United Nations Secretary-General to Open the Global Insight Summit at Jackson Hole...

United Nations Secretary-General to Open the Global Insight Summit at Jackson
Hole Film Festival
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and Other Diplomats to Meet with Leading
Members of Entertainment Industry to Raise Awareness of Global Issues

JACKSON, Wyo. and NEW YORK, Feb. 4 /PRNewswire/ -- The United Nations and
The Jackson Hole Film Institute, announced the first Global Insight Summit to
take place at the fifth annual Jackson Hole Film Festival, June 5-9, 2008. The
Global Insight Summit represents an unprecedented collaboration, bringing
together entertainment leaders and UN officials to explore how film and
television can be leveraged to bring awareness to global issues. The
Secretary-General of the United Nations, Ban Ki-moon will open the Global
Insight Summit and will conduct a series of private meetings with leading
members of the film and television community.
The Global Insight Summit is a groundbreaking effort by the United Nations
and the Jackson Hole Film Institute to work with the entertainment community
to highlight critical international concerns. Actors, writers, producers and
directors from film and television will join the Secretary-General and other
senior UN officials to discuss important global issues and the role of film
and television media in raising public awareness of these problems and of the
UN's role in addressing them.
"I look forward to attending the inaugural Global Insight Summit this year
and meeting with leading film executives and industry leaders," said
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. "This dynamic initiative by the United Nations
and the Jackson Hole Film Institute will help tackle critical global issues.
By promoting greater public awareness and engagement, the Summit will be an
important contribution to the work of the UN."
The Global Insight Summit 2008 will include:

-- A welcome address given on June 6, 2008 by the Secretary-General to
attendees from the film and television community and the public.
-- Small group meetings between the Secretary-General, senior UN officials
and leading members of the entertainment industry to discuss world
events, to highlight UN activities, and to discuss ways to engage the
world on specific neglected and critical issues.
-- Panels open to the public, focusing on the theme (to be announced) of
the Global Insight Summit. Panel participants may include Goodwill
Ambassadors, UN senior officials, media figures and national leaders.
-- Private meetings organized between the entertainment industry and UN
officials and diplomats.

"The many diverse and critical jobs handled by the UN around the globe are
not well understood even by those with a reason to study this type of work,"
said William J. Rouhana, Jr., board member of the Jackson Hole Film Institute
and chairman of its Global Insight Committee. "Entertainment industry leaders
have the ability to change this awareness by participating with the UN at the
Global Insight Summit. It is our hope that increased understanding of these
issues and the UN's work will lead to increased public support for solving
some of these problems."
The collaboration between the UN and the Jackson Hole Film Festival was
spearheaded by Rouhana, a former vice chairman of the United Nations
Association and co-founder and current vice chairman of the Humpty Dumpty
Institute, an organization that regularly brings members of Congress to the UN
for private, off-the-record briefings on critical U.S. - UN issues.
Complementing the Summit will be a selection of films that exhibit the
power of visual media to focus world attention on urgent issues. Through a
juried selection process, the Global Insight Film Award will honor the film
that best serves as a catalyst for raising public awareness and engagement in
an important global issue.
"Our Global Insight Program has always demonstrated the power of film and
television to raise awareness of important global issues," said Eben Dorros,
president and chairman, Jackson Hole Film Institute. "We believe that our
partnership with the UN will significantly increase our ability to achieve
that goal."
About Jackson Hole Film Institute
Jackson Hole Film Institute, presenter of the Jackson Hole Film Festival,
is a non-profit organization whose mission is to empower independent
filmmakers and global audiences through film and new media.
The 5th annual Jackson Hole Film Festival will take place June 5-9, 2008,
and will screen approximately 70 independent films competing in seven program
categories including: Independent Features; Independent Shorts; Documentaries;
World Program: Spotlight Latin America; Global Insight; Sports Action; and
Student Voices. Representing more than 20 countries, the Festival is committed
to creating a platform for global inspiration and change. In addition to its
film programs, the Festival is also recognized for its extraordinary evening
events and high profile forums that enrich the Festival and give
festival-goers the opportunity to interact with filmmakers in a casual setting
Together with the United Nations, the Jackson Hole Film Institute presents
the first Global Insight Summit, an international gathering where
entertainment leaders and UN officials come together to explore how film and
television can be leveraged to highlight critical international concerns.
For more information on the Jackson Hole Film Festival, The Global Insight
Summit or to purchase festival passes visit
http://www.jacksonholefilmfestival.org.
For more information about the United Nations please visit
http://www.un.org.
SOURCE The Jackson Hole Film Institute

Paula Cavagnaro of Antenna Group, +1-415-977-1915, paula@antennagroup.com, for
Jackson Hole Film Institute; or Susan Farkas of the United Nations,
+1-212-963-3407, susan.farkas@un.org