4 Most Annoying Things to Airline Travelers

Photo Credit: Global Express Airways


4 Most Annoying Things to Airline Travelers

CHICAGO, June 1, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- The DDB Life Style Study® asked Americans what was the worst experience to have on an airplane:

1. Sitting next to a boring person who won't stop talking.
2. Sitting next to a crying baby.
3. Sitting next to an obese person.
4. Sitting next to somebody with strong body odor.
Across gender, age and parenthood status, sitting next to somebody with strong body odor was considered the worst among the four choices by 64% of people.

The unpleasantness of sitting next to a crying baby pales in comparison, with only 23% of people citing this as the worst. Apparently, boring people can keep talking because only 8% of people found this the worst, and only 6% of people claimed sitting next to an obese person as the worst.

"Considering there are several movements currently taking place to create family-only sections of aircrafts, we were surprised to find that crying babies didn't rate higher as an annoyance to airline travelers," said James Lou, U.S. Chief Strategist at DDB. "There has been a lot of press indicating that people wish there were child-free flights. Stories of lawsuits about passengers claiming hearing loss as a result of sitting next to screaming children and news of families who were removed from flights because of their unruly children have received a lot of attention, but apparently those issues are in reality less bothersome than others."

Unsurprisingly, parenthood status does seem related to feelings about sitting next to a crying baby. According to the study, people who have children aged five or under are more tolerant of sitting next to a crying baby, with only 8% citing this as the worst choice. People with children aged 6 or older are less tolerant, with 18% claiming that sitting next to a crying baby is the worst.

"It's possible that these parents have selective memories of their own children's behavior or higher opinions of their own abilities to console their little bundles of joy," added Lou.

"Given how much conversation there has been around overweight individuals having to pay for an extra seat on some airlines, we were also surprised to find that sitting next to an obese person was the least bothersome to our respondents," added Lou. "It seems that we as a society may be more tolerant of overweight people than some of the new airline policies would have us believe."

About DDB
DDB Worldwide Communications Group Inc (www.ddb.com) ranks among the top five consolidated advertising and marketing services global networks, according to Advertising Age. Consistently one of the most awarded networks globally for creative excellence, DDB was Campaign's 2009 Global Network of the Year, the 2010 Spikes Asia Network of the Year, 2010 Eurobest Network of the Year, 2010 Campaign Asia Pacific Creative Network of the Year and captured both the Cyber Grand Prix and Film Craft Grand Prix at the 2010 International Advertising Festival in Cannes. With more than 200 offices in over 90 countries, the DDB Group helps grow the value and influence of leading brands around the world. DDB Worldwide is part of Omnicom Group Inc. (OMC).
SOURCE DDB

CONTACT: Mia Sissac, DDB Chicago, +1-313-552-6439, or Pat Sloan, DDB Worldwide, +1-212-415-3271
Web Site: http://www.ddb.com

Chivas Regal and FilmAid International Launch Global Brand Partnership in Cannes

Chivas Regal and FilmAid International Launch Global Brand Partnership in Cannes

FilmAid Founder Caroline Baron, FilmAid President Iliane Ogilvie Thompson and Long-time FilmAid Supporter Robert De Niro Celebrate Launch

CANNES, France, May 16 /PRNewswire/ — Chivas Regal, the world's original luxury Scotch whisky and Official Partner of the Festival de Cannes, has announced a new global brand partnership with the charity FilmAid International.



Caroline Baron, Robert DeNiro and James Slack


The official launch celebration of the partnership took place in Chivas House, on the Croisette in Cannes, on Friday 13th May and was attended by FilmAid Founder Caroline Baron, FilmAid President Iliane Ogilvie Thompson and long-time supporter of FilmAid and President of the Jury of this year's Festival de Cannes, Robert De Niro.

The partnership will see Chivas Regal and FilmAid working together to help, educate and inspire communities in need through the power of film. An initial donation of US$100,000 was made by Chivas Regal to support FilmAid projects across the world.

FilmAid International is a humanitarian organisation that harnesses the power of film to educate and bring hope to refugees and other communities in need around the globe. Founded in 1999 during the Balkan crisis, FilmAid works in partnership with the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) and other global aid organisations to bring film and video programs that inform inspire and empower to more than 1 million people.

