Promoting Metropolitan Land-Use Innovation
Events
13 April 2012Ford Foundation Hosts Envision 2012: Stories for a Sustainable Future
On April 16 and 17, the Ford Foundation hosts Envision 2012, an innovative two-day conference that brings together UN experts, NGO advocates and some of the most creative minds in filmmaking and new media to explore how storytelling can create real momentum for change. As world leaders prepare to gather in Brazil for Rio+20, Envision will focus on developing a better global future with opportunity for all, with particular attention to the issues of creating just and sustainable cities, ensuring clean water and promoting green energy. The conference is the result of a partnership between the foundation, the Independent Filmmaker Project (IFP) and the United Nations Department of Public Information.
Through interactive sets of mini-screenings and conversations, experts and advocates will pitch issues to filmmakers, who in turn will show how their work can bring complex ideas to life. “Storytelling, in documentaries and all forms of visualization, is a powerful tool in winning hearts and minds and driving change,” said Orlando Bagwell, director of the Ford Foundation's JustFilms initiative. “We see this gathering as a wonderful opportunity for filmmakers and producers to forge new creative partnerships with the people who have knowledge and information, and who know where the real stories are.”
Event Information
On April 17 from 9:30 am – 6:00 pm EDT, Envision will be streamed live at envisionfilm.org. Details of the program are now available online.
Follow @IFPEnvision on Twitter and the hashtag #envisionfilm.
Speakers and participants include:
- Alexandra Cousteau, explorer, filmmaker and advocate
- Don Cheadle, actor and UN goodwill ambassador
- Jason Clay, senior vice president, Market Transformation, World Wildlife Fund
- Michael Franti, musician and filmmaker
- Rebecca Moore, computer scientist, founder and manager, Google Earth Outreach
- Bernice Johnson Reagon, cultural historian, singer and activist
- Ethan Zuckerman, senior researcher, Berkman Center for Internet and Society, Harvard University
Screenings include excerpts from:
- “Detropia,” with director and Academy Award-nominee Rachel Grady
- “Last Train Home,” with director and IDFA Award-winner Lixin Fan
More Information
- Explore the Ford Foundation's JustFilms initiative
- Visit the Independent Filmmaker Project online
- Learn more about the United Nations Department of Public Information online
- Get the latest information about Rio+20, the UN Conference on Sustainable Development
Media Contacts
Press Line
- Tel
- (+1) 212-573-5128
- Fax
- (+1) 212-351-3643
- pressline@fordfoundation.org
Joshua Cinelli
- Media Relations Chief
- j.cinelli@fordfoundation.org
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