• In the New York Area for Memorial Day without any plans? Consider going to Woodstock and watching Chrissie Hynde (of The Pretenders) & Welsh songwriter JP Jones while supporting the Woodstock Farm Animal Sanctuary. The show is on the Saturday of Memorial Day weekend, May 29th, and gates open at 5pm, show at 6pm. General admission tickets are $30 advance / $35 door (if tix are still available). In the event of rain the show will be moved to the largest barn. CLICK HERE for details.
• ABC News went underwater in the Gulf with Philippe Cousteau Jr., grandson of famous explorer Jacques Cousteau, and he described what he saw as “one of the most horrible things I’ve ever seen underwater.”
Meanwhile, BP continues to stonewall the American people about the growing Deepwater Horizon disaster in the Gulf, even while the company is reaping millions of dollars in profits a day from its other federal leases.
The Environmental Protection Agency has the authority to bar BP from receiving U.S. government contracts. Suspension of BP contracts would mean the loss of billions of dollars and effectively stop the company from drilling in federally controlled oil fields both on and offshore.
Prior to the current Gulf spill, EPA had linked BP to at least four instances of criminal misconduct, and BP has paid tens of millions in fines for environmental crimes. According to the public interest investigative journalists at Pro Publica, the EPA is considering re-evaluating BP and determining whether the company’s actions leading up to and following the Deep Horizon spill are evidence of an institutional problem inside BP that would qualify for debarment action.
• Skin Trade, a documentary that I had the honor of being in, will premiere in Los Angeles, CA on June 10th. The evening is also going to be a benefit for ARME.
From fur to food to animal liberation… 3 new cinematic eye-openers.
I can feel it in the wind – 2010 is gonna’ continue to be an awesome year for powerful and inspiring cinema!! Following in the path of such successful and thought-provoking films as THE COVE & FOOD, INC., three soon-to-be released films entitled SKIN TRADE, FORKS OVER KNIVES and BOLD NATIVE, are going to profoundly impact and inspire our society to take a stand and change the planet for the better!
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SKIN TRADE
I attended an advanced screening of the documentary SKIN TRADE at Warner Brothers on February 25th. Having previously seen the director, Shannon Kieth’s, first documentary, BEHIND THE MASK, (an intense, riveting & ultra-inspiring story about the Animal Liberation Front) I was anxious to see what her second project would be like.
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I’m pleased, but not surprised, to say that this film is just as powerful as her first. Shannon is definitely a “truth seeker” and in SKIN TRADE she exposes the brutal realities behind the cruel and gruesome fur trade. Through devastating, nightmarish undercover footage inside fur farms as well as several informative interviews with some of my favorite people (“Skinny Bitch” author Rory Freedman, Actors/Activists James Cromwell, Martin Sheen, Jorja Fox & Ed Begley Jr., former NBA star John Salley, and the Discerning Brute himself, Joshua Katcher, just to name a few…) SKIN TRADE’s unrelentingly look into the fur industry dispels all the dumb myths associated with this very bloody, completely abominable business.
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I highly recommend everyone get a copy of this film stat! Whether you’re familiar with the atrocities of the fur biz, or you’ve never looked into it before, I guarantee, you will be profoundly affected, and most definitely inspired to tell all your friends and family to boycott fur and fur trim forever! http://skintradethemovie.com/
FORKS OVER KNIVES
Shortly after seeing SKIN TRADE, I was invited to another screening of an equally enlightening film called FORKS OVER KNIVES. Written/directed by Lee Fulkerson and executive produced by Brian L. Wendel, FOK discusses the power of a plant-based diet in preventing and even reversing degenerative diseases such as heart disease, several forms of cancers, as well as type 2 diabetes.
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The majority of the film follows the fascinating journeys of the incomparable Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn (a former surgeon at the world renowned Cleveland Clinic) & Dr. T. Colin Campbell (a nutritional scientist from Cornell University who penned the brilliant book, THE CHINA STUDY), who conducted several brilliant health studies, including one of the most comprehensive health-related investigations ever made. In the film, these two incredibly eloquent, engaging and intelligent physicians are on a mission to help treat several ailing patients who are living miserably with chronic conditions and an overload of prescription medications. The two doctors teach these ailing individuals how to adopt a whole foods plant-based diet as their primary approach to remedying their health issues. Soon enough, all of these sick people have thrown their pill bottles away, replacing the chemical compounds with fresh veggies; and the results speak for themselves! All of these previously-ill patients begin to gain back control of their lives and get healthy!
