LOHAS

2nd Inspiration Film Festival Kicks Off with First Public Performance of 'Peaceful Warrior' Starring Nick Nolte and Amy Smart

April 20, 2006

(Santa Monica, Calif.) – The Inspiration Film Festival (IFF) will kick off this year with the first public performance of “Peaceful Warrior,” the new film based on Dan Millman’s bestselling semi-autobiographical novel starring Nick Nolte, Scott Mechlowicz and Amy Smart. The festival, now in its second year, is being held April 28-30, 2006, at the Laemmle Monica Four-Plex in Santa Monica, California. It will highlight the best in inspirational narrative features, full-length documentaries, narrative shorts and animated works chosen from over 1,500 submissions.

“Peaceful Warrior,” a moving tale about the power of human spirit, centers on Millman (Scott Mechlowicz), a gifted young athlete bound for Olympic gold. But his world is turned upside down when he meets “Socrates” (Nick Nolte), a mysterious stranger in a gas station who holds the power to tap into new worlds of strength and understanding. The young man discovers that he has much to learn … and even more to leave behind.

“We’re thrilled to be opening this year’s event with the first public performance of ‘Peaceful Warrior,'” said John Raatz, principal of Awakened Media, co-presenter of the festival. “Millions of readers around the world had their lives changed by Dan Millman’s book, and we’re honored to be presenting this beautiful and powerful film for the first time. More and more, people are craving films that inspire, uplift our spirit, and point to the highest possibilities for our lives. We’re committed to presenting the best talent, vision and filmmakers in the country who are filling this yearning with their work.”

Critical buzz is already building around several other films slated for this year’s line up:

“Into Great Silence,” directed by Philip GrÃ¶ening, is the first film about life inside the Grande Chartreuse – the mother house of the legendary Carthusian Order located in the French Alps. Marked by repetition, silence and contemplation, this austere film is a next to silent meditation of one year inside the walls of this epic monastery. Into Great Silence world premiered in Venice and has picked up multiple awards most notably at Sundance 2006 and the Bavarian Film Critics Association.

“Offside,” directed by Buket Alakus, brings us the triumphant story of twenty-year-old Hayat (Karoline Herfurth) in her challenge to keep her passions alive while fighting breast cancer. Soccer is Hayat’s greatest love and she is one of the best pro-players on her team. Her professional career comes to an end after she loses a breast to cancer and is forced to stop playing. She tries to pick up where she left off by joining a new team and even finding love, all the while learning to accept her new “offside” position. The IFF screening marks the West Coast debut of the film.

Cash prizes will be awarded to the best feature film, documentary and short films, with winners receiving $15,000, $5,000 and $5,000, respectively. Winners will also receive the GAIA award, a statuette designed and produced specifically for the festival. Last year’s winners included the highly successful documentary “The Real Dirt on Farmer John,” which won the Gaia Documentary Award and “Illusion,” which won the Gaia Feature Film Award. Both of these films were picked up for national distribution and will be in theaters in spring 2006.

The presenting sponsor of this year’s festival will once again be Gaiam, the lifestyle media company that caters to people who value personal development, natural health and inspirational entertainment. The event will run in conjunction with the LOHAS 10 (Lifestyles of Health and Sustainability) Forum. LOHAS 10 is a three-day business conference bringing together businesses concerned with promoting environmentally sound, healthy business practices and consumer purchasing choices.

About The Inspiration Film Festival:

Now in its second year, the Inspiration Film Festival is presented by Conscious Media and Awakened Media, and takes place in Santa Monica, California April 28-30, 2006. An Inspiration Film is a movie that inspires us to expand our awareness and pursue positive change in our lives. An Inspiration Film makes us feel more hopeful, more thankful, more connected, more passionate, and better about life in general. We identify with an Inspiration Film’s characters on a deep, emotional level, and are motivated by their stories to pursue positive change in our own lives. An Inspiration film honors the belief that simple choices can change the world and inspire us to make a difference.