in 1998, NewSchools has invested in more than 35 nonprofit and for-profit organizations and raised nearly $150 million. NewSchools takes an active role with each venture in our portfolio to help them create sustainable organizations that generate breakthrough results at scale for the students they serve. In addition to this direct support to entrepreneurs, NewSchools also connects their work to the broader public education reform movement to catalyze systems change.

About Paramount Pictures Corporation
Paramount Pictures Corporation (PPC), a global producer and distributor of filmed entertainment, is a unit of Viacom (NYSE: VIA, VIA.B), a leading content company with prominent and respected film, television and digital entertainment brands. The company's labels include Paramount Pictures, Paramount Vantage, Paramount Classics, MTV Films and Nickelodeon Movies. PPC operations also include Paramount Digital Entertainment, Paramount Famous Productions, Paramount Home Entertainment, Paramount Pictures International, Paramount Licensing Inc., Paramount Studio Group, and Worldwide Television Distribution.

About Participant Media
Participant Media (participantmedia.com) is a Los Angeles-based global entertainment company specializing in socially-relevant documentary and non-documentary feature films, television, publishing and digital media. Participant exists to tell compelling, entertaining stories that bring to the forefront real issues that shape our lives. For each of its projects, Participant creates extensive social action and advocacy programs, which provide ideas and tools to transform the impact of the media experience into individual and community action. Participant’s online Social Action Network is TakePart (takepart.com).

About Walden Media
Walden Media specializes in entertainment for the whole family. Past award-winning films include: “The Chronicles of Narnia” series, “Journey to the Center of the Earth,” “Nim’s Island” and “Charlotte’s Web.” Upcoming films include the third installment in the Narnia series “The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader.”

Waiting for "Superman" Inspires New Huffington Post Section

Press release:

The Huffington Post Launches Education Section Inspired By “Waiting For ‘Superman’” Documentary

"HuffPost Education" Covers Broad-Range Of Issues Impacting Students, Parents, Teachers, Administrators, and the Nation

-- “Waiting for ‘Superman’” Signs on As Inaugural Sponsor --

New York, NY, October 4 – The Huffington Post (“HuffPost”) a leading social news and opinion site, today announces the launch of "HuffPost Education http://www.huffingtonpost.com/education/," a new education section inspired by the issues raised in WAITING FOR “SUPERMAN,” the documentary by Academy Award®-winning director Davis Guggenheim. HuffPost Education serves as a one-stop-shop education “hub,” featuring up-to-the-minute news and features, blog posts, video, and community engagement around America's troubled education system. The section is produced in partnership with Causecast, a leading cause marketing and technology solutions provider, and is the latest content "vertical" to be added to The Huffington Post, which continues its expansion as "The Internet Newspaper." Arianna Huffington, co-founder and editor-in-chief of The Huffington Post, made the announcement.

"The Huffington Post is thrilled to launch HuffPost Education -- a new section that highlights and builds on the issues raised in WAITING FOR ‘SUPERMAN,’”said Arianna Huffington. “Education has always been the great equalizer in America: the chance for each succeeding generation to improve their minds -- and their lives. But something has gone terribly wrong with our education system, and this failure has profound consequences for America’s future. Our nation’s education crisis demands ‘the fierce urgency of now,’ and that’s why HuffPost Education looks at the problems plaguing our schools but also focuses on the innovative solutions being proposed and implemented all across the country. Last but not least, it’s an opportunity to celebrate and support the many teachers who, despite a broken system, are doing heroic work.”

HuffPost Education serves as a hub for education news and trends -- from school success stories and teacher profiles to tips for parents and the latest research and expert analysis. The section features broad-ranging coverage of what’s happening at schools across the country, and around the world, including curricula, testing, resource allocation, teacher training, and more. HuffPost Education highlights the important work that teachers are doing as well as provides them with a real-time forum to discuss the issues impacting them. As part of this, the section will highlight great teachers from around the country, and feature the innovative ways they are getting children to learn. It is also home to a spirited ongoing conversation about what’s gone wrong with America’s educational system -- and what needs to be done to fix it -- featuring topical takes from an eclectic mix of stakeholders in the education debate.

