Volunteers needed *every day this week*

[news-events at uarc.com]

Friends,

We have two things that we need help on:

1) SUNDANCE BODY SCREEN DEMONSTRATION

The Utah Animal Rights Coalition will be doing outreach in Park City for the next 10 days during the Sundance, Slamdance, and many other film festivals in the area.  We are looking for some people to help with this outreach.  For the nights listed below, we need two people who are interested in traveling to Park City, walking up and down Main Street to pass out literature and to talk with people about fur and other animal issues.  One person will wear a body screen (an LCD TV attached to a vest over their chest).  Time frame can vary depending on your availability - any time period between 6pm and 10pm would probably work for each night.

The nights we need filled are:

  Sat, 22nd
  Wed, 26th
  Thu, 27th
  Fri, 28th
  Sat, 29th (one person has already volunteered; we need another)
  Sun, 30th

Please call Eric at 560-8238 if you are interested in helping with this.  

2) PEACEABLE KINGDOM

The video Peaceable Kingdom is being screened at the Freedom Cinema Festival this Wednesday, and Tribe of Heart (the makers of the film) need our help to promote this screening.  We need to get people to festival areas in groups of one or two to hand out a promotional flyer... the more people that go and see this film the better.  Please call Eric at 560-8238 to pick up literature to pass out.  Here are some details from the promoter:

<<

Anyway, here is the opportunity: as you know, there are loads of
journalists, film distributors, reviewers in Park City for Sundance. If we
can increase the number of such people who attend the PK screening,
the odds are good that something major could come of it, in terms of the
film and its message reaching a much larger audience. When people actually
see the film, their attitude toward the animals, and animal advocates is
radically transformed. So this opportunity has the greatest amount of
potential leverage of any event we will bring the film to this year. A lot
is at stake.

Here is the challenge: we are reaching way into the mainstream with this
film, and it is working. It is being accepted as an artwork and as a piece
of high quality progressive commentary by socially, environmentally, and
politically conscious film festivals and journalists. It is opening the
minds of people who never took the animals' cause seriously before. This is
a huge breakthrough, far beyond what we saw with The Witness. Probably
because of all the hard work that has been done by so many activists for so
long, people in general know factory farming is a problem. However, the
public still has a lot of preconceived ideas about people advocating for
animals and the AR movement in general. So the whole thing is very delicate.
The public is skittish about committing to watch a 70-minute film about how
farm animals are treated, and typically they fear it will be 70 minutes of
gruesome footage. Any suggestion that the movie is of this nature and
people's fear will take over--this has happened before and we've lost huge
numbers of audience members, many of whom would have been deeply changed by
the film.

So, we have found that approaching the public about PK in the context of
film festivals needs to be done in a special way. While in many cases, a
more direct approach works best on the street for many issues, the animals
are best served
in the case of PK by presenting the film as one filled with stories about
people who grew up on farms and who had a change of heart about animals. In
other words, creating a completely positive and non-judgmental vibe and
avoiding anything confrontational. The idea is to focus on the film as a
storytelling vehicle, and not to focus so much on the AR issues themselves.
We let the
film do the "heavy lifting" once we get the people into the theater.

If we can do this successfully and fill the house, the film will rock the
audience, and in the aftermath, they will now understand why people advocate
for animal rights, why they protest, and in many cases they will get
involved themselves. So PK is like a gateway into activism, but it is a
gateway we can get many more people to enter if we focus on the film and
storytelling aspects versus the issues aspects.

So here are the guidelines we'd request:

To be successful, we will need to have outreach around the film done
completely outside the context of any traditional AR protests or outreach.
Think of it as "mainstream undercover." Ideally, the people doing this work
will be focusing on this and not doing other AR activities concurrently.

Those doing PK outreach might best view themselves as concerned citizens
inviting others to an award winning and life-changing film about people
struggling to face the truth and follow their conscience.

The following points have worked well for our team when speaking with the
public:

--Dr. Jane Goodall called the film "a masterpiece."

--The film has been selected by 15 film festivals and recently won a
festival award for "enriching the human spirit through film.

--The film premiered at Lincoln Center and received a standing ovation.

--Premieres on both coasts have been hosted by Alicia Silverstone, James
Cromwell, Billy Baldwin, and Chynna Phillips.

--It is about people who grew up on multi-generational farms who had a
change of heart about animal agriculture due to their interactions with the
animals they cared for.

--It is also about a farm animal sanctuary and a young couple who rescue
farm animals in need.

