Cinema for Peace New York Honors Sting and Trudie Styler for Environmental Work Today, 9/25

On the occasion of the UN General Assembly, composer, singer, author, actor, and activist Sting and Trudie Styler, actress, film producer, director, human rights activist, environmentalist and UNICEF Ambassador, will be honored for their worldwide environmental work today, September 25 at The Harvard Club in New York City by the Cinema for Peace Foundation and the BMZ, Germany's Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development.

Last year, Cinema for Peace New York introduced the Universal Human Rights Logo, and this year, an evening on Climate Change and Development. During the program Germany's Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development will present support for the Rainforest Fund and the Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation.

In 1989, Sting and his wife Trudie Styler started the Rainforest Fund, an organization devoted to protecting rainforests and their indigenous peoples in South America, Africa and Asia. To date they have raised more than $30 million for the cause and have expanded to a network of interconnected organizations working in more than 20 countries.

"The mission of the Rainforest Fund is to protect the rainforest and the rights of indigenous peoples. Through its work the Fund has played a decisive role in improving the concrete living conditions of many people – and it has made these topics part of the mainstream in industrialised societies. That is the tremendous achievement of the Fund's founders Sting and Trudie Styler," says State Secretary Hans-Jürgen Beerfeltz, of Germany's Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development. "Moving forward, the BMZ is going to be supporting and cooperating with the Rainforest Fund too, because we share the same goals."

Previous Cinema for Peace Award recipients include Angelina Jolie, George Clooney and Sean Penn.

The host for Cinema for Peace New York will be Amy Goodman, Host & Executive Producer of the award winning news show Democracy Now.

"Last year Cinema for Peace introduced on this occasion the Universal Human Rights Logo with the help of such wonderful supporters as Aung San Suu Kyi and Robert De Niro," says Jaka Bizilj, Founder of Cinema for Peace. "This year the focus is on climate change, sustainable development, and how artists may inspire others to create a climate of change."

"The fight against Climate Change become one of the world's greatest challenges," adds Bizilj. "The United Nations has called for an 100-billion- annual fund for Climate protection and the seat will be selected this year."

In 2009, Cinema for Peace introduced the Green Oscar together with President Mikhail Gorbachev and Leonardo DiCaprio to honor inspiring achievement of a film artist in the domains of environment and climate protection.

Composer, singer, author, actor, activist - Sting was born in Newcastle, England before moving to London in 1977 to form The Police with Stewart Copeland and Andy Summers. The band released five albums, earned six Grammy awards, and in 2003 was inducted into The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Since 1985, Sting has released 13 solo albums; most recently, 25 Years, the definitive box set collection commemorating the 25th anniversary of his solo career. He has sold nearly 100 million albums from his combined work with the Police and as a solo artist and has earned an additional 10 Grammy awards, a Golden Globe, an Emmy, and three Oscar nominations. He has appeared in more than 15 films and as an accomplished author, his memoir, Broken Music, spent 13 weeks on the New York Times Best Sellers list. Sting's support for human rights organizations, such as Amnesty International and the Rainforest Fund, mirrors his art in universal outreach. Along with his wife Trudie Styler, he founded the Rainforest Fund in 1989 to protect both the world's rainforests and the indigenous people living there. Since its inception, the fund has diversified and expanded to a network of interconnected organizations working in more than 20 countries.

Trudie Styler is an actress, film producer, director, human rights activist, environmentalist and UNICEF Ambassador. In 1989, Trudie and her husband Sting founded the Rainforest Fund, and over the last 23 years they've raised over $30 million to protect and support rainforest communities in 20 countries over 3 continents. In May 2011, Trudie and partner Celine Rattray founded Maven Pictures, a New York-based film development, production and financing company. She also has a successful series of fitness DVDs released by Gaiam.

Hans-Jürgen Beerfeltz learned the fundamentals of development policy when working for the Friedrich Naumann Foundation, his first job after graduating from Hamburg University. He conducted visiting and training programs in Central and South America as part of international civic education within the remit of the Federal Ministry of the Interior. As Vice-President of the Federal Agency for Civic Education, Mr. Beerfeltz was responsible for, amongst other things, reconciliation with the Jewish people and, in particular, programs for journalists visiting Israel. During his time as federal party manager of the Free Democratic Party (FDP), he accepted additional assignments as a development consultant in the fields of local government, NGO professionalization and promotion of democracy. In addition, Mr. Beerfeltz undertook more than 100 international assignments for a wide variety of agencies, with the main focus on Central and South America and Southeast Asia. In October 2009 he was assigned State Secretary of the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development.

