GREENHEROES
Epsiode 6: "Groundbreakers"
Vandana Shiva, Ray Anderson & Emily and Bobbi Hunter
Tuesday, December 7th, Saturday, December 11th on TVO
http://www.GreenHeroes.tv
http://www.TVO.org
Saving the planet one story at a time
“…Ordinary folks doing extraordinary things…”
—Starweek Magazine
A new, six-part series that tells the story of change – of how people
improved their lives, what their tipping point moments were and how they
overcome obstacles to become a GreenHero.
The broadcast schedule is as follows:
Episode 6 : Tuesday, December 7th at 7:00 p.m. ET
Repeats: Saturday, December 11th at 4:00 p.m. ET
Don’t miss the season finale of GreenHeroes, a smart, sexy and dynamic Web/TV crossover, airing Tuesday, December 7th at 7:00 p.m. ET, repeated Saturday, December 11th at 4:00 p.m. ET. Produced by CineFocus Canada in association with TVO and SUN TV, the series tells remarkable stories of people who acted on their ideas and heroically “ventured forth” to protect our planet. From the celebrity to the everyday person, each story details the different paths and interests the GreenHeroes have taken in their quests to help save the world.
In Episode 6, GreenHeroes who have been involved in visionary efforts that have changed the face of environmentalism share their inspirational stories.
Vandana Shiva: World renowned for her efforts to bring change to agriculture and food production. Based in Delhi, Vandana is making an effort to move people away from growing and eating genetically modified plants. Her work has advocated a major shift in the agricultural system and given her a huge fan base around the world.
Ray Anderson: Crowned America’s Greenest CEO. As head of a carpet manufacturing company, Ray wanted to build the biggest carpet business the world had ever seen. But after reading Paul Hawken’s The Ecology of Commerce, Anderson’s motive shifted to creating a completely sustainable business. His company, Interface Inc., is a leader in sustainable manufacturing.
Emily and Bobbi Hunter: A mother and daughter combination who carry on the legacy of the late, great Greenpeace co-founder Robert Hunter. As Bob Hunter’s daughter, Emily has carried the torch on eco-activism, making a stand for marine life and the environment. Guided by her activist mother Bobbi, who stood with her husband on early whaling Greenpeace missions, Emily is carving out a new activist strategy for a changing world.
GreenHeroes and the GreenHeroes.tv web channel are produced by CineFocus Canada; John Bessai and Joan Prowse are the creators and producers of the GreenHeroes TV series and web channel. John Bessai is the Creative Director of the GreenHeroes campaign and Joan Prowse is the director of the TV series and webisodes. They are the co-founders of CineFocus Canada - a notable producer of prime-time award winning biography, arts and social issue TV programs. GreenHeroes gratefully acknowledges the support of Bell Broadcast and New Media Fund, Canada Television Fund (now known as the Canada Media Fund), TVO, SUN TV and SCN.
For media information:
Planet3 Communications Ltd.
Piera Savage / Joanne Smale
T: 647.346.4101 E: info@planet3com.net
CineFocus Canada:
http://www.CineFocus.com
http://www.GreenHeroes.tv
http://www.GreenHeroes.tv/blog
http://www.twitter.com/GreenHeroestv
http://www.facebook.com/GreenHeroes.tv
Screeners are available upon request. Interviews are presently being confirmed. Thank you!
About TVO
TVO is Ontario’s public educational media organization and a trusted source of interactive educational content that informs, inspires and stimulates curiosity and thought. Celebrating 40 years in 2010, TVO’s vision is to empower people to be engaged citizens of Ontario through educational media. TVO is funded primarily by the Province of Ontario and supported by thousands of donors. For more information, visit tvo.org.
Where to find TVO
On air:
Cable channel 2 (may vary in some areas)
Rogers TVO HD channel 580
Rogers On Demand channel 100
Bell TV channel 265
Star Choice channel 353
Websites:
tvo.org
tvokids.com
tvoparents.com
ilc.org
Online:
Yahoo!
YouTube
Rogers On Demand Online
Media contact:
Paul Ginis
TVO, Marketing and Communication
P: 416 484 2600 x2445
E: pginis@tvo.org
Download this media release in PDF format
GREENHEROES
Epsiode 5: "Oil Changers"
Leilani Münter, Andrew Ference,
Clayton Thomas Muller & Ian Clifford
Tuesday, November 30th, Saturday, December 4th on TVO
http://www.GreenHeroes.tv
http://www.TVO.org
Saving the planet one story at a time
“…Ordinary folks doing extraordinary things…”
—Starweek Magazine
A new, six-part series that tells the story of change – of how people
improved their lives, what their tipping point moments were and how they
overcome obstacles to become a GreenHero.
The broadcast schedule is as follows:
Episode 5 : Tuesday, November 30th at 7:00 p.m. ET
Repeats: Saturday, December 4th at 4:00 p.m. ET
Be sure to catch the fifth episode of GreenHeroes, a smart, sexy and dynamic Web/TV crossover, airing Tuesday, November 30th at 7:00 p.m. ET, repeated Saturday, December 4th at 4:00 p.m. ET. Produced by CineFocus Canada in association with TVO and SUN TV, the series tells remarkable stories of people who acted on their ideas and heroically “ventured forth” to protect our planet. From the celebrity to the everyday person, each story details the different paths and interests the GreenHeroes have taken in their quests to help save the world.
Global conflicts and global warming—oil seems to be at the root of many of our world problems. The GreenHeroes featured in Episode 5 are cutting down on emissions and preserving our earth.
Leilani Münter: A professional racecar driver who is doing her part for the environment by “greening” NASCAR from the inside track. Leilani purchases an acre of rainforest for every race she runs –burning fuel at speeds of up to 320km/h - to offset her carbon footprint. From speaking out on Capitol Hill to using her car for eco-friendly advertising, she is spreading her message to a previously untapped demographic.
Andrew Ference: A former Calgary Flame who is now a defenseman for the Boston Bruins.
An avid environmentalist, Andrew spearheaded the NHLPA's Carbon Neutral Challenge. Now NHL players offset the carbon emissions they create, traveling from city to city, with Gold Standard Credits, which puts money back into renewable energy projects. Andrew also encourages recycling bins in locker rooms, the use of public transportation and can often be seen riding his bike to the rink. In July 2010 Leilani and Andrew joined other professional athletes on a tour by Sierra Club activists to highlight the impact of the BP Oil disaster on the Gulf.
Clayton Thomas Muller: A crusader in the battle against the tar sands. Clayton works with the Indigenous Environmental Network to make a difference in the controversial oil extraction.
Ian Clifford: Creator of the Zenn Electric car. Mixing entrepreneurial passion with a creative desire to help Mother Earth, Clifford had his inspiration for the Zenn car while sitting in a traffic jam in his gas-guzzling SUV. Today he drives a noiseless vehicle that releases zero emissions.
GreenHeroes and the GreenHeroes.tv web channel are produced by CineFocus Canada; John Bessai and Joan Prowse are the creators and producers of the GreenHeroes TV series and web channel. John Bessai is the Creative Director of the GreenHeroes campaign and Joan Prowse is the director of the TV series and webisodes. They are the co-founders of CineFocus Canada - a notable producer of prime-time award winning biography, arts and social issue TV programs. GreenHeroes gratefully acknowledges the support of Bell Broadcast and New Media Fund, Canada Television Fund (now known as the Canada Media Fund), TVO, SUN TV and SCN.
For media information:
Planet3 Communications Ltd.
Piera Savage / Joanne Smale
T: 647.346.4101 E: info@planet3com.net
CineFocus Canada:
http://www.CineFocus.com
http://www.GreenHeroes.tv
http://www.GreenHeroes.tv/blog
http://www.twitter.com/GreenHeroestv
http://www.facebook.com/GreenHeroes.tv
Screeners are available upon request. Interviews are presently being confirmed. Thank you!
About TVO
TVO is Ontario’s public educational media organization and a trusted source of interactive educational content that informs, inspires and stimulates curiosity and thought. Celebrating 40 years in 2010, TVO’s vision is to empower people to be engaged citizens of Ontario through educational media. TVO is funded primarily by the Province of Ontario and supported by thousands of donors. For more information, visit tvo.org.
Where to find TVO
On air:
Cable channel 2 (may vary in some areas)
Rogers TVO HD channel 580
Rogers On Demand channel 100
Bell TV channel 265
Star Choice channel 353
Websites:
tvo.org
tvokids.com
tvoparents.com
ilc.org
Online:
Yahoo!