Said Ryan Scott, CEO of Causecast: “We’re delighted to announce the expansion of our HuffPost partnership with the launch of HuffPost Education. Like HuffPost Impact, our award winning service and philanthropy vertical, HuffPost Education strives to move the needle forward by providing inspiring content combined with tools that let readers take action. The aim is to be the definitive online hub for addressing the education crisis, a forum for the best and most innovative minds in America to discuss the current and future state of our public education system, and a venue for everyday participation.”


About The Huffington Post
The Huffington Post (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/) is a leading social news and opinion site which in four and a half years has become an influential and oft-quoted media brand, "The Internet Newspaper." The site offers coverage of politics, media, business, entertainment, living, style, sustainable “green” living, world news, technology, nonprofits, college life, books, religion, food and comedy, and is a top destination for news, blogs and original content. The Huffington Post ("HuffPost") has over 40 million unique visitors per month (source: Google Analytics) and is the “most-linked-to blog” on the Internet, per Technorati. In 2008, the site launched its first local version, HuffPost Chicago; HuffPost New York, HuffPost Denver and HuffPost LA launched in 2009. The Huffington Post has an active community, with over three million comments made on the site each month. HuffPost Social News launched in partnership with Facebook in 2009 to leverage the power of social networking to allow readers to create their own personalized social networking-like news page on HuffPost itself. The Huffington Post Twitter Edition launched in 2010. HuffPost has 6,000 bloggers -- from politicians and celebrities to academics and policy experts -- who contribute in real-time on a wide-range of topics making news today. Among those who have blogged on HuffPost are Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, Larry David, Nora Ephron, Larry Page, Madeleine Albright, Robert Redford, Neil Young, Rahm Emanuel, Albert Brooks, Mia Farrow, Russ Feingold, Al Franken, Ari Emanuel, Gary Hart, Harry Shearer, John Kerry, Bill Maher, Nancy Pelosi, Madonna, Jamie Lee Curtis, Ryan Reynolds, Craig Newmark, Alec Baldwin, Donna Karan, Kenneth Cole and Donatella Versace. A comprehensive list of the contributors to The Huffington Post can be found in its blogger index: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/theblog/index/.

About Causecast
Causecast is a full-service cause integration company that provides custom solutions to nonprofit and for-profit organizations. Causecast leverages media and technology platforms to develop cause marketing campaigns, provide fundraising and volunteer management tools to nonprofits, and support for-profit CSR with a patent pending employee engagement platform. Clients include AARP, The Huffington Post, Ben Stiller, Malaria No More, John Legend's Show Me Campaign, The National Forensics League, Charity: Water.

About WAITING FOR “SUPERMAN”
From AN INCONVENIENT TRUTH director Davis Guggenheim comes WAITING FOR “SUPERMAN,” a provocative and cogent examination of the crisis of public education in the United States told through multiple interlocking stories—from a handful of students and their families whose futures hang in the balance, to the educators and reformers trying to find real and lasting solutions within a dysfunctional system. Tackling such politically radioactive topics as the power of teachers’ unions and the entrenchment of school bureaucracies, Guggenheim reveals the invisible forces that have held true education reform back for decades.

The film is produced by Lesley Chilcott, with Participant Media’s Jeff Skoll and Diane Weyermann serving as executive producers. It is written by Davis Guggenheim & Billy Kimball.

About Paramount Pictures Corporation
Paramount Pictures Corporation (PPC), a global producer and distributor of filmed entertainment, is a unit of Viacom (NYSE: VIA, VIA.B), a leading content company with prominent and respected film, television and digital entertainment brands. The company's labels include Paramount Pictures, Paramount Vantage, Paramount Classics, Insurge Pictures, MTV Films, and Nickelodeon Movies. PPC operations also include Paramount Digital Entertainment, Paramount Famous Productions, Paramount Home Entertainment, Paramount Pictures International, Paramount Licensing Inc., Paramount Studio Group, and Worldwide Television Distribution.

About Participant Media
Participant Media is a Los Angeles-based entertainment company that focuses on socially relevant, commercially viable feature films, documentaries and television, as well as publishing and digital media. Participant Media is headed by CEO Jim Berk and was founded in 2004 by philanthropist Jeff Skoll, who serves as Chairman. Ricky Strauss is President.

