BIRMINGHAM JOINED CITY OF KINDNESS, LIONSGATE, AND PARTICIPANT MEDIA, AS A #CHOOSEKIND CITY
BIRMINGHAM JOINED CITY OF KINDNESS, LIONSGATE, AND PARTICIPANT MEDIA, AS A #CHOOSEKIND CITY INSPIRED BY LIONSGATE’S UPCOMING FILM WONDER
Launch Tied to Theatrical Debut of the Upcoming Film Wonder and #ChooseKind Initiative, Engaging Local Communities
Campaign to Culminate with Special Screening of Wonder Held on November 15, 2017
Birmingham, Alabama, November 12, 2017 — Today, Mayor William A. Bell, Sr. announced the City of Birmingham’s participation in the #ChooseKind City initiative—a campaign in partnership with City of Kindness, Lionsgate and Participant Media that invited people in cities across the country to participate in kind acts leading up to World Kindness Day on November 13. As part of the initiative, Birmingham held a series of events aimed at promoting kindness, culminating in a special screening of the film, Wonder, which will be held at the AMC Summit 16 on November 15, 2017.
Based on R.J. Palacio’s New York Times best-seller, Wonder, which is set for release on November 17 from Lionsgate, in association with Participant Media and Walden Media, tells the incredibly inspiring and heartwarming story of August “Auggie” Pullman— a boy who was born with facial differences that, up until now, have prevented him from going to a mainstream school. Auggie becomes the most unlikely of heroes when he enters the local fifth grade. As his family, his new classmates, and the larger community all struggle to discover their compassion and acceptance, Auggie’s extraordinary journey will unite them all and prove you can’t blend in when you were born to stand out. The film stars Academy Award® winner Julia Roberts and Oscar® nominee Owen Wilson as the parents of Auggie, portrayed by Jacob Tremblay.
Birmingham joined City of Kindness, Lionsgate and Participant Media, in addition to the other U.S. cities involved, to deliver Auggie’s message of kindness to local community members.
“I’ve always known that the people of Birmingham are among the kindest in this country, so deciding to step up as a #ChooseKind city made sense,” said Mayor Bell. “We have been thrilled to see so many schools, businesses, and community groups decide to participate this month by holding their own #ChooseKind events. What’s more exciting is to see residents of all ages find the smallest ways to lead kinder lives every day and make Birmingham an even better place to live and work.”
Birmingham will kick off #ChooseKind observances will include toothpaste donations to residents of the Fire House Shelter, courtesy of Procter & Gamble’s Crest, as part of their #ChooseSmiles program, meant to amplify the power of smiles as an universal act of kindness. Birmingham City Hall will also be turned blue for World Kindness Day on November 13, 2017. The #ChooseKind initiative will culminate with a special screening of the movie hosted by Mayor Bell.
As part of the campaign, Birmingham encouraged residents to log their #ChooseKind acts of kindness in the official Kindness Counter at www.cityofkindness.org. Developed by City of Kindness, the online Kindness Counter aggregates kindness acts performed nationwide. Participating #ChooseKind cities were encouraged to log acts of kindness using the #ChooseKind hashtag. As of November 7, 2017, more than 500 million #ChooseKind acts of kindness had been recorded.
November 14, 2017 will be declared Kindness Day in the City of Birmingham as we encourage citizens to #ChooseKind as we head into the holiday season.
For more information, visit http://www.cityofkindness.org/choosekind.
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About City of Kindness
City of Kindness is a grassroots initiative to work with kindness organizations and leverage the outreach strategies of brands that espouse kindness. By working together, City of Kindness aims to inspire people to think about what kindness means to them, adopt kindness as a daily ritual for living and use the Kindness Counter, an online aggregator of acts of kindness. City of Kindness launch partners include Born This Way Foundation, Kind Campaign, KIND Healthy Snacks and Random Acts of Kindness Foundation. Learn more at cityofkindness.org.
About Lionsgate
The first major new studio in decades, Lionsgate is a global content platform whose films, television series, digital products and linear and over-the-top platforms reach next generation audiences around the world. In addition to its filmed entertainment leadership, Lionsgate content drives a growing presence in interactive and location-based entertainment, gaming, virtual reality and other new entertainment technologies. Lionsgate’s content initiatives are backed by a 16,000-title film and television library and delivered through a global licensing infrastructure. The Lionsgate brand is synonymous with original, daring and ground-breaking content created with special emphasis on the evolving patterns and diverse composition of the Company’s worldwide consumer base.
About Walden Media
Walden Media specializes in entertainment for the whole family, creating movies, books and television series that spark the imagination and delight all generations. A subsidiary of the Anschutz Film Group, Walden Media movies include adaptations of notable books, compelling biographies and thrilling accounts of historical events. The company’s films are entertaining and commercial, while also telling stories that are inspirational, aspirational and explorational. Past award-winning films include: “The Chronicles of Narnia” series, the “Journey to the Center of the Earth” series, “Nim’s Island,” “Charlotte’s Web,” “Bridge to Terabithia,” “Holes,” “Amazing Grace,” and the Sundance Audience Prize Winning documentary “Waiting for ‘Superman.”
About Participant Media
Participant Media (www.participantmedia.com) is the leading media company dedicated to entertainment that inspires and compels social change. Founded in 2004 by Jeff Skoll, Participant’s content combines the power of a good story well told with opportunities for real world impact and awareness around the most pressing global issues of our time. Participant’s more than 75 films, including Spotlight, Contagion, Lincoln, The Help, He Named Me Malala, The Look of Silence, CITIZENFOUR, Food, Inc., and An Inconvenient Truth, have collectively earned 52 Academy Award® nominations and 11 wins, including Best Picture for Spotlight. Participant’s digital entertainment division, SoulPancake (www.soulpancake.com), is an award-winning provider of thought-provoking, joyful, and uplifting digital content including such widely popular series as Kid President and The Science of Happiness and reaches an audience of nearly 9 million fans. Follow Participant Media on Twitter at @Participant and on Facebook and Instagram. Follow SoulPancake on Twitter @soulpancake and on Facebook and Instagram.