YouTube
Rogers On Demand Online
Media contact:
Paul Ginis
TVO, Marketing and Communication
P: 416 484 2600 x2445
E: pginis@tvo.org
Download this media release in PDF format
GREENHEROES
Epsiode 4: "The Tree of Life"
Wanrari Maathai, Tzeporah Berman, & Laura Reinsborough
Tuesday, November 23rd & Saturday, November 27th on TVO
http://www.GreenHeroes.tv
http://www.TVO.org
Saving the planet one story at a time
~ A new, six-part series that tells the story of change – of how people
improved their lives, what their tipping point moments were and how they
overcome obstacles to become a GreenHero. ~
The broadcast schedule is as follows:
Episode 4: Tuesday, November 23rd at 7:00 p.m. ET
Repeats: Saturday, November 27th at 4:00 p.m. ET
The fourth installment of GreenHeroes, a smart, sexy and dynamic Web/TV crossover, airs Tuesday, November 23rd at 7:00 p.m. ET, repeated Saturday, November 27th at 4:00 p.m. ET. Produced by CineFocus Canada in association with TVO and SUN TV, the series tells remarkable stories of people who acted on their ideas and heroically “ventured forth” to protect our planet. From the celebrity to the everyday person, each story details the different paths and interests the GreenHeroes have taken in their quests to help save the world.
Episode 4, “Tree of Life” introduces GreenHeroes who take aim at the root of the earth’s problems by helping to find new ways to tackle deforestation, GMOs, mass food production and even poverty in Africa.
Wangari Maathai: A Nobel Peace Prize winner, the first environmentalist to be recognized with this honour. Wangari initiated the Green Belt Movement in Kenya, a program in which groups of women were paid to plant trees, proving advantageous for both the environment and the women. The movement set off the United Nations One Billion Trees Campaign. Each year, the campaign aims to have one billion trees planted worldwide.
Tzeporah Berman: Organizer of a series of protests that drew 10,000 supporters at the height of the Clayoquot Sound conflict in British Columbia. To achieve her goals Tzeporah learned how to straddle the line between activism and corporate America, especially though her work as the co-founder of Forest Ethics. By running hard-hitting campaigns they were able to transform corporate environmental practices. One such success was to convince Victoria’s Secret to print their catalogues on recycled paper, rather than continuing to harvest trees from Canada’s boreal forests.
Laura Reinsborough: A real pioneer, supporter of harvesting local food—and a new mother—she established an organization that does away with rotting fruit. Laura founded Not Far From The Tree, an organization that harvests fruit bearing plants around Toronto. A third of the bounty goes to the volunteers, a third goes to the owner of the tree and a third goes to local shelters, preventing thousands of pounds of fruit from going to waste.
GreenHeroes and the GreenHeroes.tv web channel are produced by CineFocus Canada; John Bessai and Joan Prowse are the creators and producers of the GreenHeroes TV series and web channel. John Bessai is the Creative Director of the GreenHeroes campaign and Joan Prowse is the director of the TV series and webisodes. They are the co-founders of CineFocus Canada - a notable producer of prime-time award winning biography, arts and social issue TV programs. GreenHeroes gratefully acknowledges the support of Bell Broadcast and New Media Fund, Canada Television Fund (now known as the Canada Media Fund), TVO, SUN TV and SCN.
For media information:
Planet3 Communications Ltd.
Piera Savage / Joanne Smale
T: 647.346.4101 E: info@planet3com.net
CineFocus Canada:
http://www.CineFocus.com
http://www.GreenHeroes.tv
http://www.GreenHeroes.tv/blog
http://www.twitter.com/GreenHeroestv
http://www.facebook.com/GreenHeroes.tv
Screeners are available upon request. Interviews are presently being confirmed. Thank you!
About TVO
TVO is Ontario’s public educational media organization and a trusted source of interactive educational content that informs, inspires and stimulates curiosity and thought. Celebrating 40 years in 2010, TVO’s vision is to empower people to be engaged citizens of Ontario through educational media. TVO is funded primarily by the Province of Ontario and supported by thousands of donors. For more information, visit tvo.org.
Where to find TVO
On air:
Cable channel 2 (may vary in some areas)
Rogers TVO HD channel 580
Rogers On Demand channel 100
Bell TV channel 265
Star Choice channel 353
Websites:
tvo.org
tvokids.com
tvoparents.com
ilc.org
Online:
Yahoo!
YouTube
Rogers On Demand Online
Media contact:
Paul Ginis
TVO, Marketing and Communication
P: 416 484 2600 x2445
E: pginis@tvo.org
Download this media release in PDF format
GreenHeroes.tv
Saving the planet one story at a time
Wangari Maathai: Talking Climate Change
http://www.GreenHeroes.tv
Just when Wangari Maathai thought no one was listening to the message of her organization, The Green Belt Movement, she received a surprising call – she had been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. The first environmentalist ever to be recognized with this honour, Wangari realized “that the world was listening”. Learn more about the inspiration behind her work in a GreenHero webisode making its debut Monday, November 22nd on www.GreenHeroes.tv . An extended version of Wangari’s story will also appear on the fourth episode of GreenHeroes, “The Tree of Life” premiering on TVO in association with SUN TV, November 23rd.
Wangari initiated The Green Belt movement in Kenya, a program in which groups of women are paid to plant trees, proving advantageous for both the environment and the women. The movement set off the United Nations One Billion Trees Campaign. Each year, the campaign aims to have one billion trees planted worldwide. In 2004, the Nobel committee awarded Wangari with the Nobel Peace Prize for her work in Kenya. “I quickly realized that although I had been given this great honor,” says Maathai, ”The honor was not just for me. It was also for the thousands of women who planted 30 million trees throughout Kenya as part of the Green Belt Movement.”
GreenHeroes.tv is an Internet channel, produced by CineFocus Canada that tells remarkable stories of people. In each video, one of these GreenHeroes takes us back to the moment when they suddenly understood that something must be done to save the planet and they were the ones to do it. John Bessai and Joan Prowse are the creators and producers of the GreenHeroes TV series and web channel. They are the co-founders of CineFocus Canada - a notable producer of prime-time award winning biography, arts and social issue TV programs. GreenHeroes gratefully acknowledges the support of Bell Broadcast and New Media Fund, Canada Television Fund (now known as the Canada Media Fund), TVO, SUN TV and SCN.
For media information:
Planet3 Communications Ltd.
Piera Savage / Joanne Smale
T: 647.346.4101 E: info@planet3com.net
CineFocus Canada:
http://www.CineFocus.com
http://www.GreenHeroes.tv
http://www.GreenHeroes.tv/blog
http://www.twitter.com/GreenHeroestv
http://www.facebook.com/GreenHeroes.tv
Download this media release in PDF format
GREENHEROES
Epsiode Three: "The Power of an Idea"
Tuesday, November 16th & Saturday, November 20th on TVO
http://www.GreenHeroes.tv
http://www.TVO.org
Saving the planet one story at a time
~ A new, six-part series that tells the story of change – of how people
improved their lives, what their tipping point moments were and how they
overcome obstacles to become a GreenHero. ~
The broadcast schedule is as follows:
Episode 3: Tuesday, November 16th at 7:00 p.m. ET
Repeats: Saturday, November 20th at 4:00 p.m. ET
The third episode of GreenHeroes, a smart, sexy and dynamic Web/TV crossover, airs Tuesday, November 16th at 7:00 p.m., repeated Saturday, November 20th at 4:00 p.m. Produced by CineFocus Canada in association with TVO and SUN TV, the series tells remarkable stories of people who acted on their ideas and heroically "ventured forth" to protect our planet. From the celebrity to the everyday person, each story details the different paths and interests the GreenHeroes have taken in their quests to help save the world.
Many people find saving the planet to be an overwhelming idea, but the GreenHeroes featured in Episode 3 have found a way to make simple changes part of the bigger picture. They show how by applying the tools of the business trade to environmental causes they can join forces and work together for the good of the planet.
Willa Black: Corporate warrior who masterminded the CBC and Cisco Canada's popular One Million Acts of Green campaign. As a marketing executive, Willa was given the challenge to start a campaign to promote the company's Human Network. But it wasn't until she left the tap running while brushing her teeth, that she connected the idea of her own individual responsibility to a wider global campaign. Since then, the Million Acts of Green campaign has globally inspired people to save 461,795,726 pounds of green house gases.
David Suzuki: A man whose name is synonymous with environmentalism. This popular host of The Nature of Things, in telling his turning point story, describes how he was on his way to becoming a "hotshot geneticist", before reading the book, A Silent Spring. The landmark book, written by Rachel Carson in 1962, stopped Suzuki in his tracks and inspired not only him but also Al Gore, An Inconvenient Truth author, onto a greener path.
Stuart Hickox: A former marketer who is now applying the tools of his trade to help green the planet. Volunteers in his Project Porchlight campaign have distributed three million compact florescent light bulbs for free – door to door. Stuart inspires people to take simple steps towards more sustainable living on his OneChange.org website and his tire checking Psst!... fuel efficiency initiative.
