We hope that you can come see our Hollywood premiere on October 4th at 10pm at the beautiful  Egyptian Theater. Past honorees at the festival include Jaoquin Phoenix, Matthew McConaughey, Ted Danson, Alyssa Milano, James Cromwell, Mira Sorvino. So come on out to our (hopefully) star-studded screening and the awards ceremony the following night at 7pm!

Come see us in Hollywood on October 4th at 10pm at the beautiful  Egyptian Theater. Past honorees at the festival include Jaoquin Phoenix, Matthew McConaughey, Ted Danson, Alyssa Milano, James Cromwell, Mira Sorvino. So come on out to our (hopefully) star-studded screening and the awards ceremony the following night at 7pm!

Come see why Greg Robson from ResidentMediaPundit.com raves “…equal parts comedic, sardonic and moving…gripping…a veritable call to arms. If only all fims could do such things.”

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“Sovereignty” keeps on churinin’ along as head to the Peace on Earth Film Festival this Sunday 8/31 at 6pm in beautiful Chicago, IL. Click here for directions.

Two weeks later, we go international at the Non-Violence International Film Festival in Onterio, Canada on September 14th, 19th and 20th. Click here for showtimes and directions.

Then… we swing back to New York for for the exciting Coney Island Film Festival September 26-28. Chec back for showtimes and directions.

And finally, (for now) if you happen to be one of those rare film buffs in the tiny hamlet of Hollywood, CA we will be in the prestegious Artivist Film Festival which takes place October 2-5. Check back for showtimes and directions.

We sure hope you can make it to one of these screening and support our little film that could!

We are excited to announce that “Sovereignty” will be among the closing night film selection at this year’s Rhode Island International Film Festival. We will be playing at beautiful Cable Car Theater on August 10th at 9:30pm. Click here for directions. We’ll be playing along side the hilarious new Jonathan Winters film “Certifiably Jonathan” and we will be sitcking around for the awards cermony directly afterwards! If you are in the area please come by, if not we’ll see you in September in Canada!

Come see why Greg Robson from ResidentMediaPundit.com raves “…equal parts comedic, sardonic and moving…gripping…a veritable call to arms. If only all fims could do such things.”

We had a fantastic week at the Long Island International Film Expo! First our star, Heather Dilly walk away with the Best Actress Award for the second time in three years and then we get a great review! Greg Robson from ResidentMediaPundit.com raves “…equal parts comedic, sardonic and moving…gripping…a veritable call to arms. If only all fims could do such things.” Next up we head to the Rhode Island International Film Expo and then the Non-Violence International Film Festival in Ontario, Canada!

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Jonathan Sale and Heather Dilly ejoy opening night at the 2008 Long Island International Film Expo

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Heather Dilly accepts the Best Actress Award from festival director Debra Markowitz at the 2008 Long Island International Film Expo.

We are so proud and excited to announce that Heather Dilly will be named Best Actress at the 2008 Long Island International Film Expo for her work in “Sovereignty”! She was in competition against all of the actresses in all of the short as well as feature films and walked away with the big prize for her stunning work.   As Rick Pender of City Beat said of “Sovereignty” “…the acting, especially Heather Dilly…was DELICIOUS.” Ms. Dilly previously took home the same award two years ago for her portrayal of the down-and-out April in the award-winning short film “The Look Away Life”. (Watch it now!)

So please come on out and support our film this Thursday, July 10th at 9:30pm at the Long Island International Film Expo. Click here for directions.

Next up…. Rhode Island!

Here it is folks, the brand-spanking-new trailer for
our new short film, “Sovereignty.”   What is “Sovereignty,” you say?

Pulitzer Prize nominated author Rolin Jones, producer and writer of Showtime’s Emmy and Golden Globe winning series, “Weeds” uncoils a hilarious and caustic allegory of the lengths to which people will go to  ignore the horrors in the world around them.

Mrs. Elsbeth’s life is the picture of perfection.  Perfect neighborhood.  Perfect house.  Perfect garden. Perfect husband.  But all that is about to change.  Strange new neighbors and cryptic postcards reading “Help Us” are beginning to crack the façade of her forced perfection. How long will she be able to continue to say, “These things beyond the garden, they happen so far away” in the face of her increasingly perverse best friend, conspicuously absent husband and growing insistence from the outside world to “Help Us.”

Reach out beyond your garden.