Participant exists to tell compelling, entertaining stories that bring to the forefront real issues that shape our lives. For each of its projects, Participant creates extensive social action and advocacy programs, which provide ideas and tools to transform the impact of the media experience into individual and community action. Participant’s films include The Kite Runner, Charlie Wilson’s War, Darfur Now, An Inconvenient Truth, Good Night, and Good Luck, Syriana, Standard Operating Procedure, The Visitor, The Soloist, Food, Inc., The Informant!, The Cove, The Crazies, Oceans, Furry Vengeance, CASINO JACK and the United States of Money, Countdown to Zero and Waiting for “Superman.”

About Walden Media
Walden Media specializes in entertainment for the whole family. Past award-winning films include: “The Chronicles of Narnia” series, “Journey to the Center of the Earth,” “Nim’s Island” and “Charlotte’s Web.” Upcoming films include the third installment in the Narnia series “The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader.”

Review: Davis Guggenheim Captured the Power of Al Gore and of "An Inconvenient Truth"

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 33 (of 2007) by Leroy Douresseaux

An Inconvenient Truth (2006)
Running time: 97 minutes (1 hour, 37 minutes)
MPAA – PG for mild thematic elements
DIRECTOR: Davis Guggenheim
PRODUCERS: Laurie David, Lawrence Bender, and Scott Z. Burns
EDITOR: Jay Lash Cassidy and Dan Swietlik
Academy Award winner

DOCUMENTARY – Social, Environmental, Political

Starring: Al Gore

In An Inconvenient Truth, director Davis Guggenheim captures former Vice-President Al Gore in the midst of waging his passionate campaign to inform people about global warming. The former presidential candidate has traveled the world for several years delivering a visual presentation (think slide show using Apple’s Keynote presentation program) on global climate change. His argument is that people and their governments must confront global warming now or face devastating consequences in the coming decades.

Guggenheim’s documentary film captures this presentation on film, and intersperses Gore’s show with the story of Gore’s personal journey from childhood to idealistic young college student who saw an environmental crisis on the horizon and from brash young Senator to environmental advocate. Gore also allows Guggenheim to open a door into the personal tragedies of his life.

Gore had been showing his global warming presentation in school auditoriums and hotel conference rooms for years with little fanfare. When a group of filmmakers approached him about committing this presentation to film, they may not have known then that they would be creating the most popular documentary film of 2006. Since An Inconvenient Truth debuted at the 2006 Sundance Film Festival, many people have been surprised that Al Gore could be so engaging with a disarming sense of humor. The funny and passionate Gore of An Inconvenient Truth existed throughout his political career, but much of the media portrayed him otherwise during his 2000 presidential run.

Honestly, I don’t know if An Inconvenient Truth will convince many, if any, viewers about the dangers of global warming and the problems it is causing and will cause. For the most part, this documentary comes across as preaching to the choir and to the converted. Still, like many people with a cause for which they are mega passionate, Gore, for all his warmth, does come across as somewhat strident in the film.

An Inconvenient Truth is like a visual document of a toasty lecture by our favorite, old crusty professor. This may be nothing more and nothing less than PBS, The Discovery Channel, and their like have been showing for years. The difference here is that if you like Gore, you’ll be very entertained and informed by this and like the fact that he’s the one doing the entertaining and informing.

7 of 10
B+

NOTES:
2007 Academy Awards: 2 wins: “Best Documentary, Features” (Davis Guggenheim) and “Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures, Original Song” (Melissa Etheridge for “I Need to Wake Up”)

Sunday, February 11, 2007

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Waiting for "Superman" Gets New Pledge Pal

Press release:

$5 MILLION TO CREATE HIGH QUALITY EDUCATION OPPORTUNITIES FOR MORE CHILDREN

NewSchools Venture Fund Joins WaitingforSuperman.com “Pledge Progress Meter” at the 150,000 Pledge Level

HOLLYWOOD, CA (September 23, 2010) – Paramount Pictures, Participant Media and Walden Media jointly announced today NewSchools Venture Fund has joined the WaitingforSuperman.com “Pledge Progress Meter” for the award-winning documentary film WAITING FOR “SUPERMAN” at the 150,000 pledge level. The Fund has committed to investing $5 million in entrepreneurial organizations to create high quality public education opportunities for more of America’s children.