GreenHeroes and the GreenHeroes.tv web channel are produced by CineFocus Canada; John Bessai and Joan Prowse are the creators and producers of the GreenHeroes TV series and web channel. John Bessai is the Creative Director of the GreenHeroes campaign and Joan Prowse is the director of the TV series and webisodes. They are the co-founders of CineFocus Canada - a notable producer of prime-time award winning biography, arts and social issue TV programs. GreenHeroes gratefully acknowledges the support of Bell Broadcast and New Media Fund, Canada Television Fund (now known as the Canada Media Fund), TVO, SUN TV and SCN.
For media information:
Planet3 Communications Ltd.
Piera Savage / Joanne Smale
T: 647.346.4101 E: info@planet3com.net
CineFocus Canada:
http://www.CineFocus.com
http://www.GreenHeroes.tv
http://www.GreenHeroes.tv/blog
http://www.twitter.com/GreenHeroestv
http://www.facebook.com/GreenHeroes.tv
Screeners are available upon request. Interviews are presently being confirmed. Thank you!
About TVO
TVO is Ontario’s public educational media organization and a trusted source of interactive educational content that informs, inspires and stimulates curiosity and thought. Celebrating 40 years in 2010, TVO’s vision is to empower people to be engaged citizens of Ontario through educational media. TVO is funded primarily by the Province of Ontario and supported by thousands of donors. For more information, visit tvo.org.
Where to find TVO
On air:
Cable channel 2 (may vary in some areas)
Rogers TVO HD channel 580
Rogers On Demand channel 100
Bell TV channel 265
Star Choice channel 353
Websites:
tvo.org
tvokids.com
tvoparents.com
ilc.org
Online:
Yahoo!
YouTube
Rogers On Demand Online
Media contact:
Paul Ginis
TVO, Marketing and Communication
P: 416 484 2600 x2445
E: pginis@tvo.org
Download this media release in PDF format
GREENHEROES
Epsiode Two: "In My Backyard"
Tuesday, November 9th & Saturday, November 13th on TVO
http://www.GreenHeroes.tv
http://www.TVO.org
Saving the planet one story at a time
~ A new, six-part series that tells the story of change – of how people
improved their lives, what their tipping point moments were and how they
overcome obstacles to become a GreenHero. ~
The broadcast schedule is as follows:
Episode 1: Tuesday, November 9th at 7:00 p.m. ET
Repeats: Saturday, November 13th at 4:00 p.m. ET
The second episode of GreenHeroes, a smart, sexy and dynamic Web/TV crossover, airs Tuesday, November 9th at 7:00 p.m., repeated Saturday, November 13th at 4:00 p.m. Produced by CineFocus Canada in association with TVO and SUN TV, the series tells remarkable stories of people who acted on their ideas and heroically "ventured forth" to protect our planet. From the celebrity to the everyday peson, each story details the different paths and interests the GreenHeroes have taken in their quests to help save the world.
Episode 2 introduces us to GreenHeroes with a lot in common. They are protecting the places they call home from industrialization and pollution of our fresh water sources and they are using the arts to get their message out to the masses.
Sarah Harmer: An internationally recognized singer/songwriter who flexes her musical muscle to protect a world biosphere site. Sarah grew up with the Niagara Escarpment in her backyard. Today, she is dedicated to its preservation, and to achieve this goal, she cofounded PERL (Protecting Escarpment Rural Land) and mounts a concert each summer featuring renowned musicians like Bruce Cockburn and Feist.
Gord Downie: The Tragically Hip front man turned environmental activist. Gord jumped to the front lines of a battle against an unfair polluter when a cement company was experimenting with burning tires as an alternative fuel source. He joined forces with the Lake Ontario Waterkeeper after hearing a speech by Robert Kennedy Jr. and put a halt to the unsafe practice in the lakeside village of Bath, Ontario.
Annabel Slaight: Publisher of Owl, the popular nature magazine for kids. Annabel turned her corporate and organizing know-how to found Ladies of the Lake, an organization dedicated to saving Lake Simcoe. Their Naked Truth calendar released in 2006 didn't hurt their cause either. The Ladies of the Lake's efforts contributed to the provincial Lake Simcoe Act and federal funding to aid in the Lake's clean-up and preservation.
GreenHeroes and the GreenHeroes.tv web channel are produced by CineFocus Canada; John Bessai and Joan Prowse are the creators and producers of the GreenHeroes TV series and web channel. John Bessai is the Creative Director of the GreenHeroes campaign and Joan Prowse is the director of the TV series and webisodes. They are the co-founders of CineFocus Canada - a notable producer of prime-time award winning biography, arts and social issue TV programs. GreenHeroes gratefully acknowledges the support of Bell Broadcast and New Media Fund, Canada Television Fund (now known as the Canada Media Fund), TVO, SUN TV and SCN.
For media information:
Planet3 Communications Ltd.
Piera Savage / Joanne Smale
T: 647.346.4101 E: info@planet3com.net
CineFocus Canada:
http://www.CineFocus.com
http://www.GreenHeroes.tv
http://www.GreenHeroes.tv/blog
http://www.twitter.com/GreenHeroestv
http://www.facebook.com/GreenHeroes.tv
Screeners are available upon request. Interviews are presently being confirmed. Thank you!
About TVO
TVO is Ontario’s public educational media organization and a trusted source of interactive educational content that informs, inspires and stimulates curiosity and thought. Celebrating 40 years in 2010, TVO’s vision is to empower people to be engaged citizens of Ontario through educational media. TVO is funded primarily by the Province of Ontario and supported by thousands of donors. For more information, visit tvo.org.
Where to find TVO
On air:
Cable channel 2 (may vary in some areas)
Rogers TVO HD channel 580
Rogers On Demand channel 100
Bell TV channel 265
Star Choice channel 353
Websites:
tvo.org
tvokids.com
tvoparents.com
ilc.org
Online:
Yahoo!
YouTube
Rogers On Demand Online
Media contact:
Paul Ginis
TVO, Marketing and Communication
P: 416 484 2600 x2445
E: pginis@tvo.org
Download this media release in PDF format
GreenHeroes.tv
Saving the planet one story at a time
William Lishman: Taking Flight
http://www.GreenHeroes.tv
It's a bird, no it's a plane, no, wait… it's William Lishman! A gifted sculptor and ultralight pioneer, Lishman is the latest GreenHero to be featured on www.GreenHeroes.tv, debuting Monday, November 8th. The inspiration behind Fly Away Home, "Papa Goose" as he became to be known, has dedicated himself to re-introducing certain bird species to their native habitats by teaching them their forgotten migration routes. Using a natural phenomenon called imprinting, Lishman managed to lead the birds hundreds of kilometers with his ultralight aircraft to their winter homes. "Most people get an idea and they think, That's an outrageous idea, that'll never come to pass…It happens to me, and I think maybe we can make it work" says Lishman, who with patience, dedication and ingenuity made the seemingly impossible a reality after years of expirementing. The webisode tells the story of William's epiphany whilst flying amongst a flock of ducks. His epiphany led to a solution for migratory birds that he has now applied to endangered species, like the whooping crane. He went from being a teenager who always dreamt about flying with the birds to being an adult enthusiast with a remarkable vision.
GreenHeroes.tv is an Internet channel, produced by CineFocus Canada that tells remarkable stories of people. In each video, one of these GreenHeroes takes us back to the moment when they suddenly understood that something must be done to save the planet and they were the ones to do it. John Bessai and Joan Prowse are the creators and producers of the GreenHeroes TV series and web channel. John is Executive Producer and Creative Director of the GreenHeroes campaign and Joan is the director of the TV series and webisodes. They are the co-founders of CineFocus Canada - a notable producer of prime-time award winning biography, arts and social issue TV programs. GreenHeroes gratefully acknowledges the support of Bell Broadcast and New Media Fund, Canada Television Fund (now known as the Canada Media Fund), TVO, SUN TV and SCN.
For media information:
Planet3 Communications Ltd.
