A few weeks ago I had the luck to see this film (Favela Rising). Its an aspiring doco about a small group of residents in one of the most violent favelas in Rio de Janeiro who decided they needed to stop the violence through pride in their roots and music. The group grew and grew, got funding from USAid, and spread to other favelas. I'm on their mailing list and they're coming to NEW YORK this weekend. I urge anyone there to go along and lend your support. The more people who go the more chance this film has of going on to general release.

Favela Rising Family ?This Friday, feature film ?Favela Rising? will join a group of less than a dozen subtitled documentaries ever to be theatrically released in New York City.Thinkfilm and HBO bought this little film because of the overwhelming audience response at the Tribeca Film Festival, where it carried home the Best New Director Award. They then amped up their publicity of this little film because of the subsequent 27 other film festival wins. And now they?re trying a legitimate commercial distribution of the film in theaters because of the Academy Award shortlist for Best Documentary of 2005 and Film of the Year Winner 2005 from the International Documentary Association.But that does not mean they?re convinced U.S. audiences are willing to pay $10 to see the film in a theater. Of course history is on their side. Few of the small handful of subtitled documentary films before Favela have been able to last theatrically, nevermind get people into the theater for opening weekend. With your help, we?d like to change that.If you?ve seen the film 4 times, please convince educators, activists, lovers, friends, family and colleagues to come out and support us at Village East Cinemas 2nd Ave at 12th Street this Friday, Saturday or Sunday. If you haven?t yet seen the final cut of Favela Rising on 35mm film with Dolby 5.1 surround sound, then please come see it again. Or if you happen to be passing by the theater during the weekend, just buy a few tickets and skip the film.Because if we send a message with our box office receipts from this opening weekend, Friday through Sunday cumulatively, that Favela Rising can survive commercially in NYC, then the film will roll out to cinemas in urban areas and small towns across the country that are waiting to see this opening weekend?s NY numbers. And of course the farther the film is circulated, the more social impact it?s outreach campaign will have in underserved communities here in the U.S. and abroad.Remember, all net proceeds from Favela Rising go to favela educational programs. To see the trailer and learn about the Ford Foundation sponsored outreach campaign visit www.favelarising.com.Please shoot this letter around, send last week?s email blast out to your network, write a mass letter to your crew, make phone calls, talk loudly about Favela Rising in the streets and in line for tickets at the theater, buy an extra 2 tickets at the door and hand ?em to strangers, buy some matinee seats on moviefone 212-777-film even if you can?t make it, stencil the sidewalks, shout it out on the mic and in the office... socially charged media does spark sustainable change.Village East Cinemas Starting Friday: 11:15, 1:15, 3:15, 5:20, 7:20, 9:30Director Q & A: Friday & Saturday at 7:20 pm, Sunday at 1:15 & 3:15 pm.