MARCH 10, 2009 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:
Caroline Carver
Director, Media & PR
(760) 583-1042
caroline.carver@philanthroproductions.org

PHILANTHRO PRODUCTIONS AND INVISIBLE CHILDREN CREATE LONG TERM, ACTIONABLE ENGAGEMENT WITH LA’S YOUNG ADULTS

Screening and After Party Drive Home Invisible Children’s Message and Kick-off its Global Awareness Campaign

LOS ANGELES, CA (March 10, 2009) – Philanthro Productions, a non-profit that creates unique opportunities for young adults to engage in charitable giving, hosted a benefit film screening and after party for its latest non-profit partner, Invisible Children. Invisible Children is a global, social and political movement that uses the transformative power of narrative film to change the lives of people in both the war-affected region of northern Uganda and here in the United States. Philanthro’s event Reveal – held on Friday, February 20, at Cinespace in Hollywood, CA – served as the Los Angeles premiere of Invisible Children’s latest documentary “The Rescue: of Joseph Kony’s Child Soldiers.” One hundred percent of cover charge was donated to Invisible Children’s campaign to raise awareness about the plight of child soldiers in Uganda.

“One of the reasons we chose Invisible Children as a non-profit partner was because of their creative approach to exposing a complex problem. We believe they have the power to inspire our generation to take action,” said Anneke Jong, 24, co-president of Philanthro Productions. “Our goal was to leave patrons emotionally charged and motivated to take part in solving this crisis.”

“Reveal was one of the best film showcase events we’ve been a part of to date,” said Bobby Bailey, co-founder of Invisible Children. “We are impressed with Philanthro's ability to create an environment of positive exposure, and thank them for executing a great event that will have lasting effects. We are looking to partner with each other again in the near future.”

Lining the aisles of the screening room, patrons watched the film and listened intently to the founders of Invisible Children describe their story and cause. After the film, the momentum continued as attendees pledged donations to Invisible Children’s TRI campaign, signed up for “The Rescue” event in April and purchased DVDs of their documentary. Stars of Friday the 13th, Derek Mears, Aaron Yoo and Danielle Panabaker, as well as Private Practice’s Chris Lowell, attended the event to lend their full support. Photos from Reveal can be found in Philanthro Productions’ albums.

After a highly engaging night with 500 patrons in attendance, Philanthro Productions donated over $5,000 to Invisible Children, achieving an impressive giving rate of 91% of event proceeds. To date, Philanthro Productions has raised over $98,000 for its non-profit partners.

To continue to spread Invisible Children’s message, Philanthro Productions is coordinating a LA team for “The Rescue,” an event that will engage 100 cities in 9 countries around the world. On April 25, people will “abduct” themselves from their daily life to raise awareness and demand action on behalf of the child soldiers abducted by rebel leader Joseph Kony.

About Philanthro Productions (www.philanthroproductions.org):
Philanthro Productions is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization whose mission is to get more young adults involved in charity by hosting first-rate events in partnership with leading non-profits. Philanthro’s goal is to eliminate the trade-off for young adults between going out with friends and giving back by creating unique opportunities for charitable giving where there were none before. Less than two years after inception, Philanthro Productions has opened chapters in Los Angeles, San Francisco and San Diego, which together have raised nearly $100,000 for partner charities.

About Invisible Children (www.invisiblechildren.com):
Established in 2005, Invisible Children is a social, political, and global movement using the transformative power of film narrative to change lives. By inspiring youth culture to value creativity, idealism, and sacrifice, the movement fuels the some of the most effective, adaptable, and innovative programs in the non-profit world. Invisible Children, Inc. was formed after the release of the film "Invisible Children: Rough Cut", which documents a war in northern Uganda in which children are abducted by a rebel army and forced to fight as child soldiers. Currently, Invisible Children is putting 740 kids through school and employs more than 250 men and women living in this war-torn region, with plans to see that number grow. The organization is also rebuilding 11 war-affected schools. Programs on the ground were developed by the people of northern Uganda and seek to improve the quality of life for individuals through quality education, enhanced learning environments and innovative economic opportunities.