Piera Savage / Joanne Smale
T: 647.346.4101 E: info@planet3com.net
CineFocus Canada:
http://www.CineFocus.com
http://www.GreenHeroes.tv
http://www.GreenHeroes.tv/blog
http://www.twitter.com/GreenHeroestv
http://www.facebook.com/GreenHeroes.tv
Download this media release in PDF format
GREENHEROES
Epsiode One: "Saving Species"
World Première Tuesday, November 2nd, Saturday, November 6th on TVO
http://www.GreenHeroes.tv
http://www.TVO.org
Saving the planet one story at a time
~ A new, six-part series that tells the story of change – of how people
improved their lives, what their tipping point moments were and how they
overcome obstacles to become a GreenHero. ~
The broadcast schedule is as follows:
Episode 1: Tuesday, November 2nd at 7:00 p.m. ET
Repeats: Saturday, November 6th at 4:00 p.m. ET
This fall, GreenHeroes, a smart, sexy and dynamic Web/TV crossover, produced by CineFocus Canada in association with TVO and SUN TV, will make its debut on TVO, Tuesday, November 2nd at 7:00 p.m., repeated Saturday, November 6th at 4:00 p.m. The series tells remarkable stories of people who acted on their ideas and heroically "ventured forth" to protect our planet. From the celebrity to the everyday person, each story details the different paths and interests the GreenHeroes have taken in their quests to help save the world.
In Episode 1 we meet four different GreenHeroes who speak out for those who cannot speak up for themselves, reaching audiences through the magic of the movies.
Ric O'Barry: Star of the Academy Award Winning documentary The Cove. Ric started out as a dolphin trainer but when TV's beloved Flipper committed suicide in his arms he dedicated his life to fighting against dolphin captivity and slaughter.
Jane Goodall:The world's most famous primatologist and one of its most
famous conservationists.
Back in 1960 in Tanzania, Jane discovered that chimpanzees fashioned tools
to forage for food - forever blurring the line between animal and human. Up
until that point anthropologists had defined man as "the toolmaker". Dr.
Goodall went on to fight for conservation of chimpanzee habitats and for
the preservation of all endangered species. The Jane Goodall Institute
promotes youth activism with its Roots and Shoots program.
William Lishman: The ultralight pioneer and inspiration for the Hollywood movie Fly Away Home. Bill had an epiphany whilst flying amongst a flock of geese, which led to a solution for migratory birds that he has now applied to endangered species, like the whooping crane.
Rob Stewart: The award-winning director of Sharkwater. This paradigm-shifting doc challenges the age-old image of sharks as villains and explains their importance to the planet and to our own survival.
GreenHeroes and the GreenHeroes.tv web channel are produced by CineFocus Canada; John Bessai and Joan Prowse are the creators and producers of the GreenHeroes TV series and web channel. John Bessai is the Creative Director of the GreenHeroes campaign and Joan Prowse is the director of the TV series and webisodes. They are the co-founders of CineFocus Canada - a notable producer of prime-time award winning biography, arts and social issue TV programs. GreenHeroes gratefully acknowledges the support of Bell Broadcast and New Media Fund, Canada Television Fund (now known as the Canada Media Fund), TVO, SUN TV and SCN.
For media information:
Planet3 Communications Ltd.
Piera Savage / Joanne Smale
T: 647.346.4101 E: info@planet3com.net
CineFocus Canada:
http://www.CineFocus.com
http://www.GreenHeroes.tv
http://www.GreenHeroes.tv/blog
http://www.twitter.com/GreenHeroestv
http://www.facebook.com/GreenHeroes.tv
Screeners are available upon request. Interviews are presently being confirmed. Thank you!
About TVO
TVO is Ontario’s public educational media organization and a trusted source of interactive educational content that informs, inspires and stimulates curiosity and thought. Celebrating 40 years in 2010, TVO’s vision is to empower people to be engaged citizens of Ontario through educational media. TVO is funded primarily by the Province of Ontario and supported by thousands of donors. For more information, visit tvo.org.
Where to find TVO
On air:
Cable channel 2 (may vary in some areas)
Rogers TVO HD channel 580
Rogers On Demand channel 100
Bell TV channel 265
Star Choice channel 353
Websites:
tvo.org
tvokids.com
tvoparents.com
ilc.org
Online:
Yahoo!
YouTube
Rogers On Demand Online
Media contact:
Paul Ginis
TVO, Marketing and Communication
P: 416 484 2600 x2445
E: pginis@tvo.org
Download this media release in PDF format
GreenHeroes.tv
Saving the planet one story at a time
Jane Goodall: Sprouting Change
"We differ from chimps in the fact that our intellect is more developed…so how come we are destroying the planet?", asks the world's most famous primatologist and one of its most famous conservationists Dame Jane Morris Goodall. Watch her webisode, "Sprouting Change", debuting Monday, October 18th on www.GreenHeroes.tv, when she will answer this age-old question, look further into other chimp related issues and take part in the TD Great Canadian Shoreline Cleanup in Toronto.
This year marks the 50th Anniversary of Jane's first trip to Tanzania, where she discovered that chimpanzees fashioned tools to forage for food - forever blurring the line between animal and human. Up until that point anthropologists had defined man as "the toolmaker". Dr. Goodall went on to fight for conservation of chimpanzee habitats and for the preservation of all endangered species. She also founded The Jane Goodall Institute's Roots and Shoots program, which ignites environmental activism in children, teens and college students. In Toronto she joins Roots and Shoots groups participating in the shoreline cleanup.
GreenHeroes.tv is an Internet channel, produced by CineFocus Canada that tells remarkable stories of people. In each video, one of these GreenHeroes takes us back to the moment when they suddenly understood that something must be done to save the planet and they were the ones to do it. John Bessai and Joan Prowse are the creators and producers of the GreenHeroes TV series and web channel. John is Executive Producer and Creative Director of the GreenHeroes campaign and Joan is the director of the TV series and webisodes. They are the co-founders of CineFocus Canada - a notable producer of prime-time award winning biography, arts and social issue TV programs. GreenHeroes gratefully acknowledges the support of Bell Broadcast and New Media Fund, Canada Television Fund (now known as the Canada Media Fund), TVO, SUN TV and SCN.
For media information:
Planet3 Communications Ltd.
Piera Savage / Joanne Smale
T: 647.346.4101 E: info@planet3com.net
CineFocus Canada:
http://www.CineFocus.com
http://www.GreenHeroes.tv
http://www.GreenHeroes.tv/blog
http://www.twitter.com/GreenHeroestv
http://www.facebook.com/GreenHeroes.tv
Download this media release in PDF format
GREENHEROES
~ A new, six-part series that tells the story of change – of how people
improved their lives, what their tipping point moments were and how they
overcome obstacles to become a GreenHero. ~
World Première Tuesday, November 2, 2010 on TVO
Saving the planet one story at a time
http://www.GreenHeroes.tv
http://www.TVO.org
The broadcast schedule is as follows:
Episode 1: Tuesday, November 2nd at 7:00 p.m. ET
Repeats: Saturday, November 6th at 4:00 p.m. ET
Episode 2: Tuesday, November 9th at 7:00 p.m. ET
Repeats: Saturday, November 13th at 4:00 p.m. ET
Episode 3: Tuesday, November 16th at 7:00 p.m. ET
Repeats: Saturday, November 20th at 4:00 p.m. ET
Episode 4: Tuesday, November 23rd at 7:00 p.m. ET
Repeats: Saturday, November 27th at 4:00 p.m. ET
Episode 5: Tuesday, November 30th at 7:00 p.m. ET
Repeats: Saturday, December 4th at 4:00 p.m. ET
Episode 6: Tuesday, December 7th at 7:00 p.m. ET
Repeats: Saturday, December 11th at 4:00 p.m. ET
This fall, GreenHeroes, a smart, sexy and dynamic Web/TV crossover, produced by CineFocus Canada in association with TVO and SUN TV, will make its debut on TVO, Tuesday, November 2nd. The 6 x 30 minute series tells remarkable stories of people who acted on their ideas and heroically “ventured forth” to protect our planet. From the celebrity to the everyday person, each story details the different paths and interests the GreenHeroes have taken in their quests to help save the world.
The GreenHeroes series include the inspirational stories of singer/songwriters Sarah Harmer and Gord Downie, and Annabel Slaight, publisher of Owl, the popular nature magazine for kids. Explore issues with renowned chimpanzee researcher and conservationist Jane Goodall, racecar driver Leilani Münter, Sharkwater director Rob Stewart, William Lishman who inspired the film Fly Away Home and innovator Stuart Hickox. Watch Green Giant David Suzuki or Nobel Prize winner Wangari Maathai, as they share their “eureka” moments. All these GreenHeroes plus more are unafraid to roll up their sleeves and step on some toes to get the job done.
The story arch of each thematically based episode begins with the tipping point event of our GreenHeroes - the moment that moved them from apathy to action. It then tells of the obstacles and challenges they overcame, ending on the impact their action had on the environment. The challenge is to document how a change was made and a community inspired, and to surprise people by including GreenHeroes who are not your status quo, but whose story speaks to a mainstream audience. By shining a light on real people who have become GreenHeroes through their actions and dedication to helping the planet, the goal is to give everyday citizens the nudge they need to also become passionate green participants.
Episode summaries:
In each half hour TV episode – we explore a different theme to show how others are tackling climate change.
