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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Wellington Love, tel: 646-486-1548
wellingtonlove@15minutespr.com

stream + click = action

The 1st Annual Media That Matters Online Film Festival Launches June 15, 2001

May 29, 2001 - The 1st Annual Media That Matters Online Film Festival launches June 15, 2001 at www.mediarights.org/festival. Presented by MediaRights.org, the New York-based community Web site for social-issue documentaries, the Media That Matters Online Film Festival (MTMOFF) introduces an interactive format which simultaneously streams films and gives viewers an opportunity to get involved in the issues presented. Co-presented by the Human Rights Watch International Film Festival (HRWIFF), the MTMOFF will feature 12 short films and PSAs made by filmmakers and media activists from the United States. Following the June 15th launch, the films and videos in the MTMOFF will be streamed online, with the support of ReelPlay.com, until July 2002. The films will also be accessible to the public during this year's HRWIFF, June 15-28, 2001, on computers installed in the Frieda and Roy Furman Gallery at the Walter Reade Theater at Lincoln Center (70 Lincoln Center Plaza, New York City). FreeSpeechTV will present a special one-month broadcast of the entire festival program on Dish Network's Channel 9415, beginning June 18, 2001.

Marking the one-year anniversary of MediaRights.org, the inaugural MTMOFF will present a diverse selection of 12 short films, which exemplify contemporary media about American society, culture, and politics. The films and videos address such timely topics as Lou Gehrig's disease, racism, anorexia, body image, artistic censorship, occupational health hazards, and teen suicide. Selected by a jury of 10 media professionals and activists, these social-issue works have been produced by award-winning independent filmmakers and organizations, including Hope Hall, Zach Web, In The Life, and In the Mix. Varying in length from 30 seconds to 10 minutes, the films range in style and format from the experimental visual essay to the conventional television news segment. With just a few clicks, viewers can screen the films in the festival program from any internet-capable computer with a 56K connection or faster. (Please see attached list of films.)

Festival Coordinator, Jessica Hirsch says, "We wanted to create something more dynamic than the traditional online film festival with the passive viewer. We have designed what we call 'stream, click, action,' a multi-functional interface that allows viewers to simultaneously watch films and take action on the issues that move them."

The MTMOFF celebrates films which are a mix of creative excellence and inspiring stories about people trying to change their lives and the world around them. The innovative combination of film programming and interactive internet technology enables audience members to react to, and act on the content presented in the films. Audience members can make contributions to non-profit organizations; read detailed background information about a particular issue; or write to their representatives in Congress. Viewers can also access the other 1,500 titles in the MediaRights.org collection of social-issue documentaries.

The MTMOFF is a program of MediaRights.org. The staff of MediaRights.org includes Jenny Baum, Web Site Manager; Nicole Betancourt, Creative Director; Katy Chevigny, Co-Founder; Jessica Hirsch, Festival Coordinator; Julia Pimsleur, Co-Founder/Executive Director; and Marc Antony Vose, Technical Lead. MediaRights.org was launched with the initial funding from the Ford Foundation and Open Society Institute. Festival sponsors include Angel Sponsor AOL Time Warner, Friend Sponsor Daffy's, and individual contributors. Festival partners include the SpeakOut.com, ReelPlay.com, AIVF, and the Benton Foundation.

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For more information about the 1st Annual Media That Matters Online Film Festival, contact Wellington Love at 15minutes, 646-486-1548 or wellingtonlove@15minutespr.com. For more information about the Human Rights Watch International Film Festival, contact Susan Norget, 212-477-3194 or norget@rcn.com.

Read film descriptions here.
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