In conjunction with our soon to be released film “Sovereignty”, we at Laurel Films, Inc. want to help you reach out and help those in need in your community or around the world. To that end, we have constructed an ever-growing database of information and links in order to provide a bridge between your desire to reach out and those who need to be reached.

Additionally, if you know of or are affiliated with any organizations in your community who reach out to those in need and would be interested in being included on this website, please let us know. The more specific and targeted the cause, the better.

Good people reach out to help other good people. Together we can make a difference.

Sincerely,
Jonathan Sale
President
Laurel Films, Inc.

helpus@laurelfilmsinc.com

We had a terific time with “Sovereignty” at the Hoboken International Film Festival. Check out the party photos!!!

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Director Jonathan Sale along with festival founder and chairman Ken DelVecchio and actor/director Luis Mandylor (My Big Fat Greek Wedding).

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Heather Dilly and actor Costas Mandylor (Beowulf, Saw III, IV, V)

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Jonathan Sale and film legend Billy D. Williams (Star Wars, Batman, Dynasty, Mohogany)

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Heather Dilly and soap star Terri Colombino (As the World Turns)

We are really rollin’ now! The prestigious Rhode Island International Film Festival is coming up in August and “Sovereignty” will be there! The RIIFF is one of the few festivals in the country to which the Academy of Motion Pictures and Sciences gives automatic Oscar eligibility to the winners. So come see us Thursday 7/4 in Long Island or road trip with us in early August to Rhode Island!

We are proud to announce that “Sovereignty” will be continuing its coast-to-coast run at the Long Island International Film Expo on July 10 at 9:30 pm! Its just a short trip on the Long Island Railroad, where the theater is right across the street from the Bellmore station stop. Click here for directions.

Two years ago, our own Heather Dilly walked away with the award for Best Actress at this festival, so lets keep our fingers crossed and come on out and support this great film!

We are excited to announce that “Sovereignty” will be making its New York area debut at the Hoboken International Film Festival on May 28th at 8:30pm at Pier A in scenic Hoboken, New Jersey! The festival was recently called “in the world’s top 10″ and “the nations hottest true film festival.”

Tickets are free and directions to Hoboken can be found here. There are cash awards for the audience vote, so please come out and support our film trying to entertain and make a difference!

Check out “Sovereignty”  Director/Producer Jonathan Sale in a press day television interview in California during the recent Cinequest Film Festival! Others on the show included Danny Glover, Michael Keaton and “Crash” screenwriter Bobby Moresco.

Click here to check out all the cool pics from this year’s Cinequest Film Festival, where “Sovereignty” was a huge hit! (We are in pics 28 and 34  by the way!) Film reviewer Neil Baker of Fest 21.com singled our film out saying “…most noticeably Sovereignty, a brilliant and damning portrayal of our reluctance to help our world neighbors by director Jonathan Sale.” 

 And check out our coverage in the daily Cinequest ‘Discover Dailies’ newsletter: Our premiere 2/29! and our sold out 2nd showing 3/2!

“Sovereingty” is proud to have been so warmly received at the 2008 Cinequest Film Festival. We had a great week  of rubbing elbows with the likes of Michael Keaton, the beautiful Olivia Hussey, John Ratzenberger (yeah, Cliff from ‘Cheers’!), Danny Glover and many more. Lots of folks counted “Sovereignty” as their favorite film of the festival and  Neil Baker of Fest 21.com singled “Sovereignty” out saying “…most noticeably Sovereignty, a brilliant and damning portrayal of our reluctance to help our world neighbors by director Jonathan Sale.”

 We look forward to letting you know when “Sovereignty” is coming to a town near you! In the mean time, watch the trailer for “Sovereignty” and watch our previous film “The Look Away Life” right now on your computer for free!

Photos of Director Jonathan Sale and actress Heather Dilly at “Sovereingty” screenings and closing night  ceremonies of Cinequest 18 along with actor Joe Holt and Mike Zimmer who graciously allowed us to use his house for the most spectacular effect in the movie’s last scene! (Also famous for his emergency appendectomy during the original shoot.)

While in the bay area, actress Heather Dilly stopped in beautiful San Francisco to smell the flowers. After all, “tulips, they need so much attention.” Mrs. Elsbeth would be so jealous! (See the movie, it’ll make sense! - Watch the trailer now!)