Episode 1 — “Saving Species”
These GreenHeroes speak out for those who cannot speak up for themselves, reaching audiences through the magic of the movies.
Ric O’Barry: Star of the Academy Award Winning documentary The Cove. Ric started out as a dolphin trainer but when TV’s beloved Flipper committed suicide in his arms he dedicated his life to fighting against dolphin captivity and slaughter.
Jane Goodall: The world’s most famous primatologist and one of its most famous conservationists. Back in 1960 in Tanzania, Jane discovered that chimpanzees fashioned tools to forage for food - forever blurring the line between animal and human. Up until that point anthropologists had defined man as “the toolmaker”. Dr. Goodall went on to fight for conservation of chimpanzee habitats and for the preservation of all endangered species. The Jane Goodall Institute promotes youth activism with its Roots and Shoots program.
William Lishman: The ultralight pioneer and inspiration for the Hollywood movie Fly Away Home. Bill had an epiphany whilst flying amongst a flock of geese, which led to a solution for migratory birds that he has now applied to endangered species, like the whooping crane.
Rob Stewart: The award-winning director of Sharkwater. This paradigm-shifting doc challenges the age-old image of sharks as villains and explains their importance to the planet and to our own survival.
Episode 2 — “In My Backyard”
These GreenHeroes have a lot in common. They are protecting the places they call home from industrialization and pollution of our fresh water sources and they are using the arts to get their message out to the masses.
Sarah Harmer: An internationally recognized singer/songwriter who flexes her musical muscle to protect a world biosphere site. Sarah grew up with the Niagara Escarpment in her backyard. Today, she is dedicated to its preservation, and to achieve this goal, she co-founded PERL (Protecting Escarpment Rural Land) and mounts a concert each summer featuring renowned musicians like Bruce Cockburn and Feist.
Gord Downie: The Tragically Hip front man turned environmental activist. Gord jumped to the front lines of a battle against an unfair polluter when a cement company was experimenting with burning tires as an alternative fuel source. He joined forces with the Lake Ontario Waterkeeper after hearing a speech by Robert Kennedy Jr. and put a halt to the unsafe practice in the lakeside village of Bath, Ontario. Annabel Slaight: Publisher of Owl, the popular nature magazine for kids. Annabel turned her corporate and organizing know-how to found Ladies of the Lake, an organization dedicated to saving Lake Simcoe. Their Naked Truth calendar released in 2006 didn’t hurt their cause either. The Ladies of the Lake’s efforts contributed to the provincial Lake Simcoe Act and federal funding to aid in the Lake’s clean-up and preservation.
Episode 3 — “The Power of an Idea”
Many people find saving the planet to be an overwhelming idea, but these GreenHeroes have found a way to make simple changes part of the bigger picture.
Willa Black: Corporate warrior who masterminded the CBC and Cisco Canada’s popular One Million Acts of Green campaign. As a marketing executive, Willa was given the challenge to start a campaign to promote the company’s Human Network. But it wasn’t until she left the tap running while brushing her teeth, that she connected the idea of her own individual responsibility to a wider global campaign. Since then, the Million Acts of Green campaign has globally inspired people to save 461,795,726 pounds of green house gases.
David Suzuki: A man whose name is synonymous with environmentalism. This popular host of The Nature of Things had his epiphany while on a fishing trip. Suzuki was just a young zoology professor in the 1960s. While on a fishing trip in Squamish, B.C., he discovered how much of a wasteland clear cutting had created and in contrast, the serenity and relief the forest area provided. This epiphany led to environmental activism, a message he broadcast to millions on his popular CBC TV show, The Nature of Things.
Stuart Hickox: A former marketer who is now applying the tools of his trade to help green the planet. Volunteers in his Project Porchlight campaign have distributed three million compact florescent light bulbs for free – door to door. Stuart inspires people to take simple steps towards more sustainable living on his OneChange.org website and his tire checking Psst!... fuel efficiency initiative.
Shane Price: Founder of Green Circle Salons, who’s doing his part to teach salons how to be Green. As owner of Green Circle Salons, Shane’s idea has been to divert the waste stream of beauty salons including foil, dye tubes and human hair away from landfills since 2005.
Episode 4 — “Oil Changers”
Global conflicts and global warming – oil seems to be at the root of many of our world problems. These GreenHeroes are cutting down on emissions and preserving our earth.
Leilani Münter: A professional racecar driver who is doing her part for the environment by greening NASCAR from the inside track. Leilani burns fuel at speeds of up to 320km/h. This unlikely hero has started a green initiative in an effort to combat the carbon footprint her racing profession creates. From speaking out on Capital Hill to using her car for eco-friendly advertising, Münter is spreading her message to a previously untapped demographic.
Clayton Thomas Muller: A crusader in the battle against the Tar Sands. Clayton works with the Indigenous Environmental Network to make a difference in the controversial oil extraction.
Ian Clifford: Creator of the Zenn Electric car. Mixing entrepreneurial passion with a creative desire to help Mother Earth, Clifford had his inspiration for the Zenn car while sitting in a traffic jam in his gas-guzzling SUV. Today he drives a noiseless vehicle that releases zero emissions.
Episode 5 — “The Tree of Life”
GreenHeroes at the root of the earth’s problems helping find new ways to tackle deforestation, GMOs, mass food production and even poverty in Africa.
Tzeporah Berman: Organizer of a series of protests that drew 10,000 supporters at the height of the Clayoquot Sound conflict in British Columbia. To achieve her goals, Tzeporah straddles the line between activism and corporate America. She works with corporations such as Staples and Dell to help them become more ecologically friendly. She also convinced Victoria’s Secret to print their catalogues on recycled paper.
Wangari Maathai: A Nobel Peace Prize winner, the first environmentalist to be recognized with this honour. Wangari initiated the Green Belt movement in Kenya, a program in which groups of women were paid to plant trees, proving advantageous for both the environment and the women. The movement set off the United Nations One Billion Trees Campaign. Each year, the campaign aims to have one billion trees planted worldwide.
Laura Reinsborough: A real pioneer for local food usage and a new mother, she founded an organization that does away with rotting fruit. Laura founded Not Far From The Tree, an organization that harvests fruit bearing plants around Toronto. A third of the bounty goes to the volunteers, a third goes to the owner of the tree and a third goes to local shelters, preventing thousands of pounds of fruit from going to waste.
Episode 6 — “Groundbreakers”
These GreenHeroes have been involved in visionary efforts that have changed the face of environmentalism.
Emily and Bobbi Hunter: A mother and daughter combination who carry on the legacy of the late, great Greenpeace co-founder Robert Hunter. As Bob Hunter’s daughter, Emily has carried the torch on eco-activism, making a stand for marine life and the environment. Guided by her activist mother Bobbi, who stood with her husband on Greenpeace’s early whaling missions, Emily is carving out a new activist strategy for a changing world.
Ray Anderson: Crowned America’s Greenest CEO. As head of a carpet manufacturing company, Ray wanted to build the biggest carpet business the world had ever seen. But after reading Paul Hawken’s The Ecology of Commerce, Anderson’s motive shifted to creating a completely sustainable business. His company, Interface Inc., is a leader in sustainable manufacturing.
Vandana Shiva: World renowned for her efforts to bring change to agriculture and food production. Based in Delhi, Vandana is making an effort to move people away from growing and eating genetically modified plants. Her work has advocated a major shift in the agricultural system and given her a huge fan base around the world.
GreenHeroes and the GreenHeroes.tv web channel are produced by CineFocus Canada; John Bessai and Joan Prowse are the creators and producers of the GreenHeroes TV series and web channel. John Bessai is the Creative Director of the GreenHeroes campaign and Joan Prowse is the director of the TV series and webisodes. They are the co-founders of CineFocus Canada - a notable producer of prime-time award winning biography, arts and social issue TV programs. GreenHeroes gratefully acknowledges the support of Bell Broadcast and New Media Fund, Canada Television Fund (now known as the Canada Media Fund), TVO, SUN TV and SCN.
For media information:
Planet3 Communications Ltd.
Piera Savage / Joanne Smale
T: 647.346.4101 E: info@planet3com.net
CineFocus Canada:
http://www.CineFocus.com
http://www.GreenHeroes.tv
http://www.GreenHeroes.tv/blog
http://www.twitter.com/GreenHeroestv
http://www.facebook.com/GreenHeroes.tv
Screeners are available upon request. Interviews are presently being confirmed. Thank you!
About TVO
TVO is Ontario’s public educational media organization and a trusted source of interactive educational content that informs, inspires and stimulates curiosity and thought. Celebrating 40 years in 2010, TVO’s vision is to empower people to be engaged citizens of Ontario through educational media. TVO is funded primarily by the Province of Ontario and supported by thousands of donors. For more information, visit tvo.org.
