United Nations Association Of New York Announces 2019 Humanitarian Of The Year Award And Partnership With Freedom United

New York Times journalist Nicholas Kristof, Academy Award-winning actress Mira Sorvino and Delta Air Lines among those honored at the annual United Nations Day Humanitarian of the Year Award Gala Dinner 2019

The United Nations Association of New York (UNA-NY) held their annual United Nations Day Humanitarian of the Year Award Gala Dinner at the JW Marriott in New York City last night. 

The event gathered attendees together to raise awareness around human trafficking, recognized those who champion progress in this important category and celebrated their contributions to-date. 

Among those honored included Delta Air Lines, Academy Award-winning actress Mira Sorvino, and New York Times journalist Nicholas Kristof. In addition, the organization announced a critical partnership with Freedom United, the world's largest anti-slavery community, to act upon the mission and encourage more governments to ratify a comprehensive international standard on forced labor.

The UNA-NY's annual gala aims to acknowledge corporations and individuals for their contribution to, and in support of, the principles and efforts of the United Nations. With this year's theme taking specific focus around human trafficking, Allison Ausband, Senior Vice President of Inflight Services, accepted the Humanitarian of the Year Award on behalf of Delta Air Lines. 

• The airline was awarded the Humanitarian of the Year Award for its accomplishments to fight the global issue. As one of the world's largest airlines, Delta has contributed millions of dollars to fund organizations working to combat this epidemic, provided over 100 flights to victims, offered apprenticeships for survivors at its corporate headquarters, and trained 66,000 employees on how to identify and report human trafficking at home, onboard, or even during a flight.

Mira Sorvino (image via Wikipedia)

Actress and United Nations Goodwill ambassador Mira Sorvino was also honored, praised for her passion for social justice and her dedication to erase the issue of human trafficking worldwide. 

Having supported the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime anti-trafficking initiatives since 2007, Sorvino was appointed to her current position in 2009 as the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime's Goodwill Ambassador in the Global Fight Against Human Trafficking. 

• Sorvino has made enormous strides in the fight against human trafficking through a plethora of powerful actions that have been felt around the world, including testifying before the US Senate on human trafficking, helping engender legislative change and collaborating with the CNN Freedom project. Sorvino's undying efforts towards advocacy for human rights coupled with the contribution she has made to the UN has helped the organization push for progress around the world.

"The fight against human trafficking can only be won if people are aware of the scope and scale of the problem" says Abid Qureshi, President of UNA-NY. "The UNA-NY is honored to present both Academy Award winning actress and United Nations Goodwill ambassador Mira Sorvino and Delta Air Lines with the Humanitarian of the Year Awards," concludes Qureshi.

Nicholas Kristof (image via Wikipedia)

Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Nicholas Kristof was also celebrated for his immense contribution to the anti-human trafficking movement during the Gala, receiving the Lifetime Achievement Award. 

As one of the New York Times' most recognizable and widely-followed columnists, Kristof has leveraged his unique position in culture to bring attention to some of the world's most intractable problems when it comes to human trafficking. In a recent article, Kristof reminded the world's leaders, as they prepared to descend on New York for last week's annual gathering at the UN General Assembly, that tens of millions are effectively locked into modern forms of slavery. And that somewhere between 10,000 and 100,000 children are sold for sex in the United States every year. 

• He brings attention not only to the problem, but to solutions that work, such as grassroots community initiatives to identify those at risk of human trafficking.

The UNA-NY has a simple mission: to educate the public on the issues central to the endeavors of the UN, to advocate on the UN's behalf, and to engage the private sector on critical issues. In their efforts to act upon their mission and encourage international communities to eradicate human trafficking once and for all, the organization is both privileged and thrilled to recognize the most-deserving recipients of their annual Humanitarian of the Year Awards and Lifetime Achievement Award.

• For more information on the event and the association, please visit www.unanyc.org.

SOURCE: United Nations Association of New York

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Desmond Tutu Announces the Winners of the International Children's Peace Prize 2019: Greta Thunberg (16) and Divina Maloum (14)

The winner of the International Children's Peace Prize receives the statuette ‘Nkosi’, which shows how a child sets the world in motion...

From an impressive 137 applicants from 56 countries, the KidsRights' Expert Committee selected Divina from Cameroon and Greta from Sweden as winners. 

The International Children's Peace Prize will be awarded on November 20th, on Universal Children's Day in The Hague. The very special award ceremony, will also celebrate the fifteenth anniversary of the International Children's Peace Prize which became a global phenomenon and reached 1.2 billion people last year.

