LOS ANGELES, CA, U.S. – Italian roasting coffee company illy and Los Angeles-based GreenLight Media & Marketing took home the Cristal award for best Non-Fiction Film in the Branded Entertainment & Content category for the feature-length documentary A Small Section of the World at the 2015 Cristal Festival, the annual five-day international media and creativity summit and competition taking place December 9-13, in Courchevel, France.
“A Small Section of the World” is a look into the inspirational lives of a remarkable women’s coffee co-op in Costa Rica — the first female-run micro-mill in the country.
A story of tenacity and empowerment, the film follows the women as they encounter a steep learning curve and numerous setbacks.
They ultimately make an incredible global impact from their small section of the world. Directed by Oscar-winner Lesley Chilcott (“An Inconvenient Truth”), this poignant story illustrates how coffee growing empowered these women to create a better future for themselves, their families and their village.
It touched a nerve, provoking a conversation that stretched beyond quality and into equality.
The film follows the impact of this remarkable story of perseverance as it touches lives around the globe and shows how these resourceful women overcame adversity to change the culture in their small section of the world to one of prosperity and sustainability.
Alanis Morissette, the best-selling female rock performer of all time, also found inspiration in this story and recording the original anthem for the film “The Morning.” Inspired by the women’s story, Morissette, a multiple Grammy winner, co-wrote the song with Costa Rican artist and Grammy-winner Carlos Tapado Vargas.
“At the heart of this collaborative effort are the women themselves, and we are forever grateful for their willingness to let us tell their story,” said Dominic Sandifer, president and co-founder of GreenLight Media & Marketing, the film’s producer.
“Everyone involved in this film — from Lesley to Alanis to illy to our distribution partner, FilmBuff, and our team at Greenlight — found a personal connection to these women, and we are incredibly honored to be recognized by the Cristal Festival.”
The film was accepted into eight film festivals, screened by The State Department and the United Nations, and syndicated globally on both TV and digital platforms. It debuted in New York and Los Angeles with a theatrical run and was released on VOD including iTunes, Netflix and Amazon.
The global TV premiere was on Sundance Channel International and Pivot, and the film can be seen in the illy Pavilion at The World Expo Milan.
Social media posts sharing the film reached more than 27 million followers with influential tweets from Al Gore, Arianna Huffington and Chaka Khan, among others.
The trailer generated worldwide press through syndication across a variety of platforms.
