Americans Unite in 450 Theatres, Support Women in Fight against Global Poverty

We are so thankful and humbled by the tens of thousands who attended A POWERFUL NOISE Live last Thursday night and continue to send messages about it. It was a magical night!

People across America, linked by a satellite feed and a desire to end global poverty, flocked to their local cinemas Thursday, and connected with a movement to empower the world’s poorest women and girls.

The evening featured a one-time showing of our documentary A Powerful Noise, followed by a town hall discussion simulcast live from New York City into 450 participating theatres. A POWERFUL NOISE Live was presented by philanthropist Sheila C. Johnson with the international poverty-fighting organization CARE and National CineMedia’s (NCM) Fathom, in partnership with ONE and the UN Commission on the Status of Women. The event was among the largest ever staged in America to honor International Women’s Day. Our goal: expose how women and girls can turn the tide against global poverty.

Ms. Johnson, the film’s executive producer, set the stage from New York’s Kaye Playhouse at Hunter College, expressing her hope that, in the glow of big screens, the world would grow smaller. “It’s so easy to set the problem of poverty aside,” said Ms. Johnson, an entrepreneur and CARE global ambassador. “We can tell ourselves that the problem is too big or that one person cannot make a difference. But after watching ‘A Powerful Noise,’ these excuses don’t work. Because you see what one person can do.”

Moviegoers were then transported into the lives of a girls’ education crusader from Mali, an HIV-positive widow from Vietnam and a peacemaking survivor of the war in Bosnia. After the credits rolled, big screens from Savannah to Seattle came to life with an inspiring discussion – moderated by Today show anchor Ann Curry -- on how to unleash the potential in women all over the developing world. The panelists were former U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine K. Albright; author and CARE maternal health advocate Christy Turlington Burns; Pulitzer Prize winning journalist, author and New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof; actress and activist Natalie Portman; and CARE president and CEO Dr. Helene Gayle.

Dr. Gayle told audiences around the country that while we can’t wipe out global poverty overnight, women and girls offer hope for long-term solutions. She urged those watching to join CARE and other humanitarian organizations working to empower women both economically and politically. “The countries that have the highest percentage of women in their legislatures,” she said, “have the greatest social advancement.”

Mr. Kristof said investing in women is critical during the economic crisis because they tend to pump what they have back into their families. “At desperate times,” he said, “it becomes particularly important to use your resources effectively.”

Ms. Portman marveled at the success of microloan projects that allow women to start small business around the world. And she lauded innovative aid programs that don’t give families fuel rations, for instance, unless they send their daughters to school. Dr. Gayle cited CARE’s use of a similar strategy in Guatemala, where mothers who send their daughters to school qualify for loans.

Dr. Albright stressed the important role the U.S. government plays, calling America the world’s “indispensible nation.” And Ms. Turlington Burns urged Americans to write lawmakers or knock on their legislator’s door during CARE’s national conference May 5-6 in Washington, D.C. Do it for the world’s poor, she said, who often face discrimination and oppression in their own countries. “They don’t have the access we do.”

Our hope is that the conversation ignited by A POWERFUL NOISE Live gains momentum within community associations and university clubs, faith groups and families.

That’s why Ms. Johnson ended the night with a challenge. Don’t let poverty just happen, she said. Engage in the movement to help women and girls strike at its roots. “Our leaders are only half the equation,” she said. “We need you!”

Join our movement by visiting www.apowerfulnoise.org or www.care.org.

Women Unite To Make A Powerful Noise

What if for one night you could make a difference by going to the movie theater? Now you can by seeing the break out film, “A Powerful Noise" this Thursday, March 5. Just by purchasing a ticket, you can galvanize a movement to eradicate global poverty and reverse centuries of injustice for women everywhere.