Chivas Regal has a history of supporting cinema, having played a starring role at many of the world's most celebrated events. Now in its third year as the Official Partner of the Festival de Cannes, Chivas Regal continues to strengthen its position in, and commitment to, cinema.

To mark the launch, Chivas Regal commissioned Magnum Photos to create an exhibition showcasing the work of FilmAid, a selection of which is on display in Chivas House.

James Slack, Brand Director of Chivas Regal, says, "The work of FilmAid is truly inspirational and we are delighted to support the amazing work they do around the world.

"The partnership aligns well with values that Chivas Regal is passionate about: brotherhood, generosity, integrity and a social awareness for the world in which we live. The partnership with FilmAid provides our customers with a tangible proof-point of these values while reinforcing our commitment to film and cinema, whether it be here in Cannes or among some of the most needy communities in the world."

Liz Manne, Executive Director of FilmAid, says, "We at FilmAid International are delighted by our new partnership with Chivas Regal. Their dedication to cinema makes them the perfect partner for FilmAid, which brings cinema to those most in need of the inspiration and education that film can provide. We look forward to developing this partnership with Chivas in the future."


For free editorial content from the FilmAid partnership launch, visit the Chivas FTP site:

* Click on the following link ftp.chivasincannes.com
* To view this FTP site in Windows Explorer, click Page, and the click Open FTP Site in Windows Explorer.
* Username: Chivas
* Password: FilmAid2011

Notes to Editors

* Chivas Regal is now in its third year as official supplier of the Festival de Cannes – the most exclusive and celebrated international film festival.
* Chivas Regal's global brand partnership with FilmAid will see Chivas Regal provide financial support to FilmAid projects across the world.
* Chivas Regal commissioned Magnum Photos photographer, Dominic Nahr, to shoot on location at a FilmAid project in Kenya. A selection of images was showcased at the launch event in Cannes.

About Chivas Regal

* Chivas Regal is a truly international premium Scotch whisky brand, sold in more than 150 countries, selling over 4.2 million nine-litre cases annually.
* Chivas Regal is regarded as a global luxury icon, much like the celebrated Festival de Cannes.
* In addition to Cannes, which in 2011 runs from the 11th to the 22nd May, Chivas Regal has historically played a starring role at many other prestigious cinema occasions, such as the BAFTA Nominees Party, The Academy Awards, Césars in France and more recently the Asian Film Awards, of which Chivas Regal 25 is the red carpet sponsor.

About FilmAid International

* FilmAid International is a non-profit organization that harnesses the power of film to reach refugees and other communities in need with messages that inspire, address critical shared needs and effect social change.
* Working in refugee camps, urban slums, disaster zones and other communities in need, FilmAid's screenings provide a vital channel for conveying knowledge, empowerment and hope.
* FilmAid operates two on-going programmes in Kenya: the Kakuma Refugee Camp (85,000 people) on the border of Southern Sudan and the Dadaab Refugee Camp on the border of Somalia (337,000 people). These programmes serve refugees from Sudan, Somalia, Uganda, Rwanda, Congo, Burundi and Ethiopia. FilmAid also works with challenged communities within Kenya, including the Mathare and Kibera Slums. In late 2009, FilmAid started working with Burmese refugees in Thailand, and in 2010 began work with Internally Displaced Persons in Haiti, following the devastating earthquake.

For more information, please contact:
Astrid Froment
International Marketing Manager – Chivas Regal
Tel: +44 (0)20 8250 1658 I / Mobile: +44 (0)7810 630 737
astrid.froment@pernod-ricard.com

Jennie Norrish
Head of PR – Chivas Brothers
Tel: +44 (0) 208 250 1739 / Mobile: +44 (0) 7717 450 023
jennie.norrish@ pernod-ricard.com

Vanessa Jerrom/ Claire Vorger
French/International PR
Tel: +33 (0)1 42 97 42 47 / VJ Mobile: +33 (0) 6 14 83 88 82/ CV Mobile: +33 (0) 6 20 10 40 56
vanessajerrom@wanadoo.fr

Nick Gower
Senior Account Manager – Brand Rapport
Tel: +44 (0) 20 7932 5845 / Mobile: +44 (0) 7786 622 000
ngower@brand-rapport.com

South African AIDS Film Draws Tears at Cannes World Premiere

Tears of empathy flowed copiously for heart broken Chanda, the 12 year old heroine of the South African AIDS film Life, Above All as viewers were gripped by the heartrending film Tuesday morning in the Salle Debussy at the world premiere as an official selection of the 63rd Cannes Film Festival in the Un Certain Regard category.




