Aware Guide - Your Guide to Life Changing Media

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.

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.

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. It was very close voting and Thrive pulled away at the end to land the top spot.

Transformational media is blossoming, with more and better quality films being produced. 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 editors at AwareGuide offer their top picks for 2011, and recognize some films with special consideration.  Please vote for your favorite film of the year:  VOTE HERE

Oil/energy seems to be a theme this week:

The Big Fix, from the team that brought you the Sundance Award winning Fuel, launches is Academy campaign with its LA premier and first week with several panels by the film makers and special guests.

Revenge of the Electric Car follows sold out openings in LA and SF with its Chicago opening. This great film by Chris Paine, Director of Who Killed the Electric Car, follows the people who are leading the movement for electric cars within the auto industry, and the challenges they face.

Wow, what a week for transformational media.  The weekend started with the Palo Alto International Film Festival featuring Revenge of the Electric Car and Miss Representation. The big news was the premiere of Finding Joe, a great movie based on the work of Joseph Campbell which opened in LA and continues there, while also opening in Santa Barbara. The Whale started its run in Los Angeles this weekend as well and continues in NYC.  Connected, a Sundance favorite, also opened its LA run and is showing in several locations. Freedom, the new film from Josh and Rebecca Tickell, creators of the Sundance Award-winning Fuel, continued its cross-country tour in Indianapolis and Columbus and moves on this week into Chicago.

Last week was a special nation-wide screening of Jane's Journey with a special live telecast of Jane Goodall.  This week brings a special screening in LA of So Right So Smart and the LA premiere of Yoga Is.

Summer is officially over, but transformational media is hot!  This week brings the premiere of Bonsai People: The Vision of Muhammad Yunus in NYC as part of the Clinton Global Initiative.  Also in NYC this week To Catch a Dollar: Mohammad Yunis Bank on America launches a 1 week run, and the Mashable Social Good Conference takes place (also available via live streaming).  The Global Peace Film Festival takes place in Orlando this weekend.

On the west coast, there is a special screening of Tapestries of Hope with CNN hero Betty Makoni, who's work is highlighted in the film present for a Q&A on Thursday 9/22.  On Friday a limited engagement of Jane's Journey, about the amazing life and career of Jane Goodall, opens in Santa Monica.  A special nationwide event showing the film and special live discussion with Jane Goodall takes place for one night only on Tuesday 9/27.

While it was a relatively quiet week as we move into September and thoughts turn back to work and school, there is a great deal to be excited about.  The world premiere of Yogawoman in LA highlighted how women are changing the face of yoga and how that is leading to changes in women and the world. Last week Got the Facts on Milk? also premiered in LA.  Reviews coming soon

Have you seen The Help? Join in the discussion of whether its a transformational film: Take Poll

Plan Ahead:

• Tuesday  9/6  Yogawoman in San Francisco, CA
• Friday   9/9  Freedom in Boulder, CO
• Saturday 9/10 Power of Two - Fresh off its world premiere at DocuWeeks, Academy Award nominated producer Marc Smolowitz's new film has its premiere in his home town of San Francisco.
• Sunday   9/11 One: The Event - live stream of the global initiative for peace on the 10th Anniversary of 9/11
• Thursday 9/15 State of the Arts 2011: Producing Change event presented by the Center for Conscious Creativity and the Producers Guild of America

No summertime blues in the transformational media world. This week bring several film festivals and the premieres of some powerful films. Freedom, the new film from the team that produced the Sundance Award-winning Fuel, launches a 50 city tour. The Power of Two by Academy Award nominated producer Marc Smolowitz premieres at DocuWeeks.  The American Renewable Energy Day Film Festival features Carbon Nation, The Last Mountain, Queen of the Sun and more.