--It is a transformational film that is sparking public dialogue about
factory farming and the treatment of animals

--The film inspired John Burton, the President of the California Senate, to
commission a landmark report on the impact of factory farming on California.
He called the film "life changing."

FAQ 

If people ask if the film has graphic footage, tell them that it does have
some powerful scenes, but they are presented in the context of
very hopeful stories of people changing their lives and making a difference.
Post screening surveys show that most audience members at festivals say the
film was inspiring and they were glad they saw it.

If people ask if it is a sad movie, tell them that it is both sad and happy.
It takes the audience on a journey of transformation.

If people ask questions you don't know the answer to, just have them call
the producer's direct cell as listed on the flyer. 607-592-1963. Also, if
anyone doing outreach has questions themselves, please call. It might be
good for people doing the outreach work to have a copy of this email, esp.
the specific talking points and the festival audience feedback below.

We are really grateful for your help. You will be making such a difference.
Just give me call after you've read this and we can discuss the details.

Warm wishes,

James LaVeck
Producer

PS For inspiration, here is some of the feedback we got at the Wild and
Scenic Film Festival in Nevada City California  a couple of weeks ago.

>From comment cards...

Animals have always held a special place in my heart.  Thank you for helping
them!  Everyone must see this!
-----
This is the most powerful film I¹ve seen and I am so grateful that it got
created. Thank you!  I hope that it continues to be shown all over the
world. I feel blessed that I got an opportunity to see it.  I thought there
was an exquisite balance between the reality of the horrors and the joy of
possibility and social change. This film has the ability to ignite the heart
into action.  It is not so aggressive because there is the hope, watching
them care and save.  This film is about waking people up.  Again thank you.
-----
Outstanding! Don¹t change a thing.  The film speaks to environmentalists
because it speaks to the heart.
-----
Thank you for a powerful presentation of such an important issue.  Frankly,
as someone who grew up on a family farm in Kansas and who has read John
Robbins and others on this issue, I already was aware of these issues.  And
yet, it is easy to let that knowledge drift below consciousness.  Thank you
for re-awakening me and so many others.
-----
The film is well done‹I only wish everyone could see this.
-----
Incredible film.
-----
So hard to watch the grim parts, so important to see the contrast with the
rescued animals. Everyone should see this.
-----
I guess I knew all this was happening, but it¹s so hard to see.  We don¹t
eat meat, but I¹m thinking we can do better.  I work at a wild animal
sanctuary and we educate the public about wild animals, and I do
environmental work all the time, but obviously I can do more.  Thank you for
your work.
-----
Wonderful film. Thank you.  Please continue this powerful and important
work.
-----
Heart breakingŠthank you for your courage in making this film and teaching
people about the truth and compassion we so deeply need.  I will no longer
be eating meat.
-----
The whole room was quiet when the young man is in tears when describing the
cow pressing into his heart.
-----
We need to stop financially supporting corporations that cruelly prey on
animals.  Excellent film! Powerful!
-----
The awareness it brings in overwhelming.  My mom¹s family are farmers in
Minnesota and I imagine her experiencing what the people from farm families.
It put me at a loss but I will change the way I live and share it with my
family.  Show the young people!!!
-----
I salute your courage to be able to film and present such horrendous
atrocities to the public. This film needs to be widely seen.
-----
I can¹t keep denying what my impact is in my eating choices.
-----
Thank you so much for sharing this film and your words.  I appreciate all
you doŠ
-----
Beautifully done and edited.  Poetic and colorful despite the despairing
content.
-----
Your presence was a wonderful addition and follow-up to the film.  I didn¹t
feel manipulated by the film, which I expected.  Not sensationalized, just
real and honest. I like how you admitted your agenda in the beginning.
-----
As I watched this film I was deeply touched and I could not help think what
is happening with the Tsunami and the Iraq war.  How humans have treated
each other and the Earth with disconnect and fear (hate).  Thank you for
this film.
-----
Wonderful!  ³You shall know the truth, and the truth shall set you free.² Or
³all have sinned and fallen short of the Glory of God.² And ³Christ died for
sinners.²  Until we affirm life, we will live in the culture of death.
-----  
Well‹you¹ve given me the impetus to begin a new journey.  How can I go home
and eat that leftover chicken curry?!
-----

-- 
Tribe of Heart, Ltd.
http://www.tribeofheart.org
"Serving People and Projects
that Awaken the Harmony, Wisdom and Joy
that Dwell in All Beings."

>>

Thanks,

Eric Waters
Utah Animal Rights Coalition