THE MEATRIX WINS BEST DOCUMENTARY SHORT OF 2004
Environmental Media Awards Honors Internet’s Most Popular Advocacy Film
New York, NY – The Meatrix (www.TheMeatrix.com), the most popular online advocacy film in history, won the award for Best Documentary Short at the Fourteenth Annual Environmental Media Awards (EMAs) held November 17th at the Wilshire Ebell Theater in Los Angeles. The film, shown on a segment of Now with Bill Moyers, is an animated spoof of the popular Warner Brothers film "The Matrix." A trenchcoat-clad cow named Moopheus and an enlightened pig named Leo uncover the shocking truth about the way our meat is produced on large factory farms.
The EMAs honor film and television productions that increase public awareness of environmental problems. Honorees have included Daryl Hannah, John Travolta, Pierce Brosnan, Jayni and Chevy Chase, Blythe Danner, Alanis Morissette, and the Dave Mathews Band. Actress and singer/songwriter Helen Slater, daughter of GRACE’s president Alice Slater, accepted the award on behalf of GRACE and Free Range Graphics, who produced The Meatrix.
"The Meatrix has touched a chord with audiences worldwide," noted GRACE Marketing Director Diane Hatz, executive producer of the animated short. "Many people have told us they changed their eating habits after seeing this film. This is partly because we tell people there are healthier meat options, and we offer them alternatives through the Eat Well Guide (www.EatWellGuide.orG)."
"We use humor to spark interest in the serious crisis facing our food system," said GRACE President Alice Slater. "People laugh first, but then they start to think seriously about what they are putting into their bodies."
Christened "the little film that did" by Adbusters, The Meatrix has been viewed online by over 6 million people since its Internet release last year. Since then, transcripts have been made available in a dozen languages, with voiceovers dubbed in Spanish and Polish, and French, German and Portuguese copies available early next year. A large European release of the film is scheduled for early 2005.
The Meatrix was selected by a board of judges comprised of leaders from both the entertainment and environmental communities. For 2004, one award was given in each of eight categories. This year, The Meatrix joined the big-screen blockbuster The Day After Tomorrow and Fox TV’s The Simpsons as EMA awardees.
GRACE is a nonprofit organization that works with research, policy and grassroots communities to raise awareness and promote solutions to preserve the planet for future generations. Visit us at www.gracelinks.org
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