Where to find TVO
On air:
Cable channel 2 (may vary in some areas)
Rogers TVO HD channel 580
Rogers On Demand channel 100
Bell TV channel 265
Star Choice channel 353
Websites:
tvo.org
tvokids.com
tvoparents.com
ilc.org
Online:
Yahoo!
YouTube
Rogers On Demand Online
Media contact:
Paul Ginis
TVO, Marketing and Communication
P: 416 484 2600 x2445
E: pginis@tvo.org
Download this media release in PDF format
GreenHeroes.tv
Saving the planet one story at a time
Stuart Hickox: Simple Changers Matter
Have you ever had a good idea, but lacked the courage to make the seemingly impossible a reality? Watch innovator Stuart Hickox on GreenHeroes.tv as he shares the moment when the light bulb went “on” -- quite literally in his case –- and find out what drove him from apathy to action. The webisode will debut Monday, September 27th on www.GreenHeroes.tv
Stuart is a former marketer from Ottawa who is now applying the tools of his trade to help green the planet. Volunteers of his Project Porchlight campaign have distributed three million compact florescent light bulbs for free – door to door. He believes everyone can take simple steps towards more sustainable living. “If everyone makes just one change towards helping the environment it can result in massive change over all,” says Hickox. “I say every campaign has to be at least a little impossible in order for it to work." His latest campaign Psst! encourages people to check the air pressure in their car tires in order to promote fuel efficiency.
GreenHeroes.tv is an Internet channel, produced by CineFocus Canada that tells remarkable stories of people. In each video, one of these GreenHeroes takes us back to the moment when they suddenly understood that something must be done to save the planet and they were the ones to do it. John Bessai and Joan Prowse are the creators and producers of the GreenHeroes TV series and web channel. They are the co-founders of CineFocus Canada - a notable producer of prime-time award winning biography, arts and social issue TV programs. GreenHeroes gratefully acknowledges the support of Bell Broadcast and New Media Fund, Canada Television Fund (now known as the Canada Media Fund), TVO, SUN TV and SCN.
For media information:
Planet3 Communications Ltd.
Piera Savage / Joanne Smale
T: 647.346.4101 E: info@planet3com.net
CineFocus Canada:
http://www.CineFocus.com
http://www.GreenHeroes.tv
http://www.GreenHeroes.tv/blog
http://www.twitter.com/GreenHeroestv
http://www.facebook.com/GreenHeroes.tv
Download this media release in PDF format
GreenHeroes
Saving the planet one story at a time
http://www.GreenHeroes.tv
GreenHeroes Character Casting Call
Audition time: Monday Sept 27, 2010 1:00 pm to 4:30 pm in
Toronto - location will be given to those who qualify.
GreenHeroes tells the story of change – of how people improved their lives, what their tipping point moments were and how they overcome obstacles to become a GreenHero.
Are you an outgoing, theatrical person who likes to stand out in a crowd? Are you a triple threat? Can you act, sing and dance?
If yes, then we would love to see you at our audition for GreenHeroes!
The GreenHeroes characters (one male, one female) must be able to fit into our custom designed costumes, which for women is a small/medium and for men a medium tall.
As a GreenHero, your job is to make some noise at various events across Ontario over the coming months. You might be serving wine in Niagara, singing in a Karaoke contest, or doing cartwheels at a music festival. In every case, we are looking for people who will get noticed and get people talking!
If you have experience, and this interests you, please send us your headshot, measurements (height, in seam, waist and chest), any links that support your work and a short paragraph telling us why you think you would be a great GreenHero!
Please send to casting@greenheroes.tv
Callbacks will take place on Tues Sept 28, 2010.
For media information:
Planet3 Communications Ltd.
Piera Savage / Joanne Smale
T: 647.346.4101 E: info@planet3com.net
CineFocus Canada:
http://www.CineFocus.com
http://www.GreenHeroes.tv
http://www.GreenHeroes.tv/blog
http://www.twitter.com/GreenHeroestv
http://www.facebook.com/GreenHeroes.tv
Download this media release in PDF format
GreenHeroes.tv
Saving the planet one story at a time
Sarah Harmer: In My Backyard
“If they blow a hole in my backyard,
Everyone is gonna run away.
The creeks won’t flow to the Great Lake below.
Will the water in the wells still be ok?”
- Taken from Sarah Harmer’s song “Escarpment Blues”
After seeing the destruction of nature in her own backyard, JUNO award winning singer/songwriter Sarah Harmer put more than her pen to action. Check out her featured webisode as she flexes her musical muscles to protect the Niagara Escarpment, debuting Monday, October 11th on www.GreenHeroes.tv
Sarah grew up in Southern Ontario, near this breathtakingly beautiful escarpment, which is now a UNESCO appointed world biosphere site. As a GreenHero, she tells the story of an epiphanic moment that turned her into a conservationist. Seeing huge tracts of her beloved escarpment being quarried for road aggregate she was compelled to take action to right this ecological injustice. She is dedicated to the Niagara Escarpment’s preservation, and to achieve this goal, she co-founded PERL (Protecting Escarpment Rural Land) and mounts a concert each year featuring renowned musicians like Bruce Cockburn and Feist.
“We’re thrilled to have Sarah Harmer as part of the CineFocus Canada GreenHeroes Campaign,” says Executive Producer and Creative Director John Bessai. ”We hope that people will be inspired by Sarah to take action in their own backyards!”
With an upcoming Ontario Municipal Board hearing on October 24th, GreenHeroes.tv is highlighting a call by PERL to petition the quarry application on Mount Nemo through its bi-monthly take action campaign. For more info, visit www.perlofburlington.org
GreenHeroes.tv is an Internet channel, produced by CineFocus Canada that tells remarkable stories of people. In each video, one of these GreenHeroes takes us back to the moment when they suddenly understood that something must be done to save the planet and they were the ones to do it. John Bessai and Joan Prowse are the creators and producers of the GreenHeroes TV series and web channel. John is Executive Producer and Creative Director of the GreenHeroes campaign and Joan is the director of the TV series and webisodes. They are the co-founders of CineFocus Canada - a notable producer of prime-time award winning biography, arts and social issue TV programs. GreenHeroes gratefully acknowledges the support of Bell Broadcast and New Media Fund, Canada Television Fund (now known as the Canada Media Fund), TVO, SUN TV and SCN.
For media information:
Planet3 Communications Ltd.
Piera Savage / Joanne Smale
T: 647.346.4101 E: info@planet3com.net
CineFocus Canada:
http://www.CineFocus.com
http://www.GreenHeroes.tv
http://www.GreenHeroes.tv/blog
http://www.twitter.com/GreenHeroestv
http://www.facebook.com/GreenHeroes.tv
Download this media release in PDF format
GreenHeroes: Sarah Harmer ~ A CineFocus Canada Production
World Premiere at Planet in Focus
Public Screening: Friday, October 15, 2010 @ 7:15 p.m.
Al Green Theatre at Miles Nadal JCC, 750 Spadina Avenue
CineFocus is proud to present the screening of GreenHeroes: Sarah Harmer, at the 11th Annual Planet in Focus International Environmental Film & Video Festival on Friday, October 15th at 7:15 p.m. Featuring internationally renowned singer/songwriter Sarah Harmer, the short film profiles the award-winning singer's fight to protect a part of the Escarpment on Mount Nemo in Burlington, Ontario.
In the film, Sarah flexes her musical muscles to protect the Niagara Escarpment in her own backyard. Sarah grew up in Southern Ontario, near this breathtakingly beautiful escarpment, which is now a UNESCO appointed world biosphere site. As a GreenHero, Sarah tells the story of an epiphanic moment that turned her into a conservationist. Seeing huge tracts of her beloved escarpment being quarried for road aggregate she was compelled to take action to right this ecological injustice. Sarah is dedicated to the Niagara Escarpment's preservation, and to achieve this goal, she co-founded PERL (Protecting Escarpment Rural Land) and mounts a concert each year featuring renowned musicians like Bruce Cockburn and Feist.
GreenHeroes: Sarah Harmer was directed and co-produced by Joan Prowse and produced by John Bessai.They are the co-founders of CineFocus Canada - a notable producer of prime-time award winning biography, arts and social issue TV programs. This short film is part of the Transmedia GreenHeroes campaign that includes the website GreenHeroes.tv and the Greenheroes TV series premiering November 2, 2010 on TVO. For more info about CineFocus Canada, please visit http://www.CineFocus.com. For more info about GreenHeroes visit http://www.GreenHeroes.tv
Screeners are available upon request. Interviews are presently being confirmed. Thank you!
