The famed Sundance Film Festival got underway yesterday in Park City, Utah and we're excited to be a part of it this year. The power of storytelling and film is close to the heart of NationBuilder. Founder and CEO Jim Gilliam got the idea for NationBuilder after working with Robert Greenwald to create Brave New Films, a grassroots nonprofit that uses media and film to educate and motivate people around important social issues.
NationBuilder helps filmmakers bridge the gap between education and action by giving them the tools to get people involved with the issues they're trying to illuminate in their films. From an award-winning food documentary, to a viral short about a 9-year-old boy that inspired a movement - all kinds of filmmakers are organizing people to create real change using NationBuilder.
Lisa Madison, an early NationBuilder customer, builds nations for filmmakers and nonprofit organizations. Lisa helped create Bullfrog Communities, a website dedicated to educating communities about important issues like environmental sustainability and human rights using media and film. The website helps people organize screenings, keep up on current events, and participate in discussions with other community members.
As the nature of film distribution evolves, NationBuilder is making it easier to get films in front of more people. Stem Cell Revolutions is a documentary collaboration between scientists and filmmakers that sheds light on the controversial topic of stem cell research. NationBuilder Architect Ben Kempas of the Scottish Documentary Institute created the website, which includes an option to rent or buy the film online. There's even a discounted option for educators that want to share the film with their students. Two researchers that were part of the film were awarded the Nobel Prize for medicine last year.
One of our newer film customers is Ro*co Films Educational. Ro*co produced "The Invisible War" and "How to Survive a Plague," which have both been nominated for Oscars for Best Documentary Feature. Both films premiered at Sundance last year.
We are co-sponsoring an event with Ro*co this weekend at Sundance where we'll be demonstrating how filmmakers can use NationBuilder to promote their films and inspire people to get involved with the issues.