Happy Earth Day!

What a great time for not just environmental films, but so many films launching about raising awareness of so many subjects.  One Day on Earth premiered on Earth Day to show what is happening around the world on a single day. To show how the world is changing NYC hosted its first Green Festival which was livestreamed, and Earth Day Dallas was one of the country's largest events highlighted by the Artfully Green Film Festival.

Another Earth Day premiere was The First 70, a beautiful exploration of the 70 state parks that California is looking to close in its attempts to cut budget.

Surviving Progress is a really thought provoking film that looks at how technology is growing at such an astronomical rate, as is the economy, but our biology and culture have not changed nearly as much. Interviews with renown thought leaders such as David Suzuki and Jane Goodall highlight the discussion of how practical it is to run such modern technology with an ancient operating system. In SF and Berkeley and coming soon to other cities.

There were several previews of Last Call at the Oasis this weekend, including the SF Intl Film Festival and the Artfully Green Film Festival in Dallas. This is a powerful film by Participant Media hoping to bring a spotlight to the coming water crisis in the manner they highlighted food issues with Food, Inc. The film opens nationally May 4th.

Kenji Williams has produced an amazing work of art called Bella Gaia, at which he performs live on the electric violin.  Stunning cinematography and music make this a true experience, and its mixed with NASA data showing what is really happening to the earth to show how interconnected everything is and move people to see our world differently.

The People V The State of Illusion was held over in San Francisco.

The Eyes of Thailand makes its World Premiere this coming week at the Newport Beach Film Festival. More about this film and the film festival soon.

Sustainability and eco-consciousness were not lost amidst the glitz and glamor of the 84th Academy Awards. Thanks to her Green Carpet Challenge (of which EMA is the U.S. partner), Livia Firth recruited several Oscar nominees to wear sustainable attire.

As we start 2012 with all of the promise that it brings for transformation, let’s take a look back at some of the amazing films or 2011 that brought us to this point.  The results of the voting are in for the Veiwer's Choice,  and the editors at AwareGuide offer their top picks for 2011, and recognize some films with special consideration. Thank you to all of the people who voted - the response was overwhelming with over 5000 people from over 50 countries coming to vote.

As we settle into the rhythm of the new year of 2012 this is shaping up to be a great year for transformational media.  The movie "Sing Your Song" which premiered at Sundance last year opens in NYC and LA area.  This film moved me more than any other at Sundance and is a great story of the life of Harry Belfonte and how his music moved people, and how he blended that with his activism to be an important part of the civil rights movement, and other movements of social justice.