Planet in Focus is Canada's leading non-profit environmental media arts organization, producing year-round programming across Canada and around the world and fostering a new generation of environmental filmmakers. The 11th annual Planet in Focus International Environmental Film & Video Festival runs from October 13th to 17th in Toronto. Visit http://www.planetinfocus.org.
For media information:
Planet3 Communications Ltd.
Piera Savage / Joanne Smale
T: 647.346.4101 E: info@planet3com.net
Planet In Focus
Rebecca Webster
T: 416.562.5294 E: rebecca@webstermediaconsulting.com
Download this media release in PDF format
GreenHeroes.tv LAUNCHES CONTEST September 24, 2010:
NOMINATE YOUR GREENHERO TODAY!
Saving the planet one story at a time
The big screen has enough caped crusaders saving the world from evil. Now, it’s your turn to don an eco-conscious cape and save the environment! Produced and directed by CineFocus Canada, co-founders John Bessai and Joan Prowse, GreenHeroes is a timely Web/TV crossover about smart, sexy and dynamic crusaders for the environment. Now they want you to tell the tale. Nominate yourself or people you know who are acting in new and exciting ways to make our world a greener place. The contest is a chance to share a story about people turning apathy to action to become GreenHeroes too, including a chance to appear on TV.
It only takes a couple of minutes – watch an episode of GreenHeroes and then share it with your friends. These personal profiles and stories have a common inspiration: a description of the exact moment that the light bulb came on – when an average person experiences an epiphany that will change their life forever.
Have your say* — submit your own video, text or photo story by visiting GreenHeroes.tv, click on the contest button, and follow the instructions found on the contest page. The deadline to enter is Friday, November 19th, 2010.
An impartial panel of judges made up of leaders in both the environmental and entertainment fields will review all entries submitted, as well as any comments posted by viewers to the GreenHeroes' gallery. There are three ways to win:
1. Campaign Winners - These stories relate to featured campaigns and are picked by users! The one with the highest number of votes from GreenHeroes’ fans are featured on the contest home page and are eligible for prizes like GreenHeroes T-Shirts, DVDs, event tickets and more!
2. GreenHeroes TV Episode Winners - A winner in each category (also picked by GreenHeroes’ fans) is featured in a premium GreenHeroes webisode.
3. Grand Prize Winners – The seven winners in each of the categories are entered into the formal, juried competition. Up to four of these folks will be featured in season two of GreenHeroes.The GreenHeroes’ production team will follow their real-life progress in developing their green ideas and manifesting them in their lives.
The strongest and highest-rated user content will be bundled with the in-house produced videos for the GreenHeroes TV series, as well as packaged for digital distribution. In this way, users have a voice in shaping the future of GreenHeroes on GreenHeroes.tv
* For full contest rules please go to: http://www.GreenHeroes.tv/contest
Comprised of 24 x 2 to 3 minute webisodes and 6 x 30 minute TV episodes to air on TVO, GreenHeroes.tv is a web channel that tells remarkable stories of people who acted on their ideas to address the global environment crisis. The GreenHeroes include singer/songwriters Sarah Harmer and Gord Downie, and NHL player Andrew Ference. Explore issues with renowned chimpanzee researcher and conservationist Jane Goodall, racecar driver Leilani Münter, Sharkwater director Rob Stewart, William Lishman who inspired the film Fly Away Home and innovator Stuart Hickox. In upcoming webisodes, watch Green Giant David Suzuki or Nobel Prize winner Wangari Maathai, as they share their “eureka” moments. All these heroes plus more are unafraid to roll up their sleeves and step on some toes to get the job done. At its core, GreenHeroes is a selection of great stories about people turning apathy to action.
Producer and director of GreenHeroes TV, Joan Prowse is also a writer and editor; she creates television documentaries, interactive projects, and video shorts that profile compelling Canadian characters whose stories resonate with a global audience. Along with her documentaries, she produced and directed the biography series Lucky Breaks that aired on A&E’s Biography Channel and CHUM Television for two seasons and produced 28 profiles of Canadian musicians, directors and actors for Canwest Global’s Northern Lights series.
Creative Director of the web channel and producer of the GreenHeroes series, John Bessai is a writer, director and executive producer of numerous television documentaries and videos. John has directed magazine pieces with environmental themes for Discovery’s @discovery.ca and Animal Planet including Greenpeace: A Canadian Discovery, a profile that charts the environmental organization’s rise to global prominence, and In Search of the Spirit Bear about Canada’s endangered rainforest habitat. Bessai also directed From Field to Studio: The Art of Paul Kane, an interactive DVD and permanent interactive museum exhibit at the Royal Ontario Museum both of which were based on his award-winning television documentary Visions from the Wilderness: The Art of Paul Kane.
With sales to broadcasters around the world, CineFocus Canada’s programs are seen on A&E, TLC and Oxygen in the United States, on networks in Europe and Asia and in Canada on CTV, CBC, Canwest-Global, Radio-Canada, Discovery, TVO, Aboriginal Peoples Television Network, and many more. A notable producer of prime-time award winning biography, arts and social issue TV programs, CineFocus Canada uses compelling characters and stories to explore an array of timely and important global topics. The company produces their programs in both French and English in formats that range from interstitials, one-offs, series and on-line video content. GreenHeroes gratefully acknowledges the support of Bell Broadcast and New Media Fund, Canada Television Fund (now known as the Canada Media Fund), TVO, SUN TV, SCN.
For media information:
Planet3 Communications Ltd.
Piera Savage / Joanne Smale
T: 647.346.4101 E: info@planet3com.net
CineFocus Canada:
http://www.CineFocus.com
http://www.GreenHeroes.tv
http://www.GreenHeroes.tv/blog
http://www.twitter.com/GreenHeroestv
http://www.facebook.com/GreenHeroes.tv
Download this media release in PDF format
GreenHeroes.tv:
Saving the planet one story at a time
Here's an oxymoron for you – a tree hugging race car driver! That's exactly what you get when Leilani Münter and GreenHeroes.tv join forces for a special webisode debuting Monday, September 13th, 2010 on www.GreenHeroes.tv
Leilani, a professional race car driver, who burns fuel at speeds of up to 320km/h, is doing her part for the environment by greening NASCAR from the inside track. This unlikely hero has started a green initiative in an effort to combat the carbon footprint her racing profession creates. From speaking out on Capitol Hill to using her car for eco-friendly advertising, she is spreading her message to a previously untapped demographic.
GreenHeroes.tv is an Internet channel, produced by CineFocus that tells remarkable stories of people. In each video, one of these GreenHeroes takes us back to the moment when they suddenly understood that something must be done to save the planet and they were the ones to do it. John Bessai is the Creative Director of the web channel and producer of the GreenHeroes TV series; Joan Prowse is the director and producer of the TV series and webisodes, as well as the producer of the web channel. John and Joan are the co-founders of CineFocus Canada - a notable producer of prime-time award winning biography, arts and social issue TV programs.
For media information:
Planet3 Communications Ltd.
Piera Savage / Joanne Smale
T: 647.346.4101 E: info@planet3com.net
CineFocus Canada:
http://www.CineFocus.com
http://www.GreenHeroes.tv
http://www.GreenHeroes.tv/blog
http://www.twitter.com/GreenHeroestv
http://www.facebook.com/GreenHeroes.tv
Download this media release in PDF format
CineFocus Canada LAUNCHES GreenHeroes.tv:
Saving the planet one story at a time
http://www.CineFocus.com
http://www.GreenHeroes.tv
CineFocus Canada brings two decades of experience producing internationally recognized television series and documentaries to 360 multi-platform properties. Its latest series GreenHeroes, is a timely Web/TV crossover about smart, sexy and dynamic crusaders for the environment.
Comprised of 24 x 2 to 3 minute webisodes and 6 x 30 minute TV episodes to air on TVO, GreenHeroes.tv is an internet channel that tells remarkable stories of people who acted on their ideas to address the global environment crisis. The GreenHeroes include singer/songwriters Sarah Harmer and Gord Downie, Green Giant David Suzuki and NHL player Andrew Ference. Explore issues with renowned chimpanzee researcher and conservationist Jane Goodall, Laura Reinsborough, founder of Not Far from the Tree and racecar driver Leilani Munter. Watch Sharkwater director Rob Stewart, William Lishman who inspired the film Fly Away Home or innovator Stuart Hickox share their “Eureka” moment. All these GreenHeroes plus more are unafraid to roll up their sleeves and step on some toes to get the job done. At its core, GreenHeroes is a selection of great stories about people turning apathy to action.
Although not your typical eco-warriors, these GreenHeroes are turning millions of fans onto their green message. By creating on-line video content with a TV component, GreenHeroes uniquely harnesses existing social networks and provides activities and tools to inspire, motivate, and reward users. Green Heroes videos will be touchstones of inspiration as videoblogs, podcasts, postings and links across multiple digital distribution channels. The GreenHeroes blog will keep followers up-to-date on the latest Green Happenings.
