“What to eat?” It is the question on everyone’s minds at least three times a day — more depending on your appetite — and now a new short film, “What to Eat,” narrated by Jason Schwartzman (star of “Rushmore,” “Scott Pilgrim vs. the World” and the HBO series “Bored to Death”) and supported by top environmental organizations including the Sierra Club, Worldwatch Institute, Food and Water Watch, Brighter Green, and Farm Sanctuary, aims to show how eating less meat can help lessen the environmental impact of factory farming. By showing how our food choices have a more serious impact on our environment than the cars we drive, the light bulbs we use or the ways we recycle, the film makes the point that we can all take small steps for positive change.nnThe engaging film, produced by www.greenermedia.com.>Greener Media, puts the viewer in the place of the main character — a relatable family guy voiced by Schwartzman — and follows him through a typical day, beginning with an early morning alarm and traditional breakfast of bacon and eggs, and ending with an epiphany and a surprise dinner that was not on the menu when he first woke up. Viewers tag along as the protagonist navigates his day — the morning commute, the office, lunch — eavesdropping on his often comical — always familiar — inner monologue as he grapples with the universal question of “what to eat.”nn
nPromo for the film starring Jason Schwartzman can be viewed online here.nnTo view the short film “What to Eat,” visit: platetoplanet.org.n n”The devastation inflicted on our environment by factory farms is something we all have the power to stop by doing something as simple as ordering a veggie burger instead of a meat one,” says Schwartzman.nn”Please join me in taking the pledge to go meat free for a day, a month or longer. It’s a lot easier than you think, and let’s be real, all burgers taste the same with ketchup.”n nSide-stepping traditional documentary-style expert interviews, “What to Eat” instead allows viewers to “stumble upon” them naturally along with the narrator while he watches television, listens to the radio, and surfs the Internet at work. By the time the film ends — a swift four minutes and 30 seconds later — our narrator’s rejection of his usual food choices brought on by exposure to a constant stream of media coverage examining the harmful impacts of factory farming on the environment, personal health and animals feels genuine and inevitable.n n”The power of ‘What to Eat‘ is that it reflects the world we live in,” says Gene Baur, president and co-founder of Farm Sanctuary, who is heard giving a radio interview in the film. “What may seem like mundane decisions that we make every day have profound consequences. Mainstream media is devoting unprecedented attention to the devastation caused by factory farming and new studies are linking the Earth’s most serious environmental threats back to this wasteful and abusive system. By becoming more aware of the impacts of our food choices and eating in a way that is more aligned with our values and interests we are going to see a revolutionary shift.”n nThe film’s companion website, platetoplanet.org, provides a wealth of information about how factory farming pollutes our air and water, contributes to global warming, produces excess waste, destroys land, wastes water and is a resource-intensive, inefficient means of feeding the world’s population. The informative site also features interviews with experts from the Sierra Club, Worldwatch Institute, Food & Water Watch, Brighter Green, and Farm Sanctuary; a how-to guide for making plant-based food choices; and the opportunity for visitors to help protect the planet by pledging to go meat free for a day, a month or a lifetime. n nAccording to a 2006 United Nations report, “Livestock’s Long Shadow,” the meat industry is "one of the top two or three most significant contributors to the most serious environmental problems, at every scale from local to global" as it wastes valuable natural resources, pollutes our air, decimates our forests, poisons our water supply, and produces greenhouse gases that accelerate climate change.n nSays Ed Hopkins, director of the Sierra Club’s Environmental Quality Program, “We need to move to a whole different agricultural system, one that is more based on plant agriculture, as opposed to animal agriculture and one that is more community based, more locally based, more sustainable, more environmentally friendly and produces healthier food.”n nTo view the short film “What to Eat,” visit: platetoplanet.org.n nAbout Farm SanctuarynFarm Sanctuary is the nation’s leading farm animal protection organization. Since incorporating in 1986, Farm Sanctuary has worked to expose and stop cruel practices of the "food animal" industry through research and investigations, legal and institutional reforms, public awareness projects, youth education, and direct rescue and refuge efforts. Farm Sanctuary shelters in Watkins Glen, N.Y., and Orland, Calif., provide lifelong care for hundreds of rescued animals, who have become ambassadors for farm animals everywhere by educating visitors about the realities of factory farming. Additional information can be found at www.farmsanctuary.org or by calling 607-583-2225.nnAbout www.greenermedia.com.>Greener Medianwww.greenermedia.com.>Greener Media an award winning multimedia production company based in Brooklyn, NY.nThey’re focus is to tell good stories for organizations and companies that are doing good work in the world. They have also made a commitment to take steps to lessen the footprint of our production process with our Greener Practices. Some of their clients include: New York Restoration Project, Greenpeace Australia, New York Cares, Sustainable South Bronx, and Farm Sanctuary. They have recently wrapped production on a feature length documentary about human elephant conflict in Sri Lanka, which they’ve just started submitting to international film festivals. Additional information can be found at www.greenermedia.com. nTo speak with Farm Sanctuary President and Co-Founder Gene Baur about the environmental impacts of factory farming: Meredith Turner Media Relations Specialist Farm Sanctuary 646-369-6212 Contact Meredith via email
Contact:Jesse Ash Director www.greenermedia.com.>www.greenermedia.com.>www.greenermedia.com.>www.greenermedia.com.>Greener Media 888-912-1508 Contact Jesse via email
Liz Charky Directs a Playful and Reflective Video For Henry Hall’s “Tiny Door”
Directed by Liz Charky, the music video for Henry Hall’s ‘Tiny Door’ is a playful and profound exploration of the song’s intriguing perspective on love. Silly moments and serious heartbreak are skillfully weaved together in a series of cheeky, dreamy, profound, and sometimes psychedelic scenes. “I am a huge fan of love songs that have an unusual, hyper-specific perspective on love,” says Hall. “That’s what I wanted to do with ‘Tiny Door.’ It’s about loving someone unconditionally while recognizing that love is something that isn’t always straightforward — I think that’s something we all attempt to come to terms with in our lives. I thought it was a unique yet universal detail about love and therefore an intriguing subject matter for a song. Even though the song is a ballad at its core, it still has a lighthearted sense of humor to it — that’s really portrayed well by Liz, and Ellin Aldana, our cinematographer.” Charky explains, “When I first listened to the song, I felt it was a love song full of longing with a kind of wishful melancholy. As I spoke with Henry about his intention behind the lyrics and sound, I was assured that I'd need to explore heartbreak in a nuanced way – with a degree of levity and playfulness. For me, falling in and out of love runs the full course of human expression. Love and heartbreak can be so emotionally intense and sometimes lonely, other times quite goofy or liberating. In developing the concept, I focused on both the literal and figurative ways that falling in and out of love might look like. So, you see Henry and co-star Franny Arnautou falling, flying, dancing, raging, winking, smiling, and... Read More