Media
Special RACING EXTINCTION Screening in Support of “Yes on I-1401”
Wednesday, September 2, 2015
Producers of the groundbreaking documentary RACING EXTINCTION and the team behind the Yes on I-1401 campaign will join forces for a special sneak preview screening at Seattle’s Cinerama on September 14. This screening is in advance of the film’s theatrical opening in Seattle at the SIFF Uptown, and will raise awareness and financial support for I-1401, the statewide ballot initiative this November to save animals facing extinction.
Academy Award® -winner Louie Psihoyos will be joined by representatives from the wildlife protection community for a post-screening discussion of the film and the issues here in Washington State.
We are currently facing a race against the extinction of many of the world’s iconic and endangered species at rates never before seen in history. Initiative 1401 strengthens penalties in Washington State for trafficking of animal products like ivory or rhino horn, taken from species that face extinction due to exploitation or poaching. I-1401 will help protect elephants, rhinos, lions, tigers, leopards, cheetahs, pangolins, marine turtles, sharks and rays in the wild.
In the groundbreaking documentary RACING EXTINCTION, director Louie Psihoyos and the group behind the Academy Award®-winning film THE COVE, illuminate our impact on the planet and embrace solutions to ensure a biodiverse world for future generations. The film follows a team of activists on a new undercover operation to expose the world of endangered species trafficking and the race to prevent mass extinction. Spanning the globe to infiltrate the world’s most dangerous black markets and using high-tech tactics to document the link between carbon emissions and species extinction, the documentary reveals stunning, never-before seen images that truly change the way we see the world. Paul G. Allen, a Co-Executive Producer of the film, and his Vulcan Productions, in partnership with Discovery and OPS, launched the RACING EXTINCTION impact campaign, which uses diverse digital tools and social mobilization to empower audiences to join the fight to save endangered species and reduce carbon emissions.
This partnership with the film RACING EXTINCTION and the Yes On I-1401 initiative campaign is exemplary of how Vulcan Productions tackles issues from every angle, leveraging all resources available to create a confluence of change on the critical issues of our time.
“Soon, many beautiful creatures could be only a memory,” said RACING EXTINCTION director Psihoyos. “The growing momentum in Washington state to pass Initiative1401, and efforts across the United States to legally protect endangered species gives me great hope. But we all need to join this fight to make sure that critical new protections are approved by Washington state voters in November. I hope Seattleites will join me for our pre-screening in support of Yes On 1-1401 at Cinerama.”
“We are thrilled to team up with the RACING EXTINCTION producers to help share our message with Washington voters about the urgent need to increase state protections for the 10 key species covered by I-1401,” said Yes On I-1401 campaign spokesperson Aaron Pickus. “We look forward to helping share this powerful documentary about our disappearing wildlife and the movement to protect our most threatened species.”
RACING EXTINCTION will open to the public in Seattle at the SIFF Cinema Uptown on September 25. The highly acclaimed documentary will have a broadcast premiere on The Discovery Channel December 2nd in 220 international markets across the world within a span of 24 hours.
About Save Animals Facing Extinction
I-1401 is a Washington State ballot measure that is designed to help save animals threatened with extinction. The measure would prohibit the purchase, sale, and distribution of products made from a list of 10 endangered animals being exploited to the point of potential extinction, and will be enforced by strong penalties. The animals protected by I-1401 include elephants, rhinos, lions, tigers, leopards, cheetahs, marine turtles, pangolins, sharks and rays.
Read more about our campaign online: http://saveanimalsfacingextinction.org
Facebook: Save Animals Facing Extinction
Twitter: @YesOn1401
Instagram: yeson1401
About Vulcan Productions
Founded by philanthropist, entrepreneur and Microsoft co-founder Paul G. Allen and his sister Jody Allen, Vulcan Productions produces compelling feature films, television series, specials, digital content and outreach initiatives designed to inspire people to take action on the critical issues of our time. Vulcan Productions is committed to supporting projects of significance that ignite progress and motivate audiences to generate measurable impact on the world. As part of the organization’s mission to protect oceans and wildlife, Vulcan Productions is launching an innovative outreach campaign for the documentary film Racing Extinction that drives awareness around carbon emissions, ocean health and mass species extinction. As part of a comprehensive relief campaign to stop the spread of Ebola, Vulcan Productions produced the #ISurvivedEbola, Unseen Enemy and Body Team 12, which won the Tribeca Film Festival award for Best Documentary Short. Together with Morgan Spurlock’s Cinelan, Vulcan Productions produced We The Economy, a digital film series designed to deepen public understanding of the U.S. economy, which won the Webby Award. Other awards garnered by Vulcan Productions projects include the George Foster Peabody Award, the Emmy Award, the Grammy Award, Wildscreen Panda Award and the Sheffield Doc/Fest Green Award. Acclaimed films and series from the Vulcan Productions group also include Girl Rising, Success at the Core, Hard Candy and The Blues.
Click here for photos from Projecting Change: The Empire State Building
To get involved in the campaign and take action, please visit www.racingextinction.com.
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