NewSchools is committed to transforming public education through powerful ideas and passionate entrepreneurs so that all children – especially those in underserved communities – have the opportunity to succeed. To achieve this goal, they support education entrepreneurs, help them grow their organizations to scale, and help connect their work to broader systems change. These entrepreneurs increase the supply of new high-quality schools, teachers, and tools that serve students. They also contribute to the momentum toward more significant improvement within the existing system.

“The most pressing domestic issue today is the achievement gap that blunts the potential of low-income children and steals from our national economy. WAITING FOR “SUPERMAN” will help our country recognize the urgency for each of us to take action, in exactly the same way that ‘An Inconvenient Truth’ did,” said Ted Mitchell, President and Chief Executive Officer of NewSchools Venture Fund and President of the California State Board of Education.

NewSchools is the sixth major organization to join the WaitingforSuperman.com “Pledge Progress Meter.” FirstBook, OfficeMax®, DonorsChoose.org, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt and Adopt-A-Classroom / Jones New York in the Classroom have already committed to making a difference in education.

WAITING FOR “SUPERMAN” directed by Davis Guggenheim (“An Inconvenient Truth”) will be released under the Paramount Vantage banner and distributed by Paramount Pictures. It examines the crisis of public education in the United States through multiple interlocking stories. Designed to start a national conversation, the movie and corresponding “Take the Pledge” campaign aim to inspire everyone to create innovative and long-term solutions to help change the course of our kids’ lives for the better. The “Pledge Progress Meter” launched in May as a way for non-profits, foundations and corporations to match individual pledge levels with powerful action items aimed at helping both students and public schools.

The film opens in New York and Los Angeles on September 24, nationwide in October.

The film is produced by Lesley Chilcott, with Participant Media’s Jeff Skoll and Diane Weyermann serving as executive producers. It is written by Davis Guggenheim & Billy Kimball.

For more information about the NewSchools Venture Fund, please visit http://www.newschools.org/

For more information about the movie, or to take the pledge go to http://www.waitingforsuperman.com/

To join the conversation visit us on Facebook at http://www.Facebook.com/WaitingForSuperman

What does your school need? Tell us by Tweeting #MySchoolNeeds at http://www.Twitter.com/WaitingSuperman


About Paramount Pictures Corporation
Paramount Pictures Corporation (PPC), a global producer and distributor of filmed entertainment, is a unit of Viacom (NYSE: VIA, VIA.B), a leading content company with prominent and respected film, television and digital entertainment brands. The company's labels include Paramount Pictures, Paramount Vantage, Paramount Classics, MTV Films and Nickelodeon Movies. PPC operations also include Paramount Digital Entertainment, Paramount Famous Productions, Paramount Home Entertainment, Paramount Pictures International, Paramount Licensing Inc., Paramount Studio Group, and Worldwide Television Distribution.

About Participant Media
Participant Media is a Los Angeles-based entertainment company that focuses on socially relevant, commercially viable feature films, documentaries and television, as well as publishing and digital media. Participant Media is headed by CEO Jim Berk and was founded in 2004 by philanthropist Jeff Skoll, who serves as Chairman. Ricky Strauss is President.

Participant exists to tell compelling, entertaining stories that bring to the forefront real issues that shape our lives. For each of its projects, Participant creates extensive social action and advocacy programs, which provide ideas and tools to transform the impact of the media experience into individual and community action. Participant’s films include The Kite Runner, Charlie Wilson’s War, Darfur Now, An Inconvenient Truth, Good Night, and Good Luck, Syriana, Standard Operating Procedure, The Visitor, The Soloist, Food, Inc., The Informant!, The Cove, The Crazies, Oceans, Furry Vengeance, CASINO JACK and the United States of Money, Countdown to Zero and Waiting for “Superman.”

About Walden Media
Walden Media specializes in entertainment for the whole family. Past award-winning films include: the "Chronicles of Narnia" series, "Journey to the Center of the Earth", "Nim’s Island" and "Charlotte’s Web." Upcoming films include "Ramona & Beezus" based on the best-selling book series by Beverly Cleary and starring Selena Gomez, and the latest installment in "Narnia" franchise: "The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader."

