2nd Inspiration Film Festival Kicks Off with First Public
Performance of 'Peaceful Warrior' Starring Nick Nolte and Amy Smart
04/21/2006
Source: LOHAS Weekly Newsletter
Author: LOHAS
The Inspiration Film Festival (IFF) will kick off this year with the first
public performance of "Peaceful Warrior," the new film based on Dan Millman’s
bestselling semi-autobiographical novel starring Nick Nolte, Scott Mechlowicz
and Amy Smart. The festival, now in its second year, is being held April 28-30,
2006, at the Laemmle Monica Four-Plex in Santa Monica, California. It will
highlight the best in inspirational narrative features, full-length
documentaries, narrative shorts and animated works chosen from over 1,500
submissions.
"Peaceful Warrior," a moving tale about the power of human spirit, centers on
Millman (Scott Mechlowicz), a gifted young athlete bound for Olympic gold. But
his world is turned upside down when he meets "Socrates" (Nick Nolte), a
mysterious stranger in a gas station who holds the power to tap into new worlds
of strength and understanding. The young man discovers that he has much to learn
… and even more to leave behind.
"We’re thrilled to be opening this year’s event with the first public
performance of ‘Peaceful Warrior,’" said John Raatz, principal of Awakened
Media, co-presenter of the festival. "Millions of readers around the world had
their lives changed by Dan Millman’s book, and we’re honored to be presenting
this beautiful and powerful film for the first time. More and more, people are
craving films that inspire, uplift our spirit, and point to the highest
possibilities for our lives. We’re committed to presenting the best talent,
vision and filmmakers in the country who are filling this yearning with their
work."
Critical buzz is already building around several other films slated for this
year’s line up:
"Into Great Silence," directed by Philip Gröening, is the first film about life
inside the Grande Chartreuse - the mother house of the legendary Carthusian
Order located in the French Alps. Marked by repetition, silence and
contemplation, this austere film is a next to silent meditation of one year
inside the walls of this epic monastery. Into Great Silence world premiered in
Venice and has picked up multiple awards most notably at Sundance 2006 and the
Bavarian Film Critics Association.
"Offside," directed by Buket Alakus, brings us the triumphant story of
twenty-year-old Hayat (Karoline Herfurth) in her challenge to keep her passions
alive while fighting breast cancer. Soccer is Hayat’s greatest love and she is
one of the best pro-players on her team. Her professional career comes to an end
after she loses a breast to cancer and is forced to stop playing. She tries to
pick up where she left off by joining a new team and even finding love, all the
while learning to accept her new "offside" position. The IFF screening marks the
West Coast debut of the film.
Cash prizes will be awarded to the best feature film, documentary and short
films, with winners receiving $15,000, $5,000 and $5,000, respectively. Winners
will also receive the GAIA award, a statuette designed and produced specifically
for the festival. Last year’s winners included the highly successful documentary
"The Real Dirt on Farmer John," which won the Gaia Documentary Award and
"Illusion," which won the Gaia Feature Film Award. Both of these films were
picked up for national distribution and will be in theaters in spring 2006.
The presenting sponsor of this year’s festival will once again be Gaiam, the
lifestyle media company that caters to people who value personal development,
natural health and inspirational entertainment. The event will run in
conjunction with the LOHAS 10 (Lifestyles of Health and Sustainability) Forum.
LOHAS 10 is a three-day business conference bringing together businesses
concerned with promoting environmentally sound, healthy business practices and
consumer purchasing choices.
About The Inspiration Film Festival:
Now in its second year, the Inspiration Film Festival is presented by Conscious
Media and Awakened Media, and takes place in Santa Monica, California April
28-30, 2006. An Inspiration Film is a movie that inspires us to expand our
awareness and pursue positive change in our lives. An Inspiration Film makes us
feel more hopeful, more thankful, more connected, more passionate, and better
about life in general. We identify with an Inspiration Film’s characters on a
deep, emotional level, and are motivated by their stories to pursue positive
change in our own lives. An Inspiration film honors the belief that simple
choices can change the world and inspire us to make a difference.
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