What a wonderful idea! We SO approve of this!
Whole Foods Market will be launching their first-ever Whole Foods Market Do Something Reel Film Festival, which is being held this April in honor of Earth Month, in an effort to “serve as reminder of small changes people can make for good while supporting budding green-genre filmmakers.”
Here are some highlights of festival deets from the press release:
“The festival will launch April 1, 2011, and travel to 70 cities across the U.S. in celebration of Earth Month.”
“The film festival is a collection of six provocative, character-driven films that focus on food, environmental issues and everyday people with a vision of making a world of difference.”
“A portion of all tickets sales from the ‘Whole Foods Market Do Something Reel’ Film Festival will go towards a film production and development grant that will encourage filmmakers to continue making stories about the environment and the choices we make as consumers.”
“Unlike larger destination festivals, ‘Whole Foods Markets Do Something Reel’ Film Festival will be held in movie theaters across the country in communities near Whole Foods Market stores. The festival will also feature filmmaker discussions, either in person or via Skype.”
Bravo, Whole Foods! We seriously love this!
For those of you whose curiosity is piqued, check out the press release descriptions of this year’s chosen films after the jump!
├óΓé¼┼ôBag It!├óΓé¼┬¥ – In this highly entertaining and eye-opening film, filmmaker Suzan Beraza follows Jeb Berrier as he navigates our plastic-reliant world. Jeb is not a radical environmentalist, but an average American who decides to take a closer look at our cultural love affair with plastics. www.bagitmovie.com
├óΓé¼┼ôLunch Line├óΓé¼┬¥ – This deeply affecting film from filmmakers Mike Graziano and Ernie Park follows six kids from one of the toughest neighborhoods in Chicago as they set out to fix school lunch – and wind up at the White House. Their unlikely journey parallels the dramatic transformation of school lunch from a patchwork of local anti-hunger efforts to a robust national feeding program. www.lunchlinefilm.com
├óΓé¼┼ôOn Coal River├óΓé¼┬¥ – A compelling and transcendent narrative on the human costs of coal and strip-mining, this provocative film from filmmakers Francine Cavanaugh and Adams Woods follows the journey of a former coal miner and his neighbors, residents of Coal River Valley in West Virginia, as they transform from so-called victims to fearless and informed experts on mountaintop removal. www.oncoalriver.com
├óΓé¼┼ôPLANEAT├óΓé¼┬¥ – This visually stunning film from filmmakers Shelley Lee Davis and Or Shlomi tells the story of the scientists, farmers and chefs tackling one of the greatest problems of our age: Western culture├óΓé¼Γäós love affair with meat and dairy. Through an extraordinary personal and mouthwatering culinary journey we discover the wide range of medical and environmental benefits of eating our veggies. www.planeat.tv
├óΓé¼┼ôUrban Roots├óΓé¼┬¥ – Filmmaker Mark MacInnis tells the powerful story of a group of dedicated Detroiters working tirelessly to fulfill their vision for locally grown, sustainably farmed food in a city cut off from real food and limited to processed fast food. This group has taken on the enormous task of changing this reality. www.urbanrootsamerica.com
├óΓé¼┼ôVanishing of the Bees├óΓé¼┬¥ – Narrated by Oscar-nominated actress Ellen Page, this cautionary tale from filmmakers George Langworthy and Maryam Heinen reveals the mystery of the disappearing bees, and the links to industrial farming and our attitude toward the natural world. Starring in this real-life drama is a commercial bee farmer who sounded the alarm when his bee colonies collapsed and his business was decimated. www.vanishingbees.com
As part of the Festival, Whole Foods Market will also stream the documentary, “Dig It” on www.dosomethingreel.com on Earth Day, April 22. This energetic, call-to-action film features the members of the band Pearl Jam as they participate in tree-planting actions and beautification efforts in New York City, Los Angeles and San Francisco.