About NewSchools Venture Fund
NewSchools Venture Fund seeks to transform public education through powerful ideas and passionate entrepreneurs so that all children – especially those in underserved communities – have the opportunity to succeed. As a national nonprofit venture philanthropy firm, NewSchools supports education entrepreneurs, a special breed of innovators who create new nonprofit and for-profit organizations that redefine our sense of what is possible in public education. Founded in 1998, NewSchools has invested in more than 35 nonprofit and for-profit organizations and raised nearly $150 million. NewSchools takes an active role with each venture in our portfolio to help them create sustainable organizations that generate breakthrough results at scale for the students they serve. In addition to this direct support to entrepreneurs, NewSchools also connects their work to the broader public education reform movement to catalyze systems change.

Jones Apparel and Adopt-A-Classroom Join the "Waiting for 'Superman'" Cause

Press release:

ADOPT-A-CLASSROOM AND JONES NEW YORK IN THE CLASSROOM PLEDGE TO DONATE $50,000 TO SCHOOLS IN NEED

Join WaitingforSuperman.com “Pledge Progress Meter” at the 80,000 Pledge Level

HOLLYWOOD, CA (September 13, 2010) – Paramount Pictures, Participant Media and Walden Media jointly announced today Adopt-A-Classroom and Jones New York in the Classroom have joined the WaitingforSuperman.com “Pledge Progress Meter” by committing to donate $50,000 to schools in need once 80,000 people pledge to see the award-winning documentary film WAITING FOR “SUPERMAN.”

"Teachers play a critical role in the success of our schools, our communities and our children," said James Rosenberg, Founder and Executive Director of Adopt-A-Classroom. "We, along with our national sponsor Jones New York In The Classroom, are excited and honored to be affiliated with ‘Waiting for “Superman,”’ a film that should enlighten the country about the many challenges students and teachers confront in the classroom everyday."

Adopt-A-Classroom and Jones New York in the Classroom become the fifth notch on the WaitingforSuperman.com “Pledge Progress Meter.” FirstBook, OfficeMax®, DonorsChoose.org and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt have already committed to making a difference in education by taking the pledge.

WAITING FOR “SUPERMAN” directed by Davis Guggenheim (“An Inconvenient Truth”) will be released under the Paramount Vantage banner and distributed by Paramount Pictures. It examines the crisis of public education in the United States through multiple interlocking stories. Designed to start a national conversation, the movie and corresponding “Take the Pledge” campaign aim to inspire everyone to create innovative and long-term solutions to help change the course of our kids’ lives for the better. The “Pledge Progress Meter” launched in May as a way for non-profits, foundations and corporations to match individual pledge levels with powerful action items aimed at helping both students and public schools.

The film opens in New York and Los Angeles on September 24, nationwide in October.

The film is produced by Lesley Chilcott, with Participant Media’s Jeff Skoll and Diane Weyermann serving as executive producers. It is written by Davis Guggenheim & Billy Kimball.

For more information about the movie, or to take the pledge go to http://www.waitingforsuperman.com/ or text “PLEDGE” to 77177.

To join the conversation visit us on Facebook at http://www.Facebook.com/WaitingForSuperman

What does your school need? Tell us by Tweeting #MySchoolNeeds at http://www.Twitter.com/WaitingSuperman

For more on Adopt-A-Classroom and Jones New York in the Classroom, visit:
http://www.adoptaclassroom.org/

http://www.jnyintheclassroom.org/


About Paramount Pictures Corporation
Paramount Pictures Corporation (PPC), a global producer and distributor of filmed entertainment, is a unit of Viacom (NYSE: VIA, VIA.B), a leading content company with prominent and respected film, television and digital entertainment brands. The company's labels include Paramount Pictures, Paramount Vantage, Paramount Classics, Insurge Pictures, MTV Films, and Nickelodeon Movies. PPC operations also include Paramount Digital Entertainment, Paramount Famous Productions, Paramount Home Entertainment, Paramount Pictures International, Paramount Licensing Inc., Paramount Studio Group, and Worldwide Television Distribution.

About Participant Media
Participant Media is a Los Angeles-based entertainment company that focuses on socially relevant, commercially viable feature films, documentaries and television, as well as publishing and digital media. Participant Media is headed by CEO Jim Berk and was founded in 2004 by philanthropist Jeff Skoll, who serves as Chairman. Ricky Strauss is President.

