The Awareness Film Festival Los Angeles 2010: Not your Cannes

LOS ANGELES, May 18 /PRNewswire/ — Changing the world. While all the glitz and glamour is happening in the South of France for the Cannes Film Festival, in Los Angeles a small film festival is setting out to have four days full of meaningful feature films and eye-opening documentaries: minus the yachts, starlets and fanfare. The stars of The Awareness Festival are the stories of strength and courage, revealing tales of corporate greed and our shrinking resources, consequences of today’s technology and trials of the body, mind and soul.

The Awareness Festival, focusing on films that make a statement, is being held in 3 venues around Los Angeles, May 20-23rd 2010. There are over 90 films playing from around the world. There are free screenings of “Fuel,” “Food Matters,” “Simply Raw” plus others. Their main venue is the beautifully restored art deco Regent Showcase Theater in Hollywood. The founder, Skye Kelly, is the executive director of Heal One World, a non-profit organization she formed last year to provide preventative health care to those in need and provide awareness through films. While studying filmmaking, the former realtor found herself mainly interested in making films that had a message and brought awareness to pressing issues of today. That made a statement and inspired change. She started a call for entries and was amazed by the high quality of films she received. There were over 250 entries from around the world. She knew the festival had to be big enough to showcase these amazing films, and so was born The Awareness Festival.

Bringing narrative and documentary films, features and shorts, as well as having live musical performances and a wellness fair, the festival is approaching rapidly. The amazing all volunteer team has been going non-stop to spread the word.

Some stand outs are “Bilal’s Stand,” from Sundance 2010, “Zero Bridge,” “Horse Boy,” “urFRENZ” and “How I Got Lost” are all award-winning festival films. “May I Be Frank” is a LA festival premiere. As is “2012: Time for Change,” featuring Sting & others speaking of how to make conscious change for today and the future, made its way as the closing film. Most filmmakers & stars will be in attendance. Confirmed are filmmakers from “Fuel,” “Bilal’s Stand,” “The Next 7 Generations” and also with casts for “One Hour Fantasy Girl,” “urFRENZ,” “How I Got Lost” and “May I Be Frank.”

There is a forum with the filmmakers, speaking of making films that inspire change and awareness in addition to the Q&A after the film.

Marty Dread from Maui will provide reggae, plus other conscious musicians playing each evening.

A wellness event corresponding with documentaries on health will be at Heaven on Earth, just blocks away from the main venue. The Santa Monica venue will showcase shorts and smaller features.

A Discount is available for your readers or listeners: coupon Code 20OFFAF10

The festival is a fundraiser for Heal One World a 501(c)3 non-profit organization. More information: http://awarenessfestival.healoneworld.com.