Since 2002 Cinema for Peace has been a worldwide initiative, promoting humanity through film while inviting Members of The international film community to attend the annual Cinema for Peace Award-Gala-Night during the Berlin International Film Festival. Showcasing cinematic work which highlights the human condition and human values, we have created a platform for peace and tolerance. During the evening's proceedings at the Konzerthaus, while film clip from exemplary works are screened, directors and producers are celebrated with the Cinema for Peace Award for commendable works.

Cinema for Peace brings together international star guests and global personalities from the world of film, media, politics, business and society, while celebrating the power of the moving image and its ability to unite cultures. This prestigious event is a symbol of peace, freedom and tolerance, a symbol with a lasting effect on the world of film and media, initiating important projects and the free exchange of ideas. Cinema for Peace itself distributes, well as produces, valuable movies with inspiring messages.

The aim of Cinema for Peace is to promote peace and international understanding through the medium of film. Since its foundation in 2002 Cinema for Peace has invited Members of The international film community to a gala night which highlights a selection of cinematic work in order to create a platform for peace and tolerance, while also raising significant funds for charity. During the course of the gala, an award is presented to a director whose work has served to cast a new focus on the human condition and human values, and excerpts are screened from movies that make a difference. The influence of the Cinema for Peace Gala extends far beyond the events of just one night.

War, terrorism and humanitarian catastrophes are sad realities in many parts of the world. But artists can make a difference to the state of the world, and film and filmmakers should, perhaps more than any other art form, make a stand for peace and humanity. www.cinemaforpeace.com

"The InternationAl Green Film Award" pays tribute to an extraordinarily inspiring achievement of a film artist in the domains of environment and climate protection. This particular achievement may go far beyond the world of film, thus motivation the pubic to develop their own commitments to protect natural resources based on the general understanding of the interconnectedness of all life on earth. Patron and spiritual father of this award is President Mikhail Gorbachev.

In 2009 the first "InternationAl Green Film Award" was presented to Leonardo DiCaprio for his long-lasting dedication to green issues, as well as for his film "The 11th Hour". Since then, "The InternationAl Green Film Award" presented at our annual gala has gone on to award Members of The film community for outstanding achievements in and dedication to raising awareness for green issues.

The past laureates of the Cinema for Peace InternationAl Green Film Award:
2012: "Burning in the Sun" and Dr. Richard Komp
2011: "Jane's Journey" and Jane Goodall
2010: "Crude" and Joe Berlinger

The German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) is responsible for formulating the principles and strategies of German development policy. These then form the basis of the cooperation projects and programmes developed together with our cooperation countries and with international organisations. The Ministry plays an active role in international negotiations and in cooperation countries. Within Germany, the BMZ supports the general public, non-governmental organisations, churches, foundations and businesses in their efforts in the development field.

The Rainforest Fund is a charitable foundation that fulfills its mission to protect and support indigenous peoples, and traditional populations of the rainforest in their efforts to protect their environment and fulfill their rights. The Rainforest Fund is convinced that accepted environmental and human rights principles embody the right of everyone to a secure, healthy and ecologically sound environment, and that environmental degradation leads to human rights violations such as the right to life, health and culture. Bearing in mind the universality, indivisibility and interdependence of all human rights, the Fund carries out its mission by funding programs and projects aimed at supporting indigenous peoples and traditional populations of the rainforest to assert and defend their rights, to promote a sustainable development of their communities, and to challenge government practices which have a damaging effect on their environment. For more, visit www.rainforestfund.org.

About the Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation: Dedicated to People, Animals and the Planet. Established in 1998 by Leonardo and his family, the Foundation supports efforts to secure a sustainable future for our planet and all of its inhabitants. The Foundation works on a variety of environmental and humanitarian issues including Wildlife Protection, Forest Preservation, Healthy Oceans, Water Access, Renewable Energy, Disaster Relief and Climate Change. LDF works towards this goal by: providing grants to select organizations and projects in the field; building partnerships with select organizations; spearheading creative campaigns and media pieces that shift the way issues are communicated to the public; utilizing social media for the causes we care about; and forming alliances with other influencers to effect change. For more information, go to www.leonardodicaprio.com.