Participant exists to tell compelling, entertaining stories that bring to the forefront real issues that shape our lives. For each of its projects, Participant creates extensive social action and advocacy programs, which provide ideas and tools to transform the impact of the media experience into individual and community action. Participant’s films include The Kite Runner, Charlie Wilson’s War, Darfur Now, An Inconvenient Truth, Good Night, and Good Luck, Syriana, Standard Operating Procedure, The Visitor, The Soloist, Food, Inc., The Informant!, The Cove, The Crazies, Oceans, Furry Vengeance, CASINO JACK and the United States of Money, Countdown to Zero and Waiting for “Superman.”

About Walden Media
Walden Media specializes in entertainment for the whole family. Past award-winning films include: “The Chronicles of Narnia” series, “Journey to the Center of the Earth,” “Nim’s Island” and “Charlotte’s Web.” Upcoming films include the third installment in the Narnia series “The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader.”

About Adopt-A-Classroom
Adopt-A-Classroom is a national, award-winning 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting classroom teachers and ensuring all children have equal access to a quality education. Since 1998, the organization has raised over $15 million on behalf of classrooms across America. Donations are tax-deductible and 100% is passed through to the teacher. Teachers have the ability to purchase resources that create a more engaging learning environment and also provide valuable new means to inspire children about the wonders of learning. To support a classroom, visit www.adoptaclassroom.org.

About Jones Apparel Group
Jones Apparel Group, Inc. (www.jonesapparel.com) is a leading designer, marketer and wholesaler of branded apparel, footwear and accessories. The Company also markets directly to consumers through its chain of specialty retail and value-based stores and through its e-commerce web sites. The Company's nationally recognized brands include Jones New York, Nine West, Anne Klein, Gloria Vanderbilt, Stuart Weitzman, Robert Rodriguez, Kasper, Bandolino, Easy Spirit, Evan-Picone, l.e.i., Energie, Enzo Angiolini, Joan & David, Mootsies Tootsies, Sam & Libby, Napier, Judith Jack, Albert Nipon and Le Suit. The Company also markets costume jewelry under the Givenchy brand licensed from Givenchy Corporation, women’s footwear under the Dockers® and Dockers® Women brands and infants’, toddlers’ and boys’ footwear (excluding girls’ footwear) under the Dockers® and Dockers® Premium brands, licensed from Levi Strauss & Co., apparel and accessories under the Rachel Roy brand licensed from Rachel Roy IP Company, LLC, and Jessica Simpson jeanswear licensed from VCJS LLC. Each brand is differentiated by its own distinctive styling, pricing strategy, distribution channel and target consumer. The Company contracts for the manufacture of its products through a worldwide network of quality manufacturers. The Company has capitalized on its nationally known brand names by entering into various licenses for several of its trademarks, including Jones New York, Anne Klein New York, Nine West, Gloria Vanderbilt, l.e.i. and Evan-Picone, with select manufacturers of women's and men's products which the Company does not manufacture. For more than 35 years, the Company has built a reputation for excellence in product quality and value, and in operational execution.

"Waiting for 'Superman'" Attracts More Pledges

Press release:

60,000 PEOPLE PLEDGE TO SEE “WAITING FOR ‘SUPERMAN’”

First Book and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt donate an additional $100,000 worth of new books to schools in need – fourth benchmark met on WaitingForSuperman.com “Pledge Progress Meter”

HOLLYWOOD, Calif. — Sept. 9, 2010 — Paramount Pictures, Participant Media and Walden Media announced today 60,000 people have pledged to see the award-winning documentary film WAITING FOR “SUPERMAN” when it opens this fall, making it the fourth goal reached on the campaign’s “Pledge Progress Meter.” As a result, First Book and global education leader Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (HMH) will distribute an additional $100,000 worth of new books to schools and programs in low-income communities across the country. First Book and HMH initially joined forces at the 50,000 level by donating 250,000 new books in a similar fashion. The books will be generously provided by HMH and distributed through First Book’s award-winning book distribution channels.

“We’re thrilled by the opportunity to continue our support of WAITING FOR ‘SUPERMAN,’” said Barry O’Callaghan, HMH’s Chief Executive Officer. “Together with First Book, we can use this opportunity to put better educational resources in the hands of the nation’s teachers and students.”

