The Redford Center’s benefit event “STORIES THAT MOVE” will happen on December 6th, 2018 at newly renovated August Hall in San Francisco. The event will honor Jaden Smith with the inaugural Robert Redford Award.
Co-founded by Robert Redford and his son James in 2005, The Redford Center is a 501(c)(3) organization that harnesses the power of documentary films and impact campaigns to help tip the scales on critical environmental and social issues.
The Redford Center’s original productions include: FIGHTING GOLIATH: Texas Coal Wars (2008) which helped prevent the construction of 177 new coal-powered plants. Watershed (2012) which secured $10 million to support on-the-ground restoration work and obtain water rights for the delta region. The Redford Center’s current film and campaign, Happening: A Clean Energy Revolution (2017) has been viewed more than 1.5 million times in the US alone since its HBO broadcast premier in December 2017 and won “Best Environmental Film” at the 2018 NYWILD Film Festival. The Redford Center Grants program provides funding, filmmaker support, and networking opportunities to filmmakers with feature film projects in early development that are focused on driving awareness, education and tangible action on a variety of environmental topics.
Tickets to The Redford Center’s Benefit Event are still available through Eventbrite, including VIP Experience passes, general admission and concert tickets. Guests will enjoy an evening of immersive storytelling, delicious food, signature drinks, a live music concert by a special guest, and premier auction. The VIP Experience includes priority access, a private reception with special event guests, filmmakers and Hosts as well as an exclusive wine tasting from Tom Scott Vineyard’s vintage Barn Burner Cabernets.
The Robert Redford Award—named for the American artist, businessman and ardent environmentalist Robert Redford—is a new distinction established by The Redford Center, a group committed to driving positive environmental change through inspiring stories that galvanize action. The award will honor Redford’s decades-long environmental legacy and will be presented to a revered artist committed to using their voice to protect the earth and to create a more just and sustainable future for us all.
“Mr. Redford’s deeply felt and long-lived environmental activism is the touchstone for all of our work,” said Jill Tidman, executive director of The Redford Center. “We created this award to pay tribute to his legacy and because we need to elevate environmental leaders like him and Jaden right now, maybe more than ever before. We need them to inspire us, to engage us and to continue to lead us forward.”
Jaden Smith began his environmental activism when he was ten years old, and observed first-hand the plague of ocean plastic. At 14, Smith co-founded a state-of-the-art sustainably sourced water bottling and packaging company, JUST water along with friend, mentor and eventual business partner Drew FitzGerald. At age 18, he received the Environmental Media Association’s Male Futures Award and shortly after became one of their most active board members. He’s currently working with G-Star Raw on their “Forces of Nature” line to promote stewardship of the planet with more environmentally sustainable materials, and earlier this month, Smith shared the stage with Al Gore at the Summit L.A.18 Conference. As an artist, Smith reaches a wide and diverse audience, and has utilized his platform to inspire other young voices on critical environmental and social issues.
“Robert Redford’s work and voice in the environmental movement has had an incredible impact on myself and others like me around the world,” said Smith. “It’s a true honor to be recognized by The Redford Center considering the work they do in supporting the next generation of environmentalists and storytellers.”
“It’s time to hand the reins to our youth, and encourage them to become the designers of their future,” said Robert Redford. “Young people have the optimism, energy, and fresh perspective we need to meet our environmental challenges head-on. We must honor their efforts, and support them as leaders”.
To learn more, please visit redfordcenter.org or follow on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Vimeo and YouTube.