Join Natalie Portman, Madeleine Albright, Nicholas Kristof, Christy Turlington-Burns, and Dr. Helene Gayle of CARE this Thursday, March 5th, for A POWERFUL NOISE Live, an unprecedented ONE-NIGHT ONLY EVENT. In 450 movie theaters nationwide, these experts and advocates for empowering women will participate in a live town hall simulcast following the screening of the film.

“A Powerful Noise" takes a provocative look at three women from different countries who overcome seemingly insurmountable odds to bring great change to their society. If our sold out festival screenings are any indication, you will leave the theater inspired and determined to join forces with these women to make a lasting difference.

Filming with these women for three months truly changed my life and taught me the real meaning of courage, strength, and perseverance. Now I want them to change your life forever. Please support these women this Thursday night!

A POWERFUL NOISE Live begins at 7:30pmET/6:30pmCT/5:30pmMT/8:00pmPT (tape delayed). Come support this important film and the incredible movement it’s igniting - the movement to empower women and girls to fight global poverty! Click here to find a theater near you and buy tickets now.

Producer Scott Thigpen chats with CNN.com about A Powerful Noise in theatres March 5

A POWERFUL NOISE in theatres nationwide March 5, 2009

“A Powerful Noise” is much more than just a film. It is a catalyst for change and a compelling reminder that the solution to global poverty and injustice lies in the ability of women and girls to have a voice in their societies. This is why Tom and I made “A Powerful Noise” and we are extremely pleased that it is helping ignite such an important movement.

Now is your chance to join us in recognizing the millions of powerful women like Hanh, Nada and Jacqueline who lead daily battles to improve their communities. On Thursday, March 5, 2009, in honor of International Women’s Day, please encourage every woman – and man! – you know to attend A POWERFUL NOISE Live in movie theatres across the United States. This special one-night event will feature our documentary, “A Powerful Noise,” followed by a town hall discussion with leading experts and celebrity activists simulcast live from New York to 440 movie theatres nationwide.

“A POWERFUL NOISE Live is more than a night out at the movies, it’s a movement coming of age,” says Dr. Helene Gayle, president and CEO of the global poverty-fighting organization CARE. “You’ll be entertained but more importantly, when the lights go on, you’ll be energized with a better understanding of what you can do to empower women and girls around the world.”

A POWERFUL NOISE Live is presented by CARE, ONE and NCM Fathom during the U.N. Commission on the Status of Women. Tickets go on sale January 30th. Click here for participating theatres and ticket information. Join your voice with thousands of others at this event and together our message that women are the solution will be heard loud and far.

Equality for All: The Importance of Women's Commissions

I recently had the pleasure of sitting down and talking with Bonnie Coffey, the President of NACW, National Associations of Commissions for Women. In 1961, President Kennedy commissioned a study on the status of women headed by Eleanor Roosevelt. The result is a network of 220 state commissions that work as advocates for equality and justice for women and serve their local communities in a myriad of ways. As president, Bonnie focuses on providing the resources necessary to allow women's commissions to thrive.

I became aware of the power of women's commissions this June at our Silverdocs screening. Both the Washington D.C. and Montgomery County commissions came out in droves to support the film screening. Their enthusiasm for the film and the film's message is empowering to us as filmmakers and is the type of solidarity we continue to build amongst women in this country for the eradication of global poverty. Now we have another great partner to support our efforts as we role the film out at festivals across the country and to theaters nationwide this spring.

It has been great to learn more about what the commissions do. Bonnie told me that they battle legislatures who believe the commissions are past their prime, but her counter argument is that without commissions there are a lack of advocates for the underrepresented. In New Mexico, they are working with young women to film stories of the struggles girls face around the state. In Montgomery County, the commissions provide vital counseling services. It is this type of activism that shows the health and economic needs for women and girls in this country.

