February 7, 2014, LOS ANGELES, CA – The producers of Lion Ark, the animal rescue documentary nominated for a 45th NAACP Image Award in the Outstanding International Motion Picture category, will be attending the famous Nominees’ Luncheon this Saturday – an event recorded each year in the Library of Congress.
Lion Ark’s Tim Phillips (Director/Producer), Jan Creamer (Producer), CSI star Jorja Fox (Associate Producer), and Lelah Foster (Lion Ark Photographer) attended.
The 45th Image Awards are organized by America’s oldest and largest civil rights organization the NAACP (the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People) and are voted on by NAACP members. The prestigious Image Awards celebrate “the outstanding achievements and performances of people of color in the arts, as well as those individuals or groups who promote social justice through their creative endeavors.”
Others nominees up for awards this year in other categories include Beyoncé, John Legend, Halle Berry, Oprah Winfrey, Justin Timberlake, Jennifer Hudson, Chiwetel Ejiofor, and Forest Whitaker.
The Nominee’s Luncheon has become a tradition that provides an opportunity for the Hollywood creative community, the social justice community, and the NAACP’s leadership to come together to recognize the best that communities of color have to offer. At the Luncheon, nominees will receive their nomination certificate and have their picture taken for the 45th NAACP Image Award Nominee commemorative photograph, which will be archived with the Library of Congress.
Lion Ark follows a dangerous and ambitious international animal rescue by a diverse group of people from Bolivia, Peru, Colombia, Britain and America who come together to help the lions. The illegal circuses are tracked down across Bolivia and the animals saved, culminating in a huge airlift of 25 lions to safety in the U.S. The film follows the huge logistical task as the group fights to save the lions. The film has already picked up several awards since being launched on the film festival circuit in October, including two Audience Choice Awards.
Actress Jorja Fox, world famous for her role as Sara Sidle in CSI, is an associate Producer of Lion Ark and also appears in the film: “What I didn’t realize was that it was going to be an extraordinary story about the human spirit and what the human spirit can do when people come together.”
Jan Creamer, Lion Ark organizer, President of Animal Defenders International, the charity behind the rescue: “We are deeply honored and excited to attend the Nominee’s Luncheon. This nomination is very special and holds a special place in the hearts of a team like ours – we work across all kinds of boundaries and differences to work for a better world.”
Tim Phillips, Director of Lion Ark: “Lion Ark is a film about respect for people and animals so we couldn’t be more pleased to receive this nomination. In this film, you see the worst of humanity, but also humanity at its best. It is an empowering film that shows that people can make a difference. Lion Ark shows how animal protection is a vital part of the fabric of social justice, where human society draws a line as to what is, and is not, acceptable.”
Winners will be voted upon by the NAACP members and announced on Friday, February 21st during the Awards Ceremony for non-televised categories. The remaining categories will be announced LIVE on stage during the two-hour star-studded TV One telecast on Saturday, February 22nd (9:00pm ET/PT tape-delayed). The telecast will also include a one-hour pre-show airing live from the red carpet (8:00pm ET/PT tape-delayed).
The glittering awards ceremony in Los Angeles has, in the past, been hosted by luminaries such as Denzel Washington, Diana Ross, Cuba Gooding, Jr. and Whitney Houston.
Sources: The Image Awards‘ Lion Ark
