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EARTH DAY NETWORK SPOTLIGHTS FILMS & TV SERIES FOR DISCUSSION AHEAD OF EARTH DAY

Earth Day Network’s year-round efforts towards environmental action culminate annually each April. To applaud those who are currently contributing to the environmental discussion, Earth Day Network has compiled a recommended list of eco-minded films, documentaries and television series.

This year, the conversation focuses not only on policy and energy consumption but on recent man-made and natural disasters as well. The list below reflects these current concerns.

“Without the entertaining and/or compelling view points of artists, entertainers and filmmakers, many important messages of advocacy would never be heard,” said Kathleen Rogers, President of Earth Day Network. “We hope these excellent projects inspire discussions at the dinner table, in the classrooms and in City Hall and prove to be catalysts for both thought and action.”

Earth Day Network has designated one day in April – Earth Day – as the annual culmination of their year-round efforts to recruit world leaders to adopt strong environmental policy, partner with like-minded organizations, and engage individuals and communities as environmental caretakers who are accountable for their levels of energy consumption.

The below list of currently, or soon-to-be, available films and documentaries are suitable for families, students, community leaders and executives alike:

MIA AND THE MIGOO
(Winner, Best Animated Feature – European Film Awards)
This breathtaking environmental adventure pits plucky, wild-haired young Mia against profit-hungry developers with the future of life on Earth in the balance. One night, Mia has a premonition and sets out on a journey through mountains and jungles to find her father who has been trapped in a disaster-plagued construction site on a remote tropical lake. In the middle of the lake stands the ancient Tree of Life, watched over by bumbling forest spirits called Migoo. It is the Migoo who have been sabotaging construction to protect this sacred site – together with Mia they join in a fight to save the Tree and find Mia’s father. Created from an astonishing 500,000 hand-painted frames of animation, the second feature from French animator Jacques-Rémy Girard is a work of art, breathtaking to behold.

*To be released in theaters nationally on 4/22
**All theatrical proceeds from opening weekend support Earth Day Network’s Canopy Project.

WASTE LAND
(Nominated for a 2011 Oscar® for Best Documentary Feature)
Waste Land follows renowned artist Vik Muniz as he journeys from his home base in Brooklyn to his native Brazil and the world’s largest garbage dump, Jardim Gramacho, located on the outskirts of Rio de Janeiro.

*Now available on DVD

SAVING PELICAN 895
Nearly 9,000 birds were found in the oily waters of the Gulf Coast in the wake of the 2010 BP oil spill. Saving Pelican 895 is the story of the 895th bird to be rescued and rehabilitated by a dedicated team of wildlife experts and every day people, many of whom travel the world responding to oil disasters. This tale of a single animal, and the compassionate people deployed to save him, shows how the process of saving one life restored a degree of humanity for the rest of us. Directed by Academy Award-nominated director, Irene Taylor Brodsky.

*Premiering on HBO on 4/20 (check listings for re-air dates)

INTO THE COLD: A JOURNEY OF THE SOUL
A moving story of endurance and commitment, Into The Cold delves into the depth of the human soul against the backdrop of the magnificent Great North. Environmental advocate, photographer, and adventurer, Sebastian Copeland, and his partner, Keith Heger, venture more than 400 miles on foot through sub-zero temperatures across the frozen Arctic ice cap with only courage and determination to see them through. Their harrowing two-month journey to the North Pole overcomes staggering conditions to finally reach their destination. In the history of exploration, few have ever successfully made this voyage – one of the toughest feats known to man.

*Worldwide DVD Release for Earth Day: April 19th, 2011; to order visit www.intothecold.org

SAM BRANSON’S “MAN VERSUS EARTH”
This one-hour special features host and explorer Sam Branson, son of Virgin Group founder, Sir Richard Branson. In what has been touted as one of the snowiest years in decades, this special takes Sam to the front lines of man’s struggle with the elements, in this case, snow – where we see Sam immersed in the ins-and-outs of avalanche control as well as getting a first hand experience of what it feels like to be buried alive in snow.

*Premiering on Current TV on Earth Day: Friday, April 22 at 9:00 PM, ET/PT.

180° SOUTH: CONQUERORS OF THE USELESS
Director Chris Malloy’s journey follows Jeff Johnson to Patagonia as he retraces the epic 1968 journey of his heroes, Yvon Chouinard and Doug Tompkins (founders of Patagonia and The North Face, respectively). Along the way he gets shipwrecked off Easter Island, surfs the longest wave of his life – and prepares for a rare ascent of Cerro Corcovado. Jeff’s life takes a turn when he meets Chouinard and Tompkins who, once driven purely by a love of climbing and surfing, now value above all the experience of raw nature – and have come to Patagonia to spend their fortunes to protect it. The accompanying soundtrack, available on Brushfire Records, contains original songs by Ugly Cassanova (Isaac Brock of Modest Mouse), James Mercer (The Shins) and Mason Jennings.

*Documentary now available on digital and DVD

About Earth Day Network
The first Earth Day, on April 22, 1970, activated 20 million Americans from all walks of life and is widely credited with launching the modern environmental movement. The passage of the landmark Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act, Endangered Species Act and many other groundbreaking environmental laws soon followed. Growing out of the first Earth Day, the Earth Day Network (EDN) works with over 22,000 partners in 192 countries to broaden, diversify and mobilize the environmental movement. More than 1 billion people now participate in Earth Day activities each year, making it the largest civic observance in the world.