Bonnie truly feels that women's voices are vital to family and children in the communities. By empowering women, the commissions make sure that equal pay, healthcare, education, and childcare issues are brought to the legislative table. Without commissions in communities around the country, government tends to forget about the necessity for these basic family needs. In this country, women make up 51% of the population, yet they are underrepresentated in leadership roles in private sector jobs and government. Around the world, women work two-thirds of the world's working hours, yet earn only 10% of the income. This is a key message in the film. There is an inequality when it comes to women, but it is women who tend to be the protector and fighter for families and communities.

Bonnie really made an impression on me in her determination to fight for women around this country. We connected in our desire to strengthen the common bond among women to help a world in need. At the end of the conversation, Bonnie told me that you really "judge the success of a nation by how it treats women and the underprivileged." As filmmakers we took a similar stand that it will be the solidarity and strength of women around the world that ensures the underpriveleged are taken care of and global poverty eradicated. Bonnie seconded that notion at the end when she told me, "Women cry when they hear of injustice because the value of women is not where it needs to be. We are woven from a common cloth and hold up half the sky." I could not agree more.

Los Angeles Premiere Excitement

Audience response has been encouraging to our message about empowering women and how that is working to eradicate global poverty . To continue the momentum, we are very proud to be a part of the 5th Annual Artivist Film Festival in Los Angeles. It will be our biggest venue to date--the 650 seat Egyptian Theater in Hollywood. We will be screening on Friday, October 3 at 7 PM so we hope for the women of Southern California to come out in solidarity and support the women featured in the film.

It is exciting to be a part of a festival that has the same goals we had in making the film. All along we felt that we could make a cinematic, visually-engaging film that influences the global consciousness about providing basic human rights for marginalized women and girls around the world. Being accepted into Artivist reinforces the fact that we are meeting our goals.

I would be remiss if I did not mention our other upcoming screenings. On September 18th and 20th, we will be screening in the Orlando area at the Global Peace Film Festival. Another great festival promoting social issue films, and most importantly, getting audiences in a discussion on how to make a difference in their world. And we continue getting festival acceptances this fall, including Hawaii, St. Louis, and Mexico. We will update the blog with screening times as soon as we have confirmation on dates.

Please take a moment to sign-up for updates from A Powerful Noise. We can notify you as film festivals accept us to screen in your area. Additionally, we are getting closer to finalizing plans for theatrical events and house parties and we are going to need your support. So get involved now!

Student Success

It was a great honor for me to have the opportunity to screen our film at my alma mater, Florida State University. The film was projected at the new Student Life Center and I have to say I was jealous to see the state of the art digital theater the students can take advantage of now. Wow! The film looked and sounded fantastic.

This was the first time to screen the film with a predominantly younger audience, and I felt it had the same energy as previous screenings. After the film we had a panel of myself, Terry Coonan, who is the Director of The Center for Advancement of Human Rights, and Robin Goodman, Professor of English, who specializes in feminist literature.

There seemed a real genuine interest to engage with our panel, and we did have some provocative discussion. The students wanted to understand more about who supports and what drives these women to be so selfless in their endeavors. Then we addressed whether it was successful that girls in Mali would gain assistance, but then end up back in the arms of domestic servitude. I pointed out that some of these girls do not go back to the system, like Kadia who becomes a seamstress apprentice by film's end. Many girls are like Kadia who get training in a skill to get out of the system. And if they do stay in the system, Madame Urbain from Mali says at graduation that these girls will make sure their kids go to school. And that is the important and meaningful change that empowered women bring. A system will not change overnight, but incremental change is quite powerful.

Terry Coonan was an amazing champion for the film. He said this film was quite honest in how it portrayed what he sees out in the field, and that women truly are the catalysts for change in their communities. Most importantly, he was impressed on how the film brought emotion to the concept of women's empowerment. Check back soon for Terry's complete review of the film on our blog!

All in all it was a success. Terry was very interested in using the film in the classroom and was excited to hear we already had a college-level curriculum built. And students were excited to talk to me afterwards both about the filmmaking and the issues presented in the film. It was a great thrill to return with a successful feature and I was happy to see that the film made a big impression on younger viewers.