Monaco FF: ‘Sand and Sorrow’ and ‘Blood on Our Hands Campaign’

NBA’s Emeka Okafor Launches ‘Blood on Our Hands’ Campaign
Paul Freedman’s new documentary ‘Sand and Sorrow – The Tragic Story of Darfur’ narrated by George Clooney is closing The Monaco Film Festival.

New York, NY (rushprnews) May 15, 2007 – NBA Star - Emeka Okafor is set to launch ‘Blood on OurHands’ – a celebrity art campaign aimed at highlighting the International Community’s failure to curb the systematic rape, murder and genocide of the people in Darfur. The launch will precede the closing night screening of Peabody award winning filmmaker, Paul Freedman’s new documentary ‘Sand and Sorrow – The Tragic Story of Darfur’ which is narrated by George Clooney.

Held at the International Emerging Talent Film Festival (15th May, Monaco) NBA Star - Emeka Okafor, who is special guest and presenter at the festival’s WING awards, will be joined by Director of ‘Sand and Sorrow’ Paul Freedman, AMIS Peacekeeper from Darfur, Major Colince Ondova and John Prendergast, author of New York Times bestseller ‘Not on Our Watch’.

Emeka will be the first celebrity to place his blood-red handprints onto a painting crafted by leading British contemporary artist Sacha Jafri. Sacha’s painting features a haunting image selected by Paul Freedman representing his experience filming in Darfur “An empty expanse of nothing, but the burned out huts of hundreds of thousands of villagers, who have either been ousted from their homes, or murdered.’

The ‘Blood on Our Hands’ campaign will continue throughout 2007. Working with leading artists over the coming months, the Sand and Sorrow team aim to collect many more blood-red handprints on leading artists painting from, actors, musicians, human rights activists and politicians who share the view that action must be taken to end this terrible tragedy.

The ‘Blood on Our Hands’ paintings will show in an exhibition during 2008, before being auctioned, with the aim of raising over $1.5 million in funds for Darfur. [Source]

“Sand and Sorrow” picked up for International Sales.

Velvet Octopus picks up ‘Sand’
Dafur docu to close Monte Carlo fest
By ADAM DAWTREY

LONDON — “Sand and Sorrow,” the Darfur documentary narrated and exec produced by George Clooney, has been picked up for international sales by Simon Crowe’s Velvet Octopus. Written and directed by Paul Freedman, the pic will premiere on the closing night of the International Emerging Talent Film Festival in Monte Carlo (May 13-15), and will screen subsequently in the market at Cannes. Crowe commented, “We owe it to our conscience to do something to stop the genocide in Darfur now. That is why we have decided to step away from our usual type of projects to fully support this extraordinary film. We want this film to screen at every festival in the world, and for every school and family to see this, whether at the cinema, on DVD or television.” “Sand and Sorrow” is produced by Bradley Kaplan and presented by Michael Mendelsohn’s Patriot Pictures/Station 18 Films.

Clooney’s Darfur film set for Monaco festival

Clooney’s Darfur film set for Monaco festival
Fri May 4, 2007 5:43AM EDT

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - “Sand and Sorrow,” a documentary about Darfur produced and narrated by George Clooney, will serve as the closing night film of a new film festival in Monaco later this month. The International Emerging Talent Film Festival will take place from May 13-15 in Monte Carlo. It will open with the European premiere of Thom Fitzgerald’s AIDS drama “3 Needles.” In addition to screening “Sand,” a panel on “Crisis in Darfur - Cinema Responds” will be presented on May 15. Panelists are expected to include Nicholas Kristof of the New York Times, the African Union’s Major Reuben Colince Ondoua, director Paul Freedman and author John Prendergast, who co-penned “Not on Our Watch: The Mission to End Genocide in Darfur and Beyond” with actor Don Cheadle. [Reuters]