Conceived at the Banff New Media Institute in November, 2007, the concept took top prize at the DocIT conference in December and received development funding from the Bell Fund, CIFVF, TVO and SUN TV in June, 2008. In 2009, it was short listed by MIP TV in the NFB: Interactive documentaries on Green Issues category. The series was nominated for Best International Pilot and in the Digital Hot List Category at the Banff World Television Festival, June 2010. Comprised of 24 webisodes, the series is now live on http://www.GreenHeroes.tv Currently 10 webisodes are available, and they will continue to be released on a weekly basis on the site. The GreenHeroes TV series will be airing on TVO with a second window on Sun TV and SCN.
Producer and director of GreenHeroes, Joan Prowse is also a writer and editor; she creates television documentaries, interactive projects, and video shorts that profile compelling Canadian characters whose stories resonate with a global audience. Since 1997, Joan has turned her attention as a filmmaker to arts and cultural subjects as a way to explore social issues. A notable credit is the biography Buffy Sainte Marie: A Multimedia Life, nominated for a JUNO Award in 2009. It is one of over 25 hours of prime-time arts, biography and social issue documentaries she’s produced for a slate of national and international broadcasters. Along with her documentaries, she produced and directed the biography series Lucky Breaks that aired on A&E’s Biography Channel and CHUM Television for two seasons and produced 28 profiles of Canadian musicians, directors and actors for Canwest Global’sNorthern Lightsseries.
Creative Director of the web channel and Producer of the series, John Bessai has been involved in writing, directing and production of television documentaries and videos for over fifteen years. Through CineFocus, he has produced a body of work that has garnered public attention and recognition with broadcasts and screenings in festivals and forums across the country. Bessai has directed magazine pieces with environmental themes for Discovery’s @discovery.ca and Animal Planet including Greenpeace: A Canadian Discovery (1996), a profile that charts the environmental organization’s rise to global prominence, and In Search of the Spirit Bear (1998) about Canada’s endangered rainforest habitat. Bessai also recently directed From Field to Studio: The Art of Paul Kane, an interactive DVD based on his award-winning television documentary, Visions from the Wilderness: The Art of Paul Kane. This groundbreaking project fuses the documentary form with interactive technology, enabling the user to gain greater insight into the mind, work and times of one of Canada’s most culturally influential and controversial artists. An interactive exhibit created out of the DVD is a permanent dual screen exhibit at the Royal Ontario Museum's Daphne Cockwell Gallery of Canada: First Peoples.
With sales to broadcasters around the world, CineFocus programs are seen on A&E, TLC and Oxygen in the United States, on networks in Europe and Asia and in Canada on CTV, CBC, Canwest-Global, Radio-Canada, Discovery, TVO, Aboriginal Peoples Television Network, and many more. A notable producer of prime-time award winning biography, arts and social issue TV programs, CineFocus uses compelling characters and stories to explore an array of timely and important global topics. The company produces their programs in both French and English in formats that range from interstitials, one-offs, series and on-line video content.
For media information:
Planet3 Communications Ltd.
Piera Savage / Joanne Smale
T: 647.346.4101 E: info@planet3com.net
CineFocus Canada:
http://www.CineFocus.com
http://www.GreenHeroes.tv
http://www.GreenHeroes.tv/blog
http://www.twitter.com/GreenHeroestv
http://www.facebook.com/GreenHeroes.tv
Download this media release in PDF format
CineFocus Canada Goes LIVE with GreenHeroes.tv:
Saving the planet one story at a time
http://www.CineFocus.com
http://www.GreenHeroes.tv
CineFocus Canada brings two decades of experience producing internationally recognized television series and documentaries to 360 multi-platform properties. Its latest cross platform series GreenHeroes, is a timely Web/TV crossover about smart, sexy and dynamic crusaders for the environment. Comprised of 24 x 2 to 3 minute webisodes and 6 x 30 minute TV episodes to air on TVO, GreenHeroes.tv is an internet channel that tells remarkable stories of people who acted on their ideas to address the global environment crisis.
The GreenHeroes website, which is a combination of a media community and a UGC contest, makes extensive use of the Filemobile platform. By creating on-line video content with a TV component, GreenHeroes uniquely harnesses existing social networks and provides activities and tools to inspire, motivate, and reward users. The site is easy to use with Facebook Connect registration, and users can access the website on the web, iPhone or iPad. At its core, GreenHeroes is a selection of great stories about people turning apathy to action.
GreenHeroes stories will be touchstones of inspiration as videoblogs, podcasts, postings and links across multiple digital distribution channels. The GreenHeroes "Take Action" blog will keep followers up-to-date on the latest Green Happenings. Visitors of the site are encouraged to nominate GreenHeroes they know by uploading their stories via videos, photos, and text and to follow their progress. Members also have the ability to comment, rate, "favourite" or respond to other nominated heroes within the green community.
Conceived at the Banff New Media Institute in November, 2007, the concept took top prize at the DocIT conference in December and received funding from the Bell Fund, CIFVF, TVO and SUN TV in June, 2008. In 2009, it was short listed by MIP TV in the NFB: Interactive documentaries on Green Issues category and received further funding from the Canada Media Fund and SCN. The series was nominated for Best International Pilot and in the Digital Hot List Category at the Banff World Television Festival, June 2010. Comprised of 24 webisodes, the series is now live on http://www.GreenHeroes.tv Currently 10 webisodes are available, and they will continue to be released on a weekly basis on the site. The GreenHeroes TV series will be airing on TVO with a second window on Sun TV and SCN.
The GreenHeroes include singer/songwriters Sarah Harmer and Gord Downie, renowned chimpanzee researcher and conservationist Jane Goodall and NHL player Andrew Ference. Explore issues with racecar driver Leilani Münter, Sharkwater director Rob Stewart, William Lishman who inspired the film Fly Away Home and innovator Stuart Hickox. In upcoming webisodes, watch Willa Black, whose epiphany led to the Million Acts of Green Project on CBC, Tom Heintzman the man behind Bullfrog Power, Green Giant David Suzuki or Nobel Prize winner Wangari Maathai, as they share their "eureka" moment. All these GreenHeroes plus more are unafraid to roll up their sleeves and step on some toes to get the job done.
CineFocus Canada is ahead of the curve when it comes to creating multi-platform content. Since 2003, CineFocus founders John Bessai and Joan Prowse have been fusing TV documentaries with interactive media, beginning with their Paul Kane project. Produced as part of the Interactive Project Lab at the Canadian Film Centre, the groundbreaking project was one of the first interactive documentaries available on DVD, as well as being turned into an interactive permanent exhibit at the Royal Ontario Museum's Daphne Cockwell Gallery of Canada: First Peoples.
Producer and director of GreenHeroes TV, Joan Prowse is also a writer and editor; she creates television documentaries, interactive projects, and video shorts that profile compelling Canadian characters whose stories resonate with a global audience. Along with her documentaries, she produced and directed the biography series Lucky Breaks that aired on A&E's Biography Channel and CHUM Television for two seasons and produced 28 profiles of Canadian musicians, directors and actors for Canwest Global's Northern Lights series.
Creative Director of the web channel and producer of the GreenHeroes series, John Bessai is a writer, director and executive producer of numerous television documentaries and videos. John has directed magazine pieces with environmental themes for Discovery's @discovery.ca and Animal Planet including Greenpeace: A Canadian Discovery, a profile that charts the environmental organization's rise to global prominence, and In Search of the Spirit Bear about Canada's endangered rainforest habitat. Bessai also directed From Field to Studio: The Art of Paul Kane, the interactive DVD based on his award-winning television documentary Visions from the Wilderness: The Art of Paul Kane.
With sales to broadcasters around the world, CineFocus programs are seen on A&E, TLC and Oxygen in the United States, on networks in Europe and Asia and in Canada on CTV, CBC, Canwest Global, Radio-Canada, Discovery, TVO, Aboriginal Peoples Television Network, and many more. A notable producer of prime-time award winning biography, arts and social issue TV programs, CineFocus Canada uses compelling characters and stories to explore an array of timely and important global topics. The company produces their programs in both French and English in formats that range from interstitials, one-offs, series and on-line video content.
For media information:
Planet3 Communications Ltd.
Piera Savage / Joanne Smale
T: 647.346.4101 E: info@planet3com.net
CineFocus Canada:
http://www.CineFocus.com
http://www.GreenHeroes.tv
http://www.GreenHeroes.tv/blog
http://www.twitter.com/GreenHeroestv
http://www.facebook.com/GreenHeroes.tv
Download this media release in PDF format
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