Earlier in on the year 3 Dogwoof titles were nominated for the first annual PUMA Creative Impact Award, with films The Age of Stupid, Burma VJ and The End of the Line all up for the award. The Awards ceremony is due to be announced on the 11th October so to celebrate we are profiling one of the films every day this week, with The Age of Stupid up first.
The Age of Stupid was released in 2008 by Dogwoof. Filmmaker Franny Armstrong's (McLibel) eco-documentary starred Pete Postlethwaite as a fictional narrator from the year 2055, taking a look back at archive footage to show how the world ignored the warning signs of climate change that destroyed the planet.
The premiere of the Age of Stupid was the world's greenest ever premiere, and there was even a green carpet to match. Pete Postlethwaite arrived in a solar-powered car with other celebrities arriving in electric vehicles, low-CO2 cars or on bicycles, Vehicles and back-up generators ran on biodiesel made from recycled vegetable oil from chip shops around Leicester Square and the projector was solar powered, the tent lit by gas from London landfill sites, and the chairs made from recycled newspapers. The "People's Premiere" on 15 March also saw the film screen simultaneously around the country at over 60 venues.
The film had a clear message and encouraged activists across the world to join the 10:10 campaign, inspiring everyone to cut their emissions by 10% in a year. The campaign was taken up by over 40 countries as well as individuals, and at the UK premiere the President of the Maldives, Mohammed Nasheed, announced by an exclusive video message that his country would be the first to go carbon neutral - within ten years.
For more information on the film and its social impact visit The Age of Stupid Website. To celebrate the films nomination we have reduced the DVD in the Dogwoof Shop for a limited period - grab a copy for just £5 now!
The €50,000 Creative Impact award will honour and support the documentary film that has made the most significant impact on society. The top films cover topics ranging from environmental issues to social justice and global conflict, and all five documentaries have enlightened and inspired individuals about global concerns. The winner will be chosen by an elite jury that includes: Her Majesty Queen Noor of Jordan, Morgan Spurlock (Academy Award-nominated Director of Super Size Me), Orlando Bagwell (Director of the JustFilms initiative at the Ford Foundation), Emmanuel Jal (musician and activist), and Thandie Newton (BAFTA award-winning actress).