LOS ANGELES, CA: Explore, a philanthropic multimedia production organization, premieres two of their documentary short films at the 19th Annual New Orleans Film Festival Saturday, October 11 at 6 p.m. at Prytania Theater and Tuesday, October 14 at 3:30 p.m. at Contemporary Arts Center. Orca Guardians (10 mins) follows philanthropist and filmmaker Charles Annenberg Weingarten and the Explore team as they set out on a fact-finding mission in the Pacific Northwest to research endangered orca whales. Through his interviews with local scientists and breathtaking images of orcas in their natural habitat, Charles seeks to create a greater awareness of these majestic creatures and the lessons they provide.
In Spiritual India: River of Compassion, (28 mins) under the inspirational guidance of Swami Chidanand Saraswati and his beloved Ganges River, a journey through India examines the spiritual nature of philanthropy and illustrates ways in which to better practice the art of compassionate giving.
Explore opens the door to a world most people never get to see – one that has been neglected by mainstream media. Explore is a signature project of the Annenberg Foundation through which documentaries, short films, and photographs are created. Through fact-finding missions to identify potential grant recipients, members of the Explore team see first-hand where and how possible financial support might be used. Viewers meet the people affected by positive change catalyzed by philanthropy, and just as importantly, the leaders creating it.
For more information on the 19th New Orleans Film Festival and to purchase tickets, visit http://www.neworleansfilmfest.com/.
More About Explore
Grounded in the cornerstone of the Annenberg Foundation’s mission – to advance the public well-being through improved communication – Explore uses the power of images, music, dialog and written word to connect extraordinary people, ideas, communities and cultures. Among Explore’s founding principles are “Share What You Know” and “Never Stop Learning.” These concepts have guided the team to places where suffering is met with compassion and where the human spirit is kept alive by people who have dedicated their lives to humanity.
To date, Explore has conducted philanthropic fact-finding missions to Tanzania, Ethiopia, Ghana, Sudan, Darfur, Rwanda, China, Tibet, India, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Israel, The Vatican, The Arctic, Greenland, Costa Rica, Canada and many U.S. Cities.
Since 2005, Explore has generated more than 150 documentary shorts and films and contributed millions of dollars to those-in-need. For more information on Explore, visit http://www.explore.org. For more information on the Annenberg Foundation, visit http://www.annenbergfoundation.org/.