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FORKS OVER KNIVES is entertaining, informative, inspiring and literally life-changing. When the film was over, I felt invigorated and enlightened; I have no doubt that this documentary is going to dramatically change the way we prevent and cure disease in the world. So, give yourself the ultimate gift of a healthier life and check out this film as soon as it’s available! You can stay in the know by visiting the film’s official site for updates on a possible theatrical release near you, as well as where and when you can purchase dvd copies: http://forksoverknives.com/
BOLD NATIVE
I feel extremely lucky and proud to be a part of this very unique narrative film, which is set to be released on DVD this summer. BOLD NATIVE, a political-thriller with a lot of heart, directed by Denis Hennelly and produced by Casey Suchan & Mary Pat Bentel, tells the riveting fictional story of “Charlie Cranehill”, an animal liberator wanted for domestic terrorism. The film follows Charlie and several other colorful characters (one of which is me ) as he emerges from the underground to organize and execute a nationwide action to liberate innocent animals being tortured in factory farms and testing facilities. All along, Charlie must out-maneuver the FBI who are quickly closing in on his tracks.
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This film was super cool to work on; not only are the makers of the film some of the most awesome people I’ve ever worked with, but the majority of the cast consists of actors who are both animal rights activists and vegans. I know that this film’s message is going to go far. It’s not about how much money the movie can make, it’s about how far can this compassionate message travel. And I’m envisioning it reaching all across the world. For none of us can truly be free, unless all of us are free!
Please check out the trailer for the film and spread the word. BOLD NATIVE should be available to purchase on DVD at the film’s official website this summer, and if you’d like to host a public screening, please contact the makers of the film through the contact page on the website: http://boldnative.com/
It’s definitely gonna’ continue to be an amazing year for cinema and our world! With films like these to inform and inspire, our society most certainly is headed in a more peaceful and compassionate direction. I applaud all the filmmakers, truth-seekers, directors, producers, writers, actors and activists. They are exposing truths and calling on the human race to take action through growing awareness, optimum nutrition & universal respect & love for all living beings.
Matt & Nat has unleashed it’s new website, along with a pretty rad spring/summer collection of vegan bags lined with 21 recycled bottled turned into faux-suede. If you’re in the NYC area, you can grab the men’s bags at Alter.
Phoenix Briefcase, Black $239.00, Kronos Bag, Black $175.00, Fujiya Bag, Black $170.00, at ALTER
I am stoked about my tough-guy pal John Joseph‘s (Cro-Mags front man, Ironman Triathlete, all-around vegan badass) new book that does not beat around the bush (ha…) about meat and its affect on the earth, our health, and animals. Yes, the title is controversial. Feel free to rant about it in the comments section. Or just pre-order your copy.
Meat is For Pussies:The how-to guide for dudes who want to get fit, kick ass, and take names (Crush Publishing, 2010).
“In Meat is for Pussies, John Joseph makes sure you never look at meat the same way. After painting a sickening picture of how things really are, John outlines a plan for a happier, healthier, and more fulfilling life. Do you want to continue living like a pussy, or are you ready to take back control of your life? It’s your call.”
Sparrow Media recently did an exclusive, in-depth interview with Leanne Mai-Ly Hilgart (Vaute Couture). Sparrow Media’s work is pretty amazing in general, so we recommend checking it, and all their stuff out! Big-ups to Discerning Brute Andy Stepanian for spearheading so many cool and important projects.
“Skin Trade” covers the fur industry like no other film has ever done – from the history of the fur trade to consumer fraud to the environmental toll of tanneries to truth-in-labeling legislation… systematically debunks the most common myths around fur, such as warmth, fashion, and the Canadian Fur Council’s laughable “Fur is Green” campaign.
Speaking of fur… will Israel be the first country to ban fur, all together? Michal Lewin-Epstein’s article on Huffington Post:
“Ninety-five percent of Israel’s textile products are imported from China and real furred items are occasionally mislabeled as fake fur, deceiving both the retailers and the consumers. A survey, commissioned by the International Anti-Fur Coalition and Let the Animals Live, conducted immediately after the February 2009 media investigation, showed that 86% of Israelis believe killing animals for fur is immoral. Moreover, nearly 80% back a bill calling for ban of fur trade in Israel. This media exposure and public support, together with the long-standing joint efforts of the International Anti-Fur Coalition and the Israeli organization Let the Animals Live, recently pressured Israeli Members of Knesset to endorse a law that would limit or eliminate the fur trade in Israel.”Read the FULL ARTICLE.