WAITING FOR “SUPERMAN” directed by Davis Guggenheim (“An Inconvenient Truth”) will be released under the Paramount Vantage banner and distributed by Paramount Pictures. It examines the crisis of public education in the United States through multiple interlocking stories. Designed to start a national conversation, the movie and corresponding “Take the Pledge” campaign aim to inspire everyone to create innovative and long-term solutions to help change the course of our kids’ lives for the better.

The “Pledge Progress Meter” launched in May as a way for non-profits, foundations and corporations to match individual pledge levels with powerful action items aimed at helping both students and public schools. First Book was the first organization to take the pledge.

The film opens in New York and Los Angeles on September 24, nationwide in October.

The film is produced by Lesley Chilcott, with Participant Media’s Jeff Skoll and Diane Weyermann serving as executive producers. It is written by Davis Guggenheim & Billy Kimball.

For more information about the movie, or to take the pledge go to http://www.waitingforsuperman.com/ or text “PLEDGE” to 77177

To join the conversation visit us on Facebook at http://www.Facebook.com/WaitingForSuperman

What does your school need? Tell us by Tweeting #MySchoolNeeds at http://www.Twitter.com/WaitingSuperman


About Paramount Pictures Corporation
Paramount Pictures Corporation (PPC), a global producer and distributor of filmed entertainment, is a unit of Viacom (NYSE: VIA, VIA.B), a leading content company with prominent and respected film, television and digital entertainment brands. The company's labels include Paramount Pictures, Paramount Vantage, Paramount Classics, MTV Films and Nickelodeon Movies. PPC operations also include Paramount Digital Entertainment, Paramount Famous Productions, Paramount Home Entertainment, Paramount Pictures International, Paramount Licensing Inc., Paramount Studio Group, and Worldwide Television Distribution.

About Participant Media
Participant Media is a Los Angeles-based entertainment company that focuses on socially relevant, commercially viable feature films, documentaries and television, as well as publishing and digital media. Participant Media is headed by CEO Jim Berk and was founded in 2004 by philanthropist Jeff Skoll, who serves as Chairman. Ricky Strauss is President.

Participant exists to tell compelling, entertaining stories that bring to the forefront real issues that shape our lives. For each of its projects, Participant creates extensive social action and advocacy programs, which provide ideas and tools to transform the impact of the media experience into individual and community action. Participant’s films include The Kite Runner, Charlie Wilson’s War, Darfur Now, An Inconvenient Truth, Good Night, and Good Luck, Syriana, Standard Operating Procedure, The Visitor, The Soloist, Food, Inc., The Informant!, The Cove, The Crazies, Oceans, Furry Vengeance, CASINO JACK and the United States of Money, Countdown to Zero and Waiting for “Superman.”

About Walden Media
Walden Media specializes in entertainment for the whole family. Past award-winning films include: “The Chronicles of Narnia” series, “Journey to the Center of the Earth,” “Nim’s Island” and “Charlotte’s Web.” Upcoming films include the third installment in the Narnia series “The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader.”

About First Book
First Book provides new books to children in need addressing one of the most important factors affecting literacy – access to books. An innovative leader in social enterprise, First Book has distributed 70 million free and low cost books in thousands of communities. First Book has offices in the U.S. and Canada. For more information, please visit www.firstbook.org.

About Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt is a global education and learning company that is leading the way with innovative solutions and approaches to the challenges facing education today. The world's largest provider of educational products and solutions for pre-K–12 learning, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt develops and delivers interactive, results-driven learning solutions that advance teacher effectiveness and student achievement. Through curricula excellence and technology innovation, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt collaborates with school districts, administrators, teachers, parents and students. With origins dating back to 1832, the Company also publishes an extensive line of reference works and award-winning literature for adults and young readers. For more information, visit www.hmhpub.com .

Third Benchmark Met in "Waiting for 'Superman'" Campaign

Press release:

50,000 PEOPLE PLEDGE TO SEE WAITING FOR "SUPERMAN"

First Book and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Donate 250,000 New Books to Schools and Programs in Need - Third Benchmark Met on WaitingForSuperman.com "Pledge Progress Meter"

HOLLYWOOD, CA (September 3, 2010) - Paramount Pictures, Participant Media and Walden Media announced today 50,000 people have pledged to see the award-winning documentary film WAITING FOR "SUPERMAN" when it opens this fall, making it the third goal reached on the campaign's "Pledge Progress Meter." As a result, First Book and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt are teaming up to distribute 250,000 new books to schools and programs in low-income communities across the country. The books will be generously provided by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt and distributed through First Book's award-winning book distribution channels. In addition, the duo will donate an additional $100,000 worth of new books once the "Pledge Progress Meter" reaches 60,000.