Allan Stratton, 59, the author of Chanda’s Secrets the young adult novel that was adapted for the film Life, Above All said he was already in tears when he saw only the rushes during the filming in South Africa.



Allan Stratton (centre) Thato Kgaladi (Soly, the boy) and Mapaseka Matheba (Iris, the girl) on the set of film Life, Above All in South Africa.


“I wrote Chanda’s Secrets to put a human face to the Sub-Saharan AIDS pandemic. It’s a visually charged story that reaches audiences of all ages. A film version, created on location by South African director Oliver Schmitz, is a dream come true,” Allan Stratton said.




Chanda’s Secrets has won many prizes since 2005, including the Africana Book Award, Michael L. Printz Honor Book award and a finalist for the Prix Sorciere of France and it has been translated into over ten languages.


Life, Above All was directed by Oliver Schmitz, the South African director whose apartheid films Mapantsula and Hijack Stories have also been screened at the Cannes in 1988 and 2001.


“I think Allan Stratton found a very good way of showing the impact of AIDS in South Africa,” said Schmitz.

“Although the main story remains the same, many little changes were made. Allan Stratton’s novel is located in Africa, but we have tried to remain very specific in terms of language and culture. For me, this sort of detail is crucial because I want to be sure that I’m faithfully representing our universal history.”




The author said he spent a month in Botswana to research for the facts.
“I knew what it felt like to lose a loved one and what AIDS panic looked like, but I did want to see what was different. In Africa, instead of attacking a subset of society, it’s attacked entire societies. Two things I didn’t expect: Internet cafés everywhere, and the joy in people. When you watch the news, you see people in postures of despair and flies buzzing around babies and glassy expressions. But the truth is that there is so much fire and laughter and joy. It made me think of how resilient people are and how, against probability, there are people who are able to grow and thrive — and that’s the story of Chanda, ”


Life, Above All was produced by German filmmaker Oliver Stoltz whose chance meeting with Allan Stratton during a reading tour in Germany in 2005 led to the film adaptation of the novel.




SYNOPSIS:
Nothing is more contagious than lies

Just after the death of her newly-born baby sister, Chanda, 12 years old, learns of a rumor that spreads like wildfire through her small, dust-ridden village near Johannesburg. It destroys her family and forces her mother to flee. Sensing that the gossip stems from prejudice and superstition, Chanda leaves home and school in search of her mother and the truth.

CREDITS

• Oliver SCHMITZ – Director
• Dennis FOON – Screenplay
• Bernhard JASPER – Cinematography
• Christiane ROTH – Set Designer
• Ali N. ASKIN – Music
• Dirk GRAU – Film Editor

ACTORS

• Thato KGALADI – Soly
• Keaobaka MAKANYANE – Esther
• Harriet MANAMELA – Mrs Tafa
• Khomotso MANYAKA – Chanda
• Mapaseka MATHEBE – Iris
• Tinah MNUMZANA – Aunt Lizbet
• Lerato MVELASE – Lillian
• Aubrey POOLO – Jonah

THE STORY:

Chanda, 16, is a smart and determined South African girl on track to win a scholarship – but she’s suddenly thrust into an impossible situation, forcing her to adopt maturity beyond her years. When we first meet her, she’s making funeral arrangements for her year-old sister, Sara. If people begin to suspect Sara’s death was due to more than a passing flu, Chanda will be faced with shame and stigma, not only for the victim, but also for their entire family.

When Lilian’s (Chanda’s mother) illness becomes impossible to hide, their nosy, eccentric next-door neighbor, Mrs. Tafa, engages a spirit doctor to perform a startling ritual. The spirit doctor determines that a curse is hanging over her and her children. In order to lift it,

Lilian must return to the village from where she was banished decades before, leaving Chanda alone to care for her siblings.