Personal congratulations from Archbishop Tutu

Archbishop Tutu, who has been the patron of the International Children's Peace Prize and KidsRights for more than a decade, said in a personal message to the winners: "I am in awe of you. Your powerful message is amplified by your youthful energy and unshakable belief that children can, no must, improve their own futures. You are true change-makers who have demonstrated most powerfully that children can move the world."

Introducing the winners

"The impact of both Greta and Divina for the future of many children is unmistakable, they are the rightful winners of the International Children's Peace Prize 2019," said Marc Dullaert, Founder of KidsRights and chairman of the Expert Committee.

Divina Maloum (14 years old, Cameroon, theme: Peace)

Divina Maloum (14 years old, Cameroon, theme: Peace). Since 2014, Cameroon has experienced terrorist attacks. When Divina visited the north of the country, she was horrified to see that children were the biggest victims of these terrorist attacks. She realized that many children do not know their rights, and so she created Children for Peace (C4P) to warn them about enrolment in armed groups and to reinforce the participation of children in peace-building and sustainable development. C4P is now a network of 100 children across the ten regions of Cameroon. She empowers them to be changemakers and to take part in peace initiatives in their communities. She has organized an inter-community children's peace camp, established peace clubs in mosques, and together with other children, made a children's declaration against violent extremism. Divina has big plans for the future and will not stop advocating for the right of children to live in peace.

Greta Thunberg (16 years old, Sweden, theme: environment)

Greta Thunberg (16 years old, Sweden, theme: environment) is a climate activist and a role model for international student climate activism. At the age of eight, when she first learned about climate change, she was shocked that adults did not appear to take the issue seriously. She could not understand why adults were not taking action against the climate crisis. Greta became depressed. She didn't eat, go to school or speak for months. It was vital for Greta to take measures in her own life; she refrains from flying, eats no meat or dairy and she has a shop stop, meaning that she doesn't buy new things. On August 20th 2018 Greta decided that it was time for her to take her efforts to the next level and speak out. She wanted more people to be aware and take action. Inspired by the 2018 International Children's Peace Prize winners March for Our Lives, she sat down in front of Sweden's parliament with a self-made banner skolstrejk för klimatet (school strike for climate).

• Please visit kidsrights.org/childrenspeaceprize for more information about the International Children's Peace Prize .

SOURCE: KidsRights

US: Alicia Keys, Farruko, French Montana, Becky G, G-Eazy And Many More To Perform At TIDAL X Rock The Vote Benefit Concert 10/21

Taking place on Monday, October 21st at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, NY, TIDAL X Rock The Vote Benefit Concert will be hosted by Angie Martinez and feature performances from Alicia Keys, Farruko, French Montana, Becky G, G-Eazy, Ty Dolla $ign, Carnage, CNCO, Moneybagg Yo, Doja Cat, Gashi, Dermot Kennedy, Lucky Daye, Angelica Vila, Nicole Bus and many more. (PRNewsfoto/TIDAL)

Today, global music streaming and entertainment platform, TIDAL, has announced a long-term partnership with the nation's foremost nonpartisan nonprofit dedicated to building the political power of young people, Rock The Vote. 

The partnership will kick off with TIDAL X Rock The Vote, a benefit concert to raise funds and awareness for voter registration, education and rights. Taking place on Monday, October 21st at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, NY, TIDAL's 5th annual concert will be hosted by Angie Martinez and feature performances from Alicia Keys, Farruko, French Montana, Becky G, G-Eazy, Ty Dolla $ign, Carnage, CNCO, Moneybagg Yo, Doja Cat, Gashi, Dermot Kennedy, Lucky Daye, Angelica Vila, Nicole Bus and many more.

"The 2020 election will be a critical moment for our communities and it is imperative to ensure record-breaking youth voter turnout. One hundred percent of net proceeds from ticket sales and campaign will be donated to Rock The Vote to register and prepare new voters who are unfamiliar with the process; build coordinated efforts with grassroots organizations in its partnership network to mobilize underserved youth across the country; litigate to fight for voting rights; and lead a high school civics education coalition."

Following the benefit concert, TIDAL and Rock the Vote will continue to raise funds and support registration drives, voter education, relational organizing efforts, and early vote and Election Day efforts.

Beginning today at 12:00 PM ET until 4:00 PM ET, TIDAL members will have exclusive access to a limited time discount on the purchase of standard tickets via TIDAL.com/RockTheVote or the TIDAL App (mobile & desktop). 

