Age of Stupid, Great film, global premiere, September 21st I thoroughly recommend it.

[Rachel Gillett]

Hi Friends, colleagues, singers, Romans, Parisians and countrymen in Europe and America,

Many of you have heard me discuss my sister's documentary in the past seven years. It is DONE, it has RAVE reviews, and you can see it at a cinema near you on Sept 21st! The American details follow, and the website has links to the European showings.

Global Premiere: America

Brought to you by Fathom Events,  The Age of Stupid will launch in America on September 21st 2009 from a solar-powered cinema tent in New York LIVE to 115,000 people in 400 movie theatres right across the country. This One Night Only live event is your only chance to see The Age of Stupid on the big screen and is timed for the day before the UN's climate meeting on September 22nd, when 80 Heads of State - and therefore the world's media - will gather in New York. (The event has also just been confirmed as being an official part of UN Climate Week.)

As an INclusive, rather than EXclusive event, everyone is invited to go to their local theatre to watch the VIPs arrive in Manhattan by boat, bike, rickshaw, chipfat car or skateboard, before braving the paparazzi on the green carpet. Following the first US screening of The Age of Stupid, there will be a further 40 minute live event featuring Kofi Annan, Gillian Anderson, Mary Robinson, the film's director Franny Armstrong, the star of the film Pete Postlethwaite, and other leading thinkers, celebrities and political figures from around the world.  Audiences will hear from scientists working in the Himalayas and Indonesian rain forest via live satellite link and from a group of children speaking from the very room in Copenhagen in which all our futures will be decided at the UN climate summit in December. Radiohead's Thom Yorke will wrap up the evening with a short acoustic performance.

The timings are:  7:30 PM ET/  6:30 PM CT /  5:30 PM MT /  tape delayed 8PM PT. 

For a taste of what to expect, have a look at the UK launch in March 2009, which produced just 1% of the emissions of a standard Hollywood event and which broke the Guinness World Record for biggest simultaneous premiere.

Tickets now on sale - and list of participating theatres - here: http://www.ageofstupid.net/usa

Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=122440801800

Rachel here again, I personally think the film is wonderful - a gripping narrative, and wonderful personal stories, exciting and true. Interesting animations for you techies. Please go along, bring family, friends, etc to the nearest local cinema and support it.

Below are other things you can do to help. THANKS for reading this, and I hope to 'join' you via satellite on the 21st.

Best, Rachel Gillett (proud sister)

How you can help (even if you're not in US)

We have a grand total of zero dollars for advertising, so please, please help however you can: 

1. Buy tickets to your local cinema for you, your mum, your boyfriend, your boyfriend's hairdresser and all their friends

2. Put together an outing for your school/sports team/church - make an evening of it by arranging a meal before or after the event (after may be better, as you'll all hopefully be inspired to start discussing how you can get involved in climate actions in your area) 

3. Email the attached e-flyer to all your American friends, asking them to pass it on. The paragraph above (under "Global Premiere: America) is a good basic intro you could send your pals if they don't want all this chitchat (but why wouldn't they?!?)

4. Send the info round on any mailing list you are part of

5. Go onto the US listing page (http://www.ageofstupid.net/usa), look through the locations and then send the details direct to your friends in whichever town/city they're in. There's an easy widget on each individual theatre's page, which lets you send the details without faffing around with emails. 

6. Go mad on Facebook

7. Go mad on Twitter

8. Rate/review the film (if you've seen it) on the Fandango website (the US ticket sellers). Seeing loads of enthusiastic reviews makes a really big difference to people who are undecided as to whether or not to go

9. Go along to any climate/enviro/activist meetings happening in your area and do a quick one minute talk about the Stupid launch

10.  If you are in the US and able to hand out flyers / put up posters in your nearest theatre, please email a...@ageofstupid.net for instructions

--
'The responsibility of a true University is to be the conscience and critic of society'

Rachel Gillett,
Doctoral Candidate, Department of History,
Northeastern University,
Boston, MA 02115.