From collaborating with our global centers in Mumbai and Nigeria to staging events closer to home, Hollywood, Health & Society had a hugely productive year in 2015. Below are just some of the highlights:
Morelia Film Festival: Hollywood, Health & Society, with the help of the World Bank and an international group of filmmakers and writers-producers, presented a series of events on effective storytelling at the 13th annual Morelia Film Festival in Mexico.
Racing Extinction: Hollywood, Health & Society presented an exclusive sneak preview of Racing Extinction, the new environmental documentary from Academy Award-winning director Louie Psihoyos (The Cove). The screening was followed by a brief panel and Q&A with Psihoyos and other special guests that included Dr. Margaret Leinen, director of the Scripps Institution of Oceanography. Filmmaker and environmentalist Lyn Davis Lear was the moderator for the event.
The Double XX Files: Our panel about health and justice for women in media brought the topics of sexual assault, breast cancer and reproductive care into sharp focus with behind-the-scenes looks at the creative process from entertainment writers and producers. Guest speakers included Beau Willimon, showrunner and writer for the Netflix series House of Cards; Peter Hedges, director and Academy Award-nominated screenwriter (Pieces of April, About a Boy, What’s Eating Gilbert Grape); and Temeika Fairley, a senior health scientist with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Expo Milano 2015: New studies conducted by HH&S on the image of food on TV and the impact of different kinds of news about nutrition on audiences were previewed during a multimedia event at the world’s fair in Italy. Panelists included legendary TV writer-producer Norman Lear, TV producer Phil Rosenthal and Los Angeles chef Sherry Yard.
Angry Birds Friends Champions for Earth: HH&S provided climate-related facts and help lining up celebrity spokespeople for the Angry Birds Champions for Earth tournament. Danny DeVito, Ian Somerhalder and Don Cheadle were among the actors who had Angry Birds avatars created in their likeness to bring attention to climate change and the environment.
Sentinel Awards: The hit CBS series Madam Secretary was the winner in the Drama category at the glittering ceremony for the 16th annual Sentinel Awards. Other winners included Jane the Virgin (the CW) for Comedy, Vice (HBO) for Climate Change, and East Los High (Hulu) for Serial Drama.
TV Storylines: With continued expert consultations and briefings on a range of public health and climate change topics, HH&S expanded its relationships with shows on TV and streaming channels. Among those we’ve worked with: Hell on Wheels (AMC), Dominion (SyFy), Girl Meets World (Disney), Recovery Road (Disney/ABC Family), The Blacklist (NBC), Nashville (ABC), How to Get Away With Murder (ABC), Chicago Med (NBC), The Player (NBC), NCIS: Los Angeles (CBS), Elementary (CBS), East Los High (Hulu), Pretty Little Liars (ABC Family), Doc McStuffins (Disney Junior), Grey’s Anatomy (ABC), Days of Our Lives (NBC), Royal Pains (USA) and Switched at Birth (ABC Family).
