Mark your calendars. June 9th is the opening date for the Vancouver launch of the movie we’ve all been anticipating: Paramount Classic’s An Inconvenient Truth. The new documentary, which received rave reviews at the Sundance Festival, focuses on Vice President Al Gore’s international crusade to raise awareness about global warming.
These days, celebrities are all about lending their names to pet causes. But what makes this more exciting than Her Royal Buxomness Pamela Anderson’s affiliation with PETA or Sir Paul McCartney’s seal hunt protests is that this cause, in my opinion, is the cause to lend your name to. Climate change, however unsexy it may be, is (in the DeSmogBlog’s collective opinion) the most pressing issue of our time.
According to the film’s official website, An Inconvenient Truth “offers a passionate and inspirational look at one man’s fervent crusade to halt global warming’s deadly progress in its tracks by exposing the myths and misconceptions that surround it. That man is former Vice President Al Gore, who, in the wake of defeat in the 2000 election, re-set the course of his life to focus on a last-ditch, all-out effort to help save the planet from irrevocable change. In this eye-opening and poignant portrait of Gore and his “traveling global warming show,” Gore also proves himself to be one of the most misunderstood characters in modern American public life. Here he is seen as never before in the media – funny, engaging, open and downright on fire about getting the surprisingly stirring truth about what he calls our “planetary emergency” out to ordinary citizens before it’s too late.”
The hype around the film is building. So far 67,063 people have pledged to see the film. Click here to pledge your support. There’s even an official blog dedicated to the film. Paramount Classic has committed to donate 5 per cent of their domestic theatrical gross for the film, with a minimum guarantee of $500,000 to be donated to a new bipartisan climate effort, Alliance for Climate Protection. (See below for the press release).
I am sure this flick won’t disapoint. For any of you who haven’t yet seen Mission Impossible III, save your 12 bucks (Sorry Tom) and go see An Inconvenient Truth on June 9. Stay tuned to the DeSmogBlog for more information about the film and opening night, June 9th, at Vancouver’s Tinseltown theatre. We will likely be organizing a group field trip!
Read the reviews:
Press release
PARAMOUNT CLASSICS DONATES 5% OF TICKETS SALES FROM “AN INCONVENIENT TRUTH” TO ALLIANCE FOR CLIMATE PROTECTION
HOLLYWOOD, CA (May 10, 2006)- Paramount’s Classics has committed 5% of their domestic theatrical gross for their film, “AN INCONVENIENT TRUTH,” with a minimum guarantee of $500,000 to be donated to a new bipartisan climate effort, Alliance for Climate Protection. The deal was announced today by Former Vice President Al Gore, Jeff Skoll, CEO, Participant Productions and John Lesher, President of the specialty division. This unprecedented donation runs the entire length of the film’s domestic release.
“AN INCONVENIENT TRUTH,” produced by Participant Productions which had previously pledged to contribute their profits to the Alliance was acquired by Paramount Classics at the 2006 Sundance Film Festival. It is a riveting documentary that weaves the science of global warming with former Vice President Al Gore’s personal history and longtime commitment to communicating the need to reverse the effects of global climate change. Directed by Davis Guggenheim, “AN INCONVENIENT TRUTH” was produced by Laurie David, Lawrence Bender and Scott Z. Burns. Jeff Skoll, Davis Guggenheim, Diane Weyermann, Ricky Strauss and Jeff Ivers are the executive producers and the co-producer is Lesley Chilcott. The film opens in New York and Los Angeles on May 24 and will expand to every major market across the country.
“I hope that ‘AN INCONVENIENT TRUTH‘ will be an action movie in the truest sense of the phrase–that the film will motivate people to take action to address the climate crisis,” said Former Vice President Al Gore. “In addition, the more tickets that are sold, the more funds will be raised giving the Alliance the opportunity to educate and galvanize millions more around this issue and inspire them to be a part of the solution.”
“Mr.Gore and the filmmakers made a fascinating and startling film that we hope will have the power to promote change,” said John Lesher. “We are committed to bringing awareness to the climate crisis and are proud to support the efforts of Alliance for Climate Protection.”
“AN INCONVENIENT TRUTH” fits squarely in our mission to facilitate films that make a difference and get audiences involved.” said Jeff Skoll. “By helping the Alliance, we are providing more resources to raise awareness and encouraging people to make a difference in their own communities.”
Alliance for Climate Protection will use the money for a major national education and organizing campaign to mobilize the public on global warming. The primary goals of the campaign are to motivate a critical mass of the public and influential constituencies to demand action to cut U.S. emissions and to make solving global warming a national political imperative, to implement solutions to global warming that cap and cut U.S. global warming pollution emissions in the near term, and develop a political consensus for further international agreements that includes full participation by developing economies in achieving emission reduction targets. Ted Roosevelt, IV and Larry Schreiber are serving as the board co-chairs on the group.
More information on Alliance for Climate Protection is available at allianceforclimateprotection.org. More information on “AN INCONVENIENT TRUTH” is available at climatecrisis.org.
About Paramount Classics
Paramount Classics is the specialty film division of Paramount Pictures, which is part of the entertainment operations of Viacom Inc. (NYSE: VIA and VIAB), one of the leading global entertainment content companies, with prominent and respected brands in focused demographics.
