CineCause - The Other Side of Hollywood

Many call it tinsel town. Others suggest the dream factory. Nicknames aside, Hollywood product is clearly one of the greatest forms of mass communication. Yet, as we forge ahead in this digital age, Hollywood, and the motion picture business in general, has become the wild wild west. With the proliferation of new technologies, digital platforms and hybrid distribution models, more films are being produced and exhibited than ever before. Herein lies the paradox. On the one hand, we see more opportunity for filmmakers and audiences. On the other, there is now a greater need for curation.

As filmmakers, we tend to fall into one or more of the following categories:

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1. We see movies as the greatest of all the modern arts.
2. We need to make movies or we will shrivel up and die.
3. We want to make a lot of money, and have a lot of power.
4. We want to tell creative stories that can have a specific affect on people.
5. We want to make a difference in the world.
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For me, filmmaking was storytelling through a perfect combination of the arts. Photography. Design. Music. Performance. Writing.

Then I experienced The Cove and everything changed. I realized cinema could be even more, powerful stories on critical issues of the day, each with a specific call to action. There were many independent films addressing legitimate socially relevant topics that deserved a platform of their own. In 2012, CineCause was born to provide the solution, a filter to quality, social impact films, connecting these projects with related causes. Our mantra – See Good. Do Good. Feel Good.

With See Good, we curate new films and connect them to causes. With Do Good, we develop new social action campaigns, supported by a new crowdfunding platform for good. And our Feel Good will integrate new technologies and build strong communities for filmmakers, causes and audiences. We want to further demonstrate the power of film to create change, while utilizing new tools and metrics to actually measure the impact and help this powerful tool become more precisely effective and capable of working towards the greater good.

Yes, the Hollywood machine continues churn out our number one export, but that isn’t the whole story. Industry players have been supporting causes for years, from the water crisis (Matt Damon) and human rights (Charlize Theron) to the environment (Leonardo DiCaprio) and education (George Lucas)…just to name a few. We simply need other opportunities to connect the dots. Thankfully, we just acquired the Hollywood Film Festival, providing CineCause with yet another platform to link movies to causes, advocate for filmmakers, and feel goodthrough community giving. Not only will we curate the best in social impact cinema, we will introduce a comprehensive annual Summit for Good.

This unique event will integrate causes, academics and industry leaders, with a series of talks, workshops and film presentations, to demonstrate the power of film to inspire and activate change. We’re excited to have an opportunity to introduce a new festival model, one that will present the world with the other side of Hollywood.

Join the Cause.