• Tickets go on-sale to the general public beginning 4:00 PM ET and can be purchased online at Ticketmaster.com

With support from partners like Mark Levinson By Harman, CIROC Ultra Premium Vodka and Snipes, 100% of net proceeds will be donated to Rock the Vote.

Since inception in 2015, the "TIDAL X" benefit concerts have raised millions of dollars for social justice, criminal justice reform, disaster relief & recovery, and education causes. Each year more than 30 of the world's premier superstars and most promising emerging artists gather to support those in need across the globe. 

• Past performers include Stevie Wonder, Beyoncé, JAY-Z, Ms. Lauryn Hill, Jennifer Lopez, Kaskade, Fifth Harmony, Jessie Reyez, Alessia Cara, Flatbush Zombies, Bazzi and many more -- you can watch their performances here: TIDAL.com/Brooklyn

"The livestreamed benefit show furthers TIDAL's commitment to supporting philanthropic endeavors and key social issues that the music community is passionate about, including Lil Wayne's Social Wave For Change, T.I.'s TIDAL X: Money Talk Education Challenge as well as social justice initiatives from A$AP Ferg, The LOX, Damian Marley, Dec. 99th and more."

About TIDAL

TIDAL is an artist-owned global music and entertainment platform that brings artists and fans closer together through unique original content and exclusive events.

Available in 54 countries, the streaming service has more than 60 million songs and 250,000 high quality videos in its catalog along with original video series, podcasts, thousands of expertly curated playlists and artist discovery via TIDAL Rising. With the commitment of its owners to create a more sustainable model for the music industry, TIDAL is available in premium and HiFi tiers—which includes Master Quality Authenticated (MQA) recordings.

About Rock The Vote

Rock the Vote is a nonpartisan nonprofit dedicated to building the political power of young people. For nearly 30 years, Rock the Vote has revolutionized the way we use culture, music, art and technology to engage young people in politics, registering and turning out millions of young voters. During the last seven Presidential elections, Rock the Vote and its partners coordinated the largest voter registration drives for young people that added nearly 8 million new voters to the rolls and consistently turns out its voters more than 30 points above the national youth average. Rock the Vote fights for voting rights to ensure that all eligible voters can exercise their right to vote and promotes civic education to ensure young voters to have the resources and information they need to participate in our civic process. 

• Learn more at rockthevote.org 

SOURCE: TIDAL

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Wizarding World Digital Introduces The Official Harry Potter Fan Club And New Mobile Hogwarts Sorting Ceremony [Trailer Included]

The Official Harry Potter Fan Club

Wizarding World Digital today announces the launch of The Official Harry Potter Fan Club, which can be experienced through the first ever Wizarding World app - a Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts mobile companion, and new, interactive Wizarding World website. 

• Whether you've considered Hogwarts a home for over 20 years, or you've only recently been bewitched by a Niffler, everyone can now immerse themselves in the ever-expanding magical universe in new and innovative ways.

The Wizarding World app allows users to discover which house they belong to with a re-imagining of the famous Hogwarts Sorting Ceremony, featuring J.K. Rowling's original questions and a new augmented reality Sorting Hat, whilst those fans that have been previously sorted can reaffirm their house pride. 

The Wizarding World app - Sorting Hat

The new app is also packed with fresh content including exclusive videos, interactive quizzes and Secret Codes, plus the new fanzine 'Wizarding Weekly', putting the best of Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts right at your fingertips.

WizardingWorld.com – the new online home of Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts is where fans can enjoy all they loved from Pottermore.com, but with a trunk full of original content and new interactive experiences. Delve deeper into the stories you love, get behind-the-scenes details and enjoy all your favorites from J.K Rowling's archive of writing for Pottermore.

Accessible through both the app and the website, fans will be able to join The Official Harry Potter Fan Club for free. This will provide them with curated experiences from the Wizarding World, including an official Fan Club newsletter and member benefits. And soon, fans will have the option to enhance their membership experience with Wizarding World Gold, a yearly paid subscription that comes with a unique, annual gift and is packed with exclusives and special offers - all of the magic you love and more!

All these great experiences and features can be unlocked by registering for a personalised Wizarding Passport which is a fan's magical identity and holds their defining traits such as their Hogwarts house, Patronus and Wand.