Thanks to a great effort from cast member John Dominici and his mother Dawn, “Sovereignty” played to a large and enthusiastic crowd at this year’s Gasparilla Film Festival. With star appearances by the likes of Shane West and “Hairspray’s” Brittany Snow (picture left with “Sovereignty” star John Dominici),  the festival and “Sovereignty” both had a fantastic weekend. Thanks to all of you who turned out in support!

Check out what folks are saying about “The Look Away Life” on Jaman.com!

 “Brilliant. This could easily be adapted into a full length movie.”

“Wow! This short is so vast that you actually don’t realize its 24 minutes long, it feels like you had actually watched an hour long movie. Its Fantastic!”

“What a clever piece of work. I am still amused by this movie. The best short on Jaman yet.”

You can download it and watch it for free right now on your computer by visiting Jaman.com!

You may also purchase it there, rent it from Netflix and many other options. Check out “The Look Away Life” Buy/Rent page for more details!

Still not convinced? Watch the trailer here!

Watch the video intro of the exciting Cinequest Film Festival 2008 and come join us and stars like Danny Glover, Michael Keaton, Alec Baldwin, Tom Wilkinson, Peter Fonda, Jack Black, Minnie Driver and many more this weekend!

After a great run at Cinequest 16 and signing an exclusive disribution deal for our last award-winning short film, “The Look Away Life,” we are back for Cinequest 2008! ”Sovereignty” will be playing 2/29/08 at 4:00 PM and again on 3/2/08 at 2:15 PM at the beautiful Camera 12 Theater in exciting downtown San Jose, CA!

Click here for directions!

Click here for tickets!

So if you are in the Bay Area, give yourself a treat and come see the new short film written by Pulitzer Prize nominated author Rolin Jones, producer and writer of Showtime’s Emmy and Golden Globe winning series, “Weeds.”

 We’re very exited to announce that “Sovereignty” will be showing at the Gasparilla Film Festival on Thursday 2/28 at 5:15pm at the ChannelSide Theater in Tampa, FL!

Check out this cool behind-the-scenes footage from our upcoming short film, “Sovereignty.” It was written by Rolin Jones, the writer and producer of Showtime’s Emmy and Gloden Globe winning series, “Weeds.”

All you folks in the Bay Area get ready the rare, once-in-a-four-year event of the “Sovereignty” World Premiere on February 29, 2008, leap year day! After all the strange ups and downs, lost films, hurricanes, emergency appendectomies and the like, they had to carve and extra day out of the year to show a film this exciting, this entertaining, this moving and this meaningful! The Cinequest Film Festival screening venue is yet to be announced, but “Sovereignty” will be showing on Friday 2/29/08 at 4pm and again on Sunday 3/2/08 at 2:15pm. We can’t wait to see you there!

We excited to announce that “Sovereignty” will be a part of the up-and-coming Gasparilla Film Festival in beautiful Tampa, FL on the very same weekend that we will be premiering at the Cinequest Film Festival in San Jose, CA! Check back for exact show times and venues, but it will be sometime between 2/29/08 - 3/2/08! So if you are in the Florida area, please come support our little film trying to make a big difference!

 Laurel Films, Inc. is proud to announce that our latest film, “Sovereignty” will be premiering at prestigious 2008 Cinequest Film Festival in San Jose, CA! Cinequest has long been a supporter of our endeavors, screening our last award-winning short film, “The Look Away Life” at the 2006 Cinequest Film Festival.

Distinguished honorees at last years’ event included Maverick Spirit Award Winners Minnie Driver, Stewart Copeland, Christine Vachon, J.J. Abrams and Christopher McQuarrie!

Screening dates and times will soon be announced and we hope that anyone who is anywhere close will take this opportunity to see our exciting new dark comedy with a conscience.

Thanks to all of you who made the “Sovereignty” premiere party such a huge success!!! Over 100 people turned out to enjoy fondue and a new film written by the Pulitzer Prize nominated writer and producer of Showtime’s “Weeds.” Your overwhelming positive response and generosity were amazing. Next up, the festival circuit…

Come on down to our “Sovereignty” premiere party on Sunday, December 9th from 5-7:30 at Dip Bar and Lounge. (416 3rd Ave. between 29th and 30th St.) Enjoy fondue, open bar, great raffle prizes and watch the film projected on a big 8 foot screen! Film screening at 7pm. $25 at the door.So come check out the latest from Rolin Jones, the Pulitzer Prize nominated writer and producer of Showtime’s Emmy and Golden Globe winning series, “Weeds.”

Reach out beyond your garden.
Volunteer your money, time or resources.
Make a difference.

