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Dear Activist Friends,
The Battle in Seattle film starring Charlize Theron, Woody Harrelson, Ray Liota and 50,000 Seattle WTO protest activists will open in select cities September 19. Ohio cities are not on the list…..yet!
Here's the deal: Corporate America does not want the real story of the outrage of corporate globalization, the WTO or how motivated activists won against impossible odds to tell their story. The Hollywood studios loved the script - written by actor Stuart Towsend after three years of research - but refused to make the film even as they complimented the script as entertaining and compelling. Townsend persevered. Six years in the making, once complete the movie got rave reviews at film festivals, but there were no distribution offers from major film companies.
As Stuart noted in a recent interview: "None of the corporations wanted to buy. It's a movie with stars. It's a movie they normally would buy in a heartbeat. Not to get too conspiratorial, but it hasn't been an easy ride making a movie like this."
So ultimately, Townsend decided to distribute the film independently.
Here's how independent distribution works: if lots of people buy tickets during film's first two-week limited release starting September 19, the film will get national distribution and so will our story of citizens' speaking truth to power - and winning! If not, it goes right to DVD - not good. Now, by hitting the seats - and building demand for getting the film's initial limited release in more cities - we can create the Seattle Surprise II - national screening of the most subtly subversive full-feature film you'll even see packed with major stars and ready to turn on a new generation.
It is easy to get this film to come to our Ohio cities. Stuart has set up this system on the film's website (www.battleinseattlemovie.com ) that allows anyone to 'DEMAND IT' to come to their city. If 200 people sign up on the Demand It Widget, the film gets sent there during the opening weeks! This seems like a very worthwhile effort to get this story out!
As Stuart notes in a forthcoming PC magazine article: "The Seattle protests captured many of the most important and ongoing issues of our time. But it was also an event that had largely been forgotten. I felt that making a fictional movie with well-known actors might be able to give people a different way to connect and learn about one of the proudest moments in American history," Townsend said. "The wonderfully diverse Seattle coalition had its hands on the pulse of what was going wrong in this world - the corporatization of our world. And you showed something could be done to fight it."
Can you send the word out on your email lists for folks to use the website DEMAND IT function to get a screening? (Note: Screenings of the movie are being held at both party conventions this year.)
Karen Hansen
Ohio Conference on Fair Trade
614.280.3631
PS. You can also see a trailer on the website. "Battle in Seattle" will be released in New York, San Francisco and Seattle beginning Sept. 19 and in Washington, Boston, Los Angeles, Chicago, Minneapolis, Detroit and Sacramento on Sept. 26, so please let anyone you know in those cities!
Battle in Seattle
The Battle in Seattle film starring Charlize Theron, Woody Harrelson, Ray Liota and 50,000 Seattle WTO protest activists will open in select cities September 19. Ohio cities are not on the list…..yet!
Here's the deal: Corporate America does not want the real story of the outrage of corporate globalization, the WTO or how motivated activists won against impossible odds to tell their story. The Hollywood studios loved the script - written by actor Stuart Towsend after three years of research - but refused to make the film even as they complimented the script as entertaining and compelling. Townsend persevered. Six years in the making, once complete the movie got rave reviews at film festivals, but there were no distribution offers from major film companies.
As Stuart noted in a recent interview: "None of the corporations wanted to buy. It's a movie with stars. It's a movie they normally would buy in a heartbeat. Not to get too conspiratorial, but it hasn't been an easy ride making a movie like this."
So ultimately, Townsend decided to distribute the film independently.
Here's how independent distribution works: if lots of people buy tickets during film's first two-week limited release starting September 19, the film will get national distribution and so will our story of citizens' speaking truth to power - and winning! If not, it goes right to DVD - not good. Now, by hitting the seats - and building demand for getting the film's initial limited release in more cities - we can create the Seattle Surprise II - national screening of the most subtly subversive full-feature film you'll even see packed with major stars and ready to turn on a new generation.
It is easy to get this film to come to our Ohio cities. Stuart has set up this system on the film's website (www.battleinseattlemovie.com ) that allows anyone to 'DEMAND IT' to come to their city. If 200 people sign up on the Demand It Widget, the film gets sent there during the opening weeks! This seems like a very worthwhile effort to get this story out!
As Stuart notes in a forthcoming PC magazine article: "The Seattle protests captured many of the most important and ongoing issues of our time. But it was also an event that had largely been forgotten. I felt that making a fictional movie with well-known actors might be able to give people a different way to connect and learn about one of the proudest moments in American history," Townsend said. "The wonderfully diverse Seattle coalition had its hands on the pulse of what was going wrong in this world - the corporatization of our world. And you showed something could be done to fight it."
Can you send the word out on your email lists for folks to use the website DEMAND IT function to get a screening? (Note: Screenings of the movie are being held at both party conventions this year.)
Karen Hansen
Ohio Conference on Fair Trade
614.280.3631
PS. You can also see a trailer on the website. "Battle in Seattle" will be released in New York, San Francisco and Seattle beginning Sept. 19 and in Washington, Boston, Los Angeles, Chicago, Minneapolis, Detroit and Sacramento on Sept. 26, so please let anyone you know in those cities!
Battle in Seattle