Paul Kanareck, Managing Director of Wizarding World Digital says: 'The Harry Potter global phenomenon continues to be loved by fans of all ages – from the millions of people who discover the books for the first time to those who explore the movies, audiobooks, stage play, visitor attractions and games each year. We have a wonderful opportunity to create new experiences including a fan club for the digital age, which offers an amazing breadth of content and new interactive platforms that will give our fans around the world a truly connected experience across the Wizarding World universe.'

The Wizarding World app, available with the newly reimagined Hogwarts Sorting Ceremony can be downloaded today for free in the initial launch territories (UK, Ireland, US, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand) on the App Store for iPhone and Google Play for Android. 

The Official Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts companion

• Selected features will also be hosted globally online at WizardingWorld.com for fans who cannot access the app at this stage. 

• To join the free Official Harry Potter Fan Club today and stay up to date, visit WizardingWorld.com to receive the latest information and download the Wizarding World app.

The Wizarding World app - Dumbledore 

The Trailer

About World Digital 

Wizarding World Digital is a joint venture between Pottermore Ltd and Warner Bros. and is dedicated to delivering innovative and digital experiences for all fans of the Wizarding World. In 2019, it launched the Wizarding Passport, Wizarding World mobile app, WizardingWorld.com and The Official Harry Potter Fan Club.

About Wizarding World

More than two decades ago, a young Harry Potter was whisked onto platform nine and three-quarters at King's Cross Station, and readers everywhere were swept along with him into a magical universe, created by J.K. Rowling. In the years since, the seven Harry Potter bestsellers have inspired eight blockbuster movies, an award-winning stage play, and, more recently, the start of the Fantastic Beasts five-film series. People of all ages have been enthralled by these extraordinary adventures, set within an expanding universe, inspired by the vision of J.K. Rowling. For today's growing worldwide fan community, and for generations to come, the Wizarding World welcomes everyone to explore more of this magical universe — past, present and future. The Wizarding World also provides fans with an instant, trusted kite-mark of quality and authenticity.

About Pottermore Publishing

Pottermore Publishing is the global digital publisher of the Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts series as well as other audiobooks and eBooks from the Wizarding World. It leads the way in innovative digital publishing and to bring new generations of readers together with long-standing fans, celebrating and bringing to life the stories that first began with the Boy Who Lived. 

• Visit PottermorePublishing.com for the full range of publishing, including language availability as well as forthcoming releases.

SOURCE: Wizarding World Digital

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Star Wars: The Evolution Of The Death Star Reflects Hollywood's Growing Fears Of A Climate Apocalypse

The Death Star - Star Wars (Lucasfilms/Twentieth Century Fox)

Science fiction films are rarely about the future. Their distant planets and remote time periods instead seem to reflect upon the concerns and anxieties of the contemporary moment. For instance, 1978’s Invasion of the Bodysnatchers played on the US public’s fear of communism at the height of the Cold War. Terminator 2: Judgement Day capitalised on concerns of a nuclear apocalypse and the fears associated with escalating artificial intelligence.

In the 21st century, in this era being referred to as The Anthropocene, fears of environmental disaster seem to have eclipsed those of a cold war, nuclear apocalypse or technological singularity. Rising temperatures, melting sea ice, ocean acidification, deforestation, soil erosion, overpopulation, biodiversity loss and the general degradation of ecosystems worldwide are an escalating threat to all life’s survival on Planet Earth. How then does contemporary sci-fi respond to these pressures and demands of living on a dying planet?

Many recent sci-fi films seem to reflect this shift in concern. Interstellar, Snowpiercer, After Earth, IO: Last on Earth, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, Wall-E, Avatar, Geostorm, Annihilation and Okja, seem to situate a climate catastrophe – or more specific environmental concerns – as the dystopic impulses driving their narratives.

This ecological imagination of disaster can also be seen in sci-fi films that are not ostensibly about the environment. Star Wars stands out in particular here. The transformations between the original 1977 Death Star in the Star Wars trilogy to the Death Stars found in 2015’s Star Wars: The Force Awakens and 2016’s Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, succinctly chart a movement from a technological to an ecological imagination of disaster in the genre.

Design for the ultimate Death Star – Star Wars: Rogue One. (Lucasfilms/20th Century Fox)

Death Stars then and now

The potential devastation in the original Death Star is akin to a nuclear strike. The device’s advanced technology is front and centre of its representation – there are plenty of shots of buttons being prodded and levers being pulled prior to its laser firing. More obviously, this weapon’s total and instantaneous destruction of Princess Leia’s home planet of Alderaan neatly connects with fears of a huge atom bomb’s almost unimaginable destructive power.