Meanwhile, Chanda’s best friend, Esther, has turned to prostitution in a desperate attempt to survive and reunite her own family. Though the community shuns Esther, Chanda refuses to reject her friend. To the horror of those around her, Chanda opens her house to Esther at her friend’s moment of greatest need. That’s just the beginning of Chanda’s fight against convention.

When Chanda discovers that her mother may have gone away to die in order to spare her children shame, she ignores the cautions of the meddling Mrs. Tafa, and embarks on a fateful journey to bring her mother home. And in doing so, challenges the people around her to reject their prejudices and embrace the truth.






~ By Ekenyerengozi Michael Chima

IndieFlix Unveils New Indie Film Distribution Model at Cannes

20 May 2009 10:38 Africa/Lagos

IndieFlix Unveils New Indie Film Distribution Model at Cannes

CANNES, France, May 20 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- IndieFlix CEO Scilla Andreen launched today an international tour to introduce new distribution models for independent films, highlighting her company's premium packaging of Andrew Robinson's "April Showers," based on the Columbine High School massacre in 1999.


For the film, IndieFlix has identified a core audience segment of 30 million U.S. moviegoers and is providing them not only with the most number of ways to view it, but also with the tools to use the movie as a platform for social change.


The campaign is one of a series of release stages, carefully sequenced to build audience influence.


Rather than compete headlong against Hollywood studio films in the entertainment section of major newspapers, "April Showers" made its debut instead as part of a national conversation on the future of learning in America. In that context, Robinson's story as a survivor of the Columbine shootings was covered by the broadcast and print media as a national news item even before its initial theatrical release. As a result, Robinson quickly became a sought-after commentator and discussion leader.


Meanwhile, IndieFlix mounted a comprehensive online distribution campaign hot on the heels of the theatrical engagements. Working with a network of the biggest names in online delivery, IndieFlix was able to offer "April Showers" directly to moviegoers across all platforms.


However, the distributor's real focus was on coordinating this stage of the release with a range of social networking strategies. This effort brought in the highest-quality feedback from the most influential audience segments. At this point, it became obvious that "April Showers" had connected with an audience ready to champion the film in settings where it would have the greatest impact, namely, in schools and with community groups.


To create a package that would redefine educational distribution, IndieFlix teamed up with the April Showers Foundation, created by Robinson and the film's producers, and with School Safety Partners, a Denver organization with deep ties with school administrators and educational funding sources. Together, they reached out to national and international experts in student development and school safety, and were greeted with an outpouring of social change and capacity-building resources that could be added to the school edition of "April Showers."


This multiplied the distribution possibilities. IndieFlix is now able to offer greater value to organizational buyers of the film, who typically pay a premium license fee. In addition, the package has generated cause marketing opportunities for corporate sponsors, and discussions are underway to provide a sponsored distribution of the "April Showers" educational edition to every school in the United States.


As Andreen oversees a state-by-state educational rollout, she expects that this stage of distribution will lead not only to broader DVD and Blu-ray distribution, but also to broadcast airings of the film that are treated as must-see television events.


Her worldwide tour to discuss new distribution models to the independent film and video community includes visits to dozens of film festivals and appearances at financing conferences. Filmmakers interested in learning more are encouraged to visit IndieFlix.com, which currently represents more than 2,000 titles.


Source: IndieFlix

CONTACT: John Simmons, +1-303-548-3816,
johnsimmons@schoolsafetypartners.org, for IndieFlix

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Singapore Film HERE Selected for the 41st Directors' Fortnight at Cannes

24 Apr 2009 17:03 Africa/Lagos

Singapore Film HERE Selected for the 41st Directors' Fortnight at Cannes

SINGAPORE, April 24 /PRNewswire/ -- Singapore continues its strong showing at this year's Cannes Film Festival with HERE by Singapore filmmaker and visual artist Ho Tzu Nyen selected for screening at the 41st Directors' Fortnight section, which is known for selecting cutting-edge films with an original directorial style.


As a first-time feature film director, Ho is also eligible for the Camera d'Or (Golden Camera) award, a distinction for best first feature film in any one of the Cannes' selections - the Official Selection, the Directors' Fortnight or the International Critics' Week.