In conjunction with our soon to be released film “Sovereignty”, we at Laurel Films, Inc. want to help you reach out and help those in need in your community or around the world. To that end, we have constructed an ever-growing database of information and links in order to provide a bridge between your desire to reach out and those who need to be reached.

Additionally, if you know of or are affiliated with any organizations in your community who reach out to those in need and would be interested in being included on this website, please let us know. The more specific and targeted the cause, the better.

Good people reach out to help other good people. Together we can make a difference.

Sincerely,
Jonathan Sale
President
Laurel Films, Inc.

helpus@laurelfilmsinc.com

Click on an icon below to see a brief description and contact information for each organization.

Its simple. You buy a pair of Tom’s Shoes and they give a pair of shoes to a child in need.

The New Teacher Project  is a national non-profit organization dedicated to increasing the number of outstanding individuals who become public school teachers and to creating environments for all educators that maximize their impact on student achievement. Since 1997, they have partnered with school districts, state education agencies, colleges and universities, and other educational entities to accomplish these goals. To date, they have recruited, prepared or certified approximately 28,000 high-quality teachers, worked with more than 200 school districts and established more than 55 programs or initiatives in 26 states.

The IRC is a recognized leader in humanitarian emergencies. When thousands flee war or repression, the IRC is immediately on the ground to make sure life-saving help gets to those who need it. They provide shelter, clean water, healthcare, and education to displaced people. Most importantly, IRC works with them to make sure they survive their exile in dignity.

The Skoll Foundation was created by Jeff Skoll in 1999 to pursue his vision of a world where all people, regardless of geography, background or economic status, enjoy and employ the full range of their talents and abilities. Skoll, who was the first employee and first President of eBay, believes that strategic investments in the right people can lead to lasting social change.

Senior Corps connects today’s over 55s with the people and organizations that need them most. They help them become mentors, coaches or companions to people in need, or contribute their job skills and expertise to community projects and organizations. Conceived during John F. Kennedy’s presidency, Senior Corps currently links more than 500,000 Americans to service opportunities. Their contributions of skills, knowledge, and experience make a real difference to individuals, nonprofits, and faith-based and other community organizations throughout the United States.

Save the Children is the leading independent organization creating lasting change in the lives of children in need in the United States and around the world. Recognized for their commitment to accountability, innovation and collaboration, Save the Children takes us into the heart of communities, where they help children and families help themselves.

The Save Darfur Coalition’s mission is to  raise public awareness about the ongoing genocide in Darfur and to mobilize a unified response to the atrocities that threaten the lives of two million people in the Darfur region.

Physicians for Peace is an international, humanitarian, non-profit, medical education organization dedicated to building peace and international friendships in developing nations with unmet medical needs and scarce resources through medical education and training, clinical care, and donated medical supplies.

Our Voices Together believes that addressing the existing disparity in living standards worldwide is central to reducing terrorism—not because terrorists are poor or because poor people are more likely to become terrorists, but because poverty creates fragile conditions and resentment which extremists exploit. Over time, greater equity, greater interfaith and cross-cultural interaction, and acts of goodwill neutralize the ability of terrorists to polarize communities and manipulate popular support for their actions.

The ONE Campaign seeks to raise public awareness about the issues of global poverty, hunger, disease and efforts to fight such problems in developing countries. In furtherance of these purposes, the ONE Campaign mobilizes people from all 50 states and America’s leading non-profit, advocacy and humanitarian organizations to expand awareness of these issues. Further, they publish educational information about the impact of overseas development assistance and reformation of unfair international trade regimes on global poverty, hunger and disease. They also raise awareness about and promote the framework of the Millennium Development Goals to eradicate poverty and improve public health and education.

Omidyar Network believes that all individuals have the innate potential to make life better for themselves and their communities. Certain conditions increase the likelihood for individuals to discover and act on that potential, and consequently improve the quality of their lives as they define it. Such “enabling” conditions include equal access to information, resources and tools, the ability to connect to others with shared interests, and a sense of ownership over outcomes. Their work is focused on building and sustaining environments characterized by these conditions.

New York Junior Tennis League is a non-profit 501(c)3 organization dedicated to transforming young lives through tennis. To develop the character of young people through tennis, emphasizing the ideals and life of Arthur Ashe by reaching out to young people who otherwise would not have the opportunity to learn and play tennis, instilling the values of humanitarianism, leadership and academic excellence, and introducing the opportunity to fully develop tennis skills and competitive potential for a lifetime of enjoyment.

