Prominent figures from entertainment, politics, mainstream and new media and literature will be part of the unique Starz Green Room at the 2008 Democratic National Convention in Denver, Aug. 25-28, a venue just steps from the convention hall in the Pepsi Center.
A topical but non-partisan undertaking, the Starz Green Room will be both a respite from and a complement to the official events associated with the Democratic National Convention. From socially themed films and high-powered panel discussions to an online film competition discussing the meaning of democracy, Starz, LLC, the Denver Film Society, SeaChange Communications, and the Impact Film Festival have created unique, insightful programming for the Starz Green Room that provides a perfect supplement to the convention.
Get more details after the jump.
Among the confirmed participants in Starz Green Room programming are:
Entertainment figures including actresses Charlize Theron, Daryl Hannah, Rosario Dawson and Kerry Washington; actors Ben Affleck, Josh Brolin, Kal Penn and Hill Harper; actor/filmmaker Stuart Townsend; musician/filmmaker Will.i.am, filmmakers Patrick Creadon, Tia Lessin and Carl Deal, Chris Moore, Morgan Spurlock and others;
Politicians including U.S. Senators Barbara Boxer, Blanche Lincoln, Kent Conrad, and more; US Representatives Diana DeGette, Barney Frank and others; New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin plus additional city, state and national politicians;
Journalists/bloggers including Arianna Huffington, Jay Carney, Jonathan Alter, Eric Alterman, David Sirota, Elvis Mitchell, James Boyce, Rebecca Traister and Ted Johnson;
Pundits/activists including John Podesta, Hillary Rosen, Drew Westen, Walter Isaacson, Dennis Prager and many more.
The program is being produced by Starz Entertainment, The SeaChange Ideas Forum from SeaChange Communications (founded by Jamie McGurk and Victoria Hopper), the Impact Film Festival (founded by Jody Arlington, Jamie Shor and Kimball Stroud) and the Denver Film Society, based at the Starz FilmCenter in the Tivoli, which is where the Starz Green Room will be housed.
Panel topics planned for the SeaChange Ideas Forum range from how high-profile friends help politicians succeed to the increasing role of viral videos and social networks in political debate, research by behavioral scientists into the mind of voters, an examination of the changing role of New Faith Voters and alternatives to military solutions for solving global crises.
The Starz Green Room will also feature contemporary as well as classic films with topical themes. New titles include:
The Impact Film Festival is presenting such films as Flow, I.O.U.S.A., Battle in Seattle, Trouble the Water, The Black List, The Accidental Advocate, and others. Most of the contemporary films will be followed by conversations with the filmmakers and others associated with the projects.
A poignant highlight of the programming will be a screening of Robert Kennedy Remembered, introduced by Davis and Grace Guggenheim, with members of the Kennedy family in attendance. The film of the presidential candidate and U.S. Senator from New York aired at the Democratic National Convention 40 years ago
In addition, the Starz Green Room will show such landmark politically themed films as The American President, Election, Dave, Being There, Wild in the Streets, The Candidate and more, as well as The Visitor and Henry Poole is Here from Overture Films, the theatrical division of Starz.
At the Starz Green Room, the Denver Film Society will highlight short films exploring what democracy means from the Cinemocracy online film competition, sponsored by Starz. The top 10 short films will be shown at Cinemocracy Rocks! a public event at Red Rocks during the Convention on Monday, August 25 along with musical performances. More information and tickets to the Cinemocracy Rocks! event are available at www.cinemocracy.org.
A schedule of programming at the venue is currently available at www.starzgreenroom.com; it will be updated in the days leading up to the start of the Convention. Schedules and additional ticketing information is available at www.seachangecom.com and www.impactfilmfestival.org.
Because the Starz FilmCenter is within the security perimeter of the convention center, and has very limited seating capacity, attendance at the Starz Green Room will be limited to credentialed convention attendees and VIP guests. Most of the events at the Starz Green Room will be held mornings through early afternoons, concluding each day at 6 p.m. MDT
For those unable to attend, the Starz Green Room is also a virtual event, with many of the panel discussions, Q&As and more set to be webcast at the www.starzgreenroom.com website. This will enable interested viewers with broadband connections to share in the excitement and compelling dialog of the Starz Green Room, live or on a time-shifted basis.