"We are thrilled that by pledging to see the film, 50,000 people have already started an important dialogue about addressing the needs of America's students," said Kyle Zimmer, President and CEO of First Book. "First Book's mission is to provide the access to educational resources that is proven to be vital in literacy development. We are honored to have the opportunity to celebrate this pledge milestone by distributing 250,000 new books to students who need them most."

WAITING FOR "SUPERMAN" directed by Davis Guggenheim ("An Inconvenient Truth") will be released under the Paramount Vantage banner and distributed by Paramount Pictures. It examines the crisis of public education in the United States through multiple interlocking stories. Designed to start a national conversation, the movie and corresponding "Take the Pledge" campaign aim to inspire everyone to create innovative and long-term solutions to help change the course of our kids' lives for the better.

The "Pledge Progress Meter" launched in May as a way for non-profits, foundations and corporations to match individual pledge levels with powerful action items aimed at helping both students and public schools. First Book was the first organization to take the pledge.

The film opens in New York and Los Angeles on September 24, nationwide in October.

The film is produced by Lesley Chilcott, with Participant Media's Jeff Skoll and Diane Weyermann serving as executive producers. It is written by Davis Guggenheim & Billy Kimball.

For more information about the movie, or to take the pledge go to http://www.waitingforsuperman.com/ or text "PLEDGE" to 77177

To join the conversation visit us on Facebook at http://www.Facebook.com/WaitingForSuperman
What does your school need? Tell us by Tweeting #MySchoolNeeds at http://www.Twitter.com/WaitingSuperman


About Paramount Pictures Corporation
Paramount Pictures Corporation (PPC), a global producer and distributor of filmed entertainment, is a unit of Viacom (NYSE: VIA, VIA.B), a leading content company with prominent and respected film, television and digital entertainment brands. The company's labels include Paramount Pictures, Paramount Vantage, Paramount Classics, MTV Films and Nickelodeon Movies. PPC operations also include Paramount Digital Entertainment, Paramount Famous Productions, Paramount Home Entertainment, Paramount Pictures International, Paramount Licensing Inc., Paramount Studio Group, and Worldwide Television Distribution.

About Participant Media
Participant Media is a Los Angeles-based entertainment company that focuses on socially relevant, commercially viable feature films, documentaries and television, as well as publishing and digital media. Participant Media is headed by CEO Jim Berk and was founded in 2004 by philanthropist Jeff Skoll, who serves as Chairman. Ricky Strauss is President.

Participant exists to tell compelling, entertaining stories that bring to the forefront real issues that shape our lives. For each of its projects, Participant creates extensive social action and advocacy programs, which provide ideas and tools to transform the impact of the media experience into individual and community action. Participant's films include The Kite Runner, Charlie Wilson's War, Darfur Now, An Inconvenient Truth, Good Night, and Good Luck, Syriana, Standard Operating Procedure, The Visitor, The Soloist, Food, Inc., The Informant!, The Cove, The Crazies, Oceans, Furry Vengeance, CASINO JACK and the United States of Money, Countdown to Zero and Waiting for "Superman."

About Walden Media
Walden Media specializes in entertainment for the whole family. Past award-winning films include: "The Chronicles of Narnia" series, "Journey to the Center of the Earth," "Nim's Island" and "Charlotte's Web." Upcoming films include the third installment in the Narnia series "The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader."

About First Book
First Book provides new books to children in need addressing one of the most important factors affecting literacy - access to books. An innovative leader in social enterprise, First Book has distributed 70 million free and low cost books in thousands of communities. First Book has offices in the U.S. and Canada. For more information, please visit www.firstbook.org.

About Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Boston-based Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company is a global education leader and the world's largest publisher of educational materials for pre-K-12 schools. The Company publishes a comprehensive set of best-in-class educational solutions, ranging from research-based textbook programs to instructional technology to standards-based assessments for students and educators. The Company also publishes an extensive line of reference works and award-winning literature for adults and young readers. With origins dating back to 1832, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt combines its tradition of excellence with a commitment to innovation. To learn more about Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, visit www.hmhpub.com.