New Profit is a national venture philanthropy fund designed to provide the necessary resources for social entrepreneurs to achieve their visions. They provide multi-year financial and strategic support to a portfolio of organizations focused on a range of issues from childhood literacy and college access to workforce development and civic engagement. Uniting funding and intellectual capital from individual investors with a unique set of resources from the Monitor Group and other signature partners, they help social entrepreneurs meet the challenge of building organizations to scale their social impact. New Profit is also committed to advancing a broader agenda by sharing lessons from our work with the field. They aspire to build a community dedicated to creating high-impact social change through a new approach to philanthropy.

Network for Good is the Internet’s leading charitable resource, bringing together donors, volunteers and charities online to accomplish good. At www.networkforgood.org, users can donate to more than one million charities and search from among more than 36,000 volunteer opportunities. In addition, non-profits can access tools for fundraising, volunteer recruitment and donor communication.

Since their inception in November 2001, more than 430,000 people have donated more than $100 million to over 20,000 charities through Network for Good. Another 232,555 people have found volunteer opportunities through Network for Good. They’ve also helped more than 6,000 nonprofits raise funds, cultivate donors and recruit volunteers through our online tools.

Learn & Serve America supports and encourages service-learning throughout the United States, and enables over one million students to make meaningful contributions to their community while building their academic and civic skills. By engaging our nation’s young people in service-learning, Learn and Serve America instills an ethic of lifelong community service. Learn and Serve America provides direct and indirect support to K-12 schools, community groups and higher education institutions to facilitate service-learning projects.

Kiva lets you connect with and loan money to unique small businesses in the developing world. By choosing a business on Kiva.org, you can “sponsor a business” and help the world’s working poor make great strides towards economic independence. Throughout the course of the loan (usually 6-12 months), you can receive email journal updates from the business you’ve sponsored. As loans are repaid, you get your loan money back.

Kids for Tomorrow as a non-profit dedicated to bringing educational opportunity to developing nations throughout the world. Kids for Tomorrow’s primary focus is on funding the building of schools in these developing nations with particular emphasis on primary grades. Secondarily, Kids for Tomorrow will work to facilitate interaction and networking between American school administrators and students and their counterparts in developing countries. In addition, Kids for Tomorrow will aim to develop communication and to establish an exchange of language, education and culture.

PADRES Contra El Cáncer brings together children, families, healthcare professionals and community leaders to promote a comprehensive understanding of childhood cancer and other blood disorders, as well as, effective methods for their treatment. Founded in 1985, PADRES was created after two research studies funded by the American Cancer Society indicated that culturally–relevant educational and emotional support services for the Latino patient were lacking in the medical setting. All PADRES programs, activities and services, while oriented to the Latino community, serve childhood cancer patients from all races and ethnic origins. No family is turned away.

Founded in 1970, Harlem Children’s Zone, Inc. is a pioneering, non-profit, community-based organization that works to enhance the quality of life for children and families in some of New York City’s most devastated neighborhoods. Formerly known as Rheedlen Centers for Children and Families, HCZ Inc.’s centers serve more than 13,000 children and adults, including over 9,500 at-risk children. The emphasis of our work is not just on education, social service and recreation, but on rebuilding the very fabric of community life. The Children’s Zone intentionally develops programs where other agencies are not located and poor children and families have no one, or even a place, to run for help.

The BBB Wise Giving Alliance helps donors make informed giving decisions and advances high standards of conduct among organizations that solicit contributions from the public. The Alliance was formed in 2001 through the merger of the National Charities Information Bureau with the Council of Better Business Bureaus’ Foundation (which housed the Philanthropic Advisory Service.) The merger partners offer over a century of combined experience in charity evaluation. The Alliance produces in-depth evaluative reports on national charities based on comprehensive Standards for Charity Accountability and publishes a quarterly magazine, the Better Business Bureau Wise Giving Guide.

The Genocide Intervention Network’s motto is “Have a hand in stopping genocide. Educate. Advocate. Fundraise.”

Experience Corps, an award-winning program, engages people over 55 in meeting their communities’ greatest challenges. Today, in 19 cities across the country, 2,000 Experience Corps members tutor and mentor elementary school students struggling to learn to read. Independent research shows that Experience Corps boosts student academic performance, helps schools and youth-serving organizations become more successful, and enhances the well-being of the older adults in the process.