Turning MINES TO VINES™ by replacing the scourge of landmines with bountiful vineyards worldwide, the new Partners will pair the showcasing of excellent films in Napa Valley with the excellence of soil/soul restored in war-torn lands.

“Napa Valley Film Festival Joins Forces With Roots of Peace”

Turning MINES TO VINES™ by replacing the scourge of landmines with bountiful vineyards worldwide, the new Partners will pair the showcasing of excellent films in Napa Valley with the excellence of soil/soul restored in war-torn lands

Roots of Peace to present its Global Citizen Awards as part of Tribute Night at the Inaugural Napa Valley Film Festival

July 27, 2011—NAPA, California—Napa Valley Film Festival (NVFF) co-founders and co-directors Brenda and Marc Lhormer announced that Roots of Peace (ROP) is its global philanthropic partner. The two non-profit organizations are joining forces in the run-up to the inaugural Film Festival set for November 9–13, 2011. While the festival will present 60 or more new films and host panel discussions, food and wine tastings, receptions, tributes, awards shows and parties, ROP activities to highlight its work transforming Mines to Vines™ around the world will be woven into the schedule.

The festival’s Opening Night Gala takes place at Robert Mondavi Winery on Thursday, November 10, with Margrit Mondavi hosting. Fourteen years ago, Margrit and her late husband Robert hosted ROP’s first fundraiser to support its initial efforts to remove landmines from the earth in war-ravaged Croatia and Bosnia-Herzegovina. On Friday, November 11, ROP and NVFF will collaborate on activities and programming that honors Veterans, culminating in a silent auction and dinner in support of ROPs newest initiative in Israel and the West Bank. On Saturday, November 12, NVFF and ROP will combine for the festival’s Tribute Night, taking place at Lincoln Theater in Yountville, with NVFF’s tribute to legendary filmmakers and ROP’s presentation of its annual Global Citizen Awards. Past recipients include Her Majesty Queen Noor, Miljenko “Mike” Grgich, Winemaker and President of Grgich Hills Estate, Napa Valley Legend and Vintners Hall of Fame Inductee, Theodore C. Sorensen, speech writer for President John F. Kennedy, Gillian Martin Sorensen, former Assistant Secretary-General of the United Nations, Ambassador Said Tayeb Jawad, former Afghan Ambassador to the United States, Ambassador Joseph Verner Reed, Jerry White, co-recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize, Daniel Yuval and Shirley Buchanan Dean, recognizing their efforts to turn seeds of terror into seeds of hope.

“We are honored and humbled to work with Roots of Peace as our global philanthropic partner,” said NVFF Co-Founder and Executive/Artistic Director Marc Lhormer. “Locally, we plant seeds of possibility by presenting films that inspire adults and aspiring student filmmakers; Roots of Peace extends these good works out across the world by healing the earth and giving communities and young people a hopeful future.”

“Inspired by a call to action from 11 year-old Daniel Yuval—who only last year, while hiking with his family in the Golan Heights, stepped on a landmine buried in the snow and lost his leg—the Israeli parliament and government unanimously passed the Mine Action Bill on March 14th, 2011. Roots of Peace led the initiative which culminated in this historic legislation. Few Israeli and Palestinian citizens realized the vast impact of an estimated 1.5 million landmines hidden in the soils of the country today which prevent the use of agricultural lands and access to religious sites sacred to Christian, Jewish and Muslim people alike. The Holy Lands are not ‘holy’ when there are mines lurking underground,” said Heidi Kühn, Founder and CEO of ROP. “We are thrilled to come home to our roots in Napa Valley by teaming up with Brenda and Marc and the new Napa Valley Film Festival and inspiring people of all ages and creeds to build a better and safer world.”

NVFF and ROP leaders were introduced to each other by Shirley Dean. Shirley and her husband Paul, residents of Napa Valley, own an estate called Spiriterra Vineyards and produce a world-class wine dedicated to the mission of Roots of Peace. The Dean Family, long-time ROP supporters and avid film-lovers, were inspired by ROP’s work and this new partnership with NVFF to make a $100,000 legacy gift—kick-starting the campaign to remove landmines from sacred sites in Israel and the West Bank. The first project will demine “The Fields of Bethlehem.”

“We were deeply moved by Daniel’s words ‘When I woke up and saw that my leg had been amputated, I said to my mother that I didn’t want anyone else to be hurt by land mines, and that I intended to do something about it.’ To hear this passionate vow from a child touched our hearts”, said Shirley Dean. “We are in awe of all that Roots of Peace has done in the past fifteen years. We encourage everyone to join us at the inaugural Napa Valley Film Festival—to have fun, and to get involved.”

Participation opportunities and passes for the inaugural NVFF are available now. Please visit www.napavalleyfilmfest.org for full details.

About the Napa Valley Film Festival.
The Napa Valley Film Festival is produced by Cinema Napa Valley, a registered 501c3 non-profit organization headquartered in Napa, California. The festival’s co-creators are Brenda and Marc Lhormer, producers of the feature film Bottle Shock, about the historic upset victory by Napa Valley wines over the French at the famous 1976 wine-tasting competition in Paris. Bottle Shock premiered at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival before going on to international theatrical distribution. The husband-and-wife team also ran the successful Sonoma Valley Film Festival from 2001 through 2008. In addition to producing the annual film festival, Cinema Napa Valley presents special film programs throughout the year and provides support to student filmmaking programs in Napa Valley schools. To learn more, visit www.napavalleyfilmfest.org and follow www.facebook.com/NapaValleyFilmFestival.

About Roots of Peace.
Roots of Peace is a non-profit humanitarian organization dedicated to the eradication of landmines, replanting of crops, and rebuilding of communities in war-torn regions of the world. Landmines and unexploded ordnance (UXO) not only kill and maim innocent people, but also impede a country’s economic recovery and development. Landmine removal is the first step in Roots of Peace’s mission to restore the livelihood of agricultural communities in mine-affected countries. See www.rootsofpeace.org.

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