Mission:
ARTIVIST: a unique word for Advocate Artists.
"ARTIVIST" is the first international film festival and awards dedicated to addressing Human Rights, Children's Advocacy, Environmental Preservation, and Animal Rights. Our mission is to strengthen the voice of advocate artists - "Artivists" - while raising public awareness for social global causes.
Company:
The Artivist Film Festival and Artivist Awards is produced by the Artivist Collective, a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization. Incorporated by founders Diaky Diaz, Bettina Wolff, Psy.D., and Christopher Riedesel on August 15, 2003, the Artivist Collective is organized and operated exclusively for charitable purposes within the meaning of section 501(c)3 Internal Revenue Code.
History:
Since its inception in 2004, the Artivist Film Festival has showcased 300+ films at the historic Egyptian Theatre in Hollywood. Representing more than 45 countries, Artivist has reached millions of people with its public relations campaign. Films premiered at the festival have included Academy Award winner Born Into Brothels, Academy Award Nominee Super-Size Me, Fast Food Nation, Emmanuel's Gift, and Trudell.
Countries represented at the Annual Artivist Film Festival have included:
USA, AUSTRALIA, BELGIUM, BRAZIL, CANADA, CHINA, CROATIA, COLOMBIA, CONGO, CUBA, ECUADOR, GERMANY, GHANA, GUATEMALA, HONDURAS, INDIA, IRAQ, ITALY, ISRAEL, KENYA, NORTH AND SOUTH KOREA, MALAWI, MEXICO, NAMIBIA, NEPAL, NETHERLANDS, NEW ZEALAND, NICARAGUA, NIGERIA, PALESTINE, PAPAUA NEW GUINEA, PERU, RWANDA, SCOTLAND, SENEGAL, SERBIA, SIERRA LEONE, SOUTH AFRICA, SWITZERLAND, SUDAN, TANZANIA, THAILAND, TIBET, TURKEY, UGANDA, UKRAINE, U.K., VENEZUELA.
Filmmakers from around the world unite at the annual Artivist Film Festival to address the importance of Art and Advocacy in our global community.
Press:
Last year, the Artivist Film Festival's Film Program not only ranged widely in advocate topics, but also featured such noted advocate-artists as Tom Hanks, Susan Sarandon, Martin Sheen, Viggo Mortensen, Elton John, Morgan Spurlock, Brett Ratner, Andy Garcia, and many others.
The "Artivist Awards" honors the winning Films of the Annual Artivist Film Festival and the work of outstanding advocate celebrities. Past honorees include: Daryl Hannah, Joaquin Phoenix, Matthew McConaughey, James Cromwell, Mira Sorvino, Ed Begley Jr., Tippi Hedren, and Mike Farrell.
More than 10,000 people have attended the Annual Artivist Film Festival and Artivist Awards. The diversity of films presented at "Artivist", an eclectic mixture from established and first time filmmakers, demonstrates the passion and force of advocates around the world, and the power of the visual image.
On April 20, 2005, and again on November 12, 2007, Artivist received official proclamations of "ARTIVIST DAY", (a day to celebrate advocacy through the arts), for the City of Los Angeles from Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and former Mayor James K. Hahn.
During the past 6 years, Artivist has reached more than 10,000,000 people with its public relations campaign and has been featured in:
ABC-7 News • Los Angeles Times • Variety • L.A. Weekly • Hollywood Reporter • Whole Life Times • Venice Magazine • Santa Monica Mirror • Malibu Times • LA City Beat • USC Daily Trojan • UCLA Bruin • Joinzt Magazine • Blur Magazine • and many more
Management:
The company's founders, Diaky Diaz, Dr. Bettina Wolff, and Christopher Riedesel have a combined 25 years of experience in:
Business Administration, Marketing, Sales, Public Relations, Psychology, Nonprofit Management, Fundraising, Program and Service Development, Location Management, Team Management and Volunteer/Intern Coordination, and Human Resources.
The Artivist founders have trained and managed a diverse staff of over 200 volunteers during its three and a half years of production for the Annual Artivist Film Festival & Artivist Awards, and continue to oversee all day-to-day operations.
Our Board of Directors include acclaimed actors and advocates as James Cromwell, actor-director James Haven, and Honorary Board Members Dennis Kucinich, 2008 Presidential Nominee and Congressman, and Senator Barbara Boxer.
Services:
The Artivist Film Festival was founded to provide resources and exposure for advocate filmmakers and artists, while providing a unique benefit to the community. The Artivist Film Festival creates:
A Platform For Filmmakers To:
v Screen their unique, socially conscious films to a greater general public.
v Create awareness on the issues their film addresses.
v Share resources, network and collaborate with other advocate artists.
v Form partnerships with entertainment industry professionals.
v Raise funding for future film projects.
An Opportunity For Adolescents and Adults To:
v Learn about global issues related to human rights, children's advocacy, environmental preservation, and animal rights through film.
v Learn how to be pro-active and get involved in resolving issues facing our global community.
v Be exposed to unique socially conscious films that are rarely screened elsewhere.
v Participate in educational, inspirational, and pro-active community forums.
Activist filmmakers can become a powerful voice for positive change in our global community. Their films address a range of social issues from international human rights and children's advocacy to environmental preservation and compassion for all living beings. Their films educate, inspire, create awareness and ultimately encourage people to contribute to the improvement of our world.
There are few outlets for advocate artists to share their work with large audiences. With your support, the Annual Artivist Film Festival can continue providing services and resources to socially conscious filmmakers.
Current Position:
The Artivist organization is currently in preparation for its 6th Annual Artivist Film Festival and Artivist Awards, to be held October 8 - 11, 2009 at the historic Egyptian Theatre in the heart of Hollywood. The Egyptian Theatre is a Hollywood landmark and operates two state-of-the-art showcase theaters, (616 and 75 seats), and a 6,700-square-foot tiled courtyard with a holding capacity for 800 people. The facility recently underwent a $15 million restoration by the American Cinematheque.
In addition, Artivist is expanding its professional staff and operational plan in the goal of providing its services to a wider, international, audience. The Artivist Collective is seeking to secure patrons, sponsorships, and grant funding to continue expanding the annual Artivist Film Festival.
Through sponsorships and contributions, The Artivist Collective provides resources, exposure and services to socially conscious artists, and a needed educational, artistic, advocate program for the public.
This year the Artivist Film Festival and Artivist Awards will be streamed live via the Internet to more than a quarter million people around the globe. Artivist is also negotiating with Current TV, which broadcasts into more than 40 million homes in the U.S.
Recently, the Board of Directors and founders of the Artivist Collective formed The Artivist NetworkTM. Incorporated as a Class C Corporation categorized under the General Corporation Law, the purpose of the Artivist Network is to expand into Film Distribution and Communications. This will provide Artivist with the advantageous opportunity of distributing socially conscious films globally to the "Cultural Creative" community. Currently, the Artivist Network is entering its start-up phase and securing capital.
To support the work of the Artivist Film Festival and Artivist Awards, or to get involved in the Artivist Network, contact President Diaky Diaz: 310-712-1222 OR diakydiaz@artivists.org