Said Ho Tzu Nyen who is both the scriptwriter as well as the director of the film, "HERE represents a cinematic amalgamation of my interests and experiences in painting, conceptual art and sound art. I believe it to be a new kind of Singapore film - a total sensorial experience that is hopefully also a head-trip."


The film is supported by the Singapore Film Commission's (SFC) 35mm Fulfillment Fund, which helps local filmmakers defray the costs of converting the digital version of their film to a 35mm print master, a format required by the Festival.


Mr. Kenneth Tan, Director of the Singapore Film Commission and Chief Operating Officer of Media Development Authority of Singapore said, "Singapore films have been gaining traction in the international markets over the last few years. Our varying styles and genres have been featured at Cannes every year since 2005, presenting our young filmmakers with a valuable launch pad for their international film careers. I am confident that local filmmakers such as Ho will continue to make their mark around the world."


Singapore's showing at Cannes began as early as 1997 when Eric Khoo's 12 Storeys was invited under the Un Certain Regard section. This year marks the fifth consecutive year that a Singapore film has been featured at the Festival, starting with Khoo's Be With Me in 2005, which opened the Director's Fortnight. This was followed by the 2006 country showcase where 12 Singapore feature films and short films were presented at the World Cinema (Tous les Cinemas du Monde) event. In 2007, Anthony Chen's short film Ah Ma clinched a Special Mention at the Festival, while Pok Yue Weng's short film SuperDONG and Ekachai Uekrongtham's feature film Pleasure Factory were screened at Directors' Fortnight and Un Certain Regard respectively. Last year, Khoo's latest film My Magic became the first Singapore film to compete for the prestigious Palme d'Or award.


HERE is a co-production by Canada's gsmprjct media and M'GO Films and Singapore's Akanga Film Asia, Oak3 Films and Tzulogical Films. The film was shot entirely in Singapore across 11 days in a former mental hospital. It tells the story of a middle-aged man who struggles to make sense of his reality following the sudden death of his wife. The protagonist of the film, played by lead actor John Low, is selected to undergo a mysterious treatment known as the 'videocure'. While undergoing treatment, he learns a profound lesson about love and fate. HERE's screening at Cannes will mark the film's world premiere while the theatrical release in Singapore is scheduled for June this year.


Added Ho Tzu Nyen, "HERE is both a love story, and also a story about the German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche's idea of 'Amor Fati' or love of fate - in which the test of an affirmative life is that of someone who is willing to live his life over and over again, without making a single change."


Ho will join a delegation of film companies and directors led by MDA and SFC to the upcoming Cannes Film Festival and Market (Marche du Film) from 13 to 24 May 2009. The Cannes Film Market is a trade event that runs parallel to the Cannes Film Festival.


Press Contact:
Marylou Johnston VP, Managing Director, global
Priority Public Relations
marylou@prioritypr.net; +33 6 87 77 49 89

Source: Media Development Authority of Singapore

CONTACT: Marylou Johnston VP, Managing Director, global of Priority
Public Relations, +33 6 87 77 49 89, marylou@prioritypr.net, for Media
Development Authority of Singapore

See You in Cannes (Part 1)

See You in Cannes (Part 1)

This morning we were at the French Consulate in Ikoyi for a visa appointment and Fidelis Duker, the COO of the Abuja International Film Festival was there as well. Supple magazine and a selection of Nigerian newspapers have been given press accreditation for the forthcoming 62nd Festival de Cannes. Fidelis Duker is one of the most hardworking professionals doing their best for the sustainable development of the $236 million Nigerian film industry.

The Cannes Film Festival is the biggest and most popular film festival in the world and attracts the top stars of Hollywood and Bollywood to the Palais des Festivals et des Congrès in Cannes south of France every May, but most of the so called leading stars of Nollywood are ignorant of Cannes. Supple magazine is going to convene the first forum on Nollywood and the Cannes film Festival to inform the Nigerian actors, actresses, marketers, and the general public on the film festival and why Nigeria should not be left of the competition at Cannes. Our goal is to challenge Nigerian filmmakers to compete for the highest honors at the Festival de Cannes.

~ Ekenyerengozi Michael Chima


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