Destroyer of worlds: the original Death Star in the 1977 Star Wars.(Lucasfilms/20th Century Fox)

By contrast the “new” Death Star of The Force Awakens – called “Star Killer Base” – is solar powered. It is a planet with a weapon in it, as opposed to the original, a weapon shaped like a planet.

Where the destruction of Alderaan by the Death Star felt like a massive explosion, when Star Killer Base’s lasers land on their target planets it is instead as if they go through some sort of geological catastrophe. This geological imagery is echoed when Star Killer Base is itself destroyed. It does not blow up immediately, as the original Death Star did, but undergoes what’s referred to as “a collapse”.

During this collapse two of the central characters, Kylo Ren and Rey, have time for a climactic lightsaber duel among the tectonic chaos, dodging great chasms that open in the ground as the snowy forest landscape is slowly engulfed. This drawn-out collapse sits in stark contrast to the instantaneous explosion of the 1977’s Death Star, wherein no such luxury of time was afforded to Grand Moff Tarkin.

The Death Star in Rogue One also draws on environmental imagery and a longer timescale of destruction. Rogue One is a prequel to 1977’s Star Wars – and the plot partly revolves around the Empire’s construction of this iconic battleship. So it is interesting that – despite a need to ensure continuity with the original film – Rogue One’s Death Star aesthetically operates rather differently to the Death Star first seen in 1977.

When its laser strikes the film quickly ignores the device’s technological underpinning. Instead a Frankenstein stitching of unruly weathers approaches on the target of Jedha City: part mudslide, part storm, part Earthquake, part pyroclastic flow. What once appeared as dangerous technology now manifests as dangerous weather.

Shifting crises

Star Wars’ Death Stars are not alone in this representational shift. In Independence Day (1996), aliens blow up the White House with a laser. By 2016’s Independence Day: Resurgence, the aliens are reinvented as intergalactic miners who use this laser to drill into the Earth’s core to extract energy.

At the end of the original Planet of the Apes, Charlton Heston gets down on his knees and exclaims: “You maniacs! You blew it all up” – implying humans bombed themselves into near extinction. By the time Dawn of the Planet of the Apes came along in 2014, we were on the side of an environmentally situated and self-subsisting ape colony, who simply wish to be left alone in the forest. As with Star Wars, the technological seems to give way to the ecological in 21st-century iterations of 20th-century franchises.

Anthropocene anxieties

Susan Sontag’s 1965 article The Imagination of Disaster revolves around her belief that sci-fi films imagine the disaster narrative of the time in which they are made. These examples suggest that the disaster that is being imagined today is environmental, with these films situating the ecological concerns of a warming climate above and beyond that of nuclear Armageddon.

Such a shift in attention is timely and pertinent to the pressures of a rapidly warming climate, and at the time of writing the Amazon rainforest is still burning fiercely.

Through the mirrored unruly environments found in sci-fi cinema and our contemporary moment alike, we are reminded that the worst effects of ecological collapse are continually unfolding. And this crisis is not only happening on fictitious planets and in far-flung time periods – but right here and now on Earth.

About Today's Contributor:

Toby Neilson, PhD Film Researcher, University of Glasgow, is the author of:
Different Death Stars and devastated Earths: Contemporary sf cinema’s imagination of disaster in the Anthropocene

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. 

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Intelligence Whistleblowers Often Pay A Severe Price

Blowing the whistle carries major risks. (BlueSkyImage/Shutterstock.com)

When President Donald Trump likened a whistleblower’s White House sources to spies and made a lightly veiled reference to execution, he highlighted a longstanding peril facing those who come forward to alert the public to governmental wrongdoing.

In many instances, whistleblowers find the abusive power they have revealed turned against them, both ending their careers and harming their personal lives.

In the private sector, whistleblowers are often ignored and told their concern is not part of their job description – and are commonly retaliated against by being demoted or fired.

When a whistleblower is in the U.S. intelligence and national security sphere, they’re often speaking out about misdeeds by powerful figures – and, as a result, have frequently faced death threats, physical attacks, prosecution and prison.

The new whistleblower report that alleges wrongdoing by the president is a reminder of the vital importance of holding wrongdoers accountable, regardless of their level of power. When those acts affect national security, whistleblowing is even more important. But as I’ve found in my whistleblowing research, whistleblowers in this arena have far fewer legal protections from retaliation than those in corporate settings or elsewhere in government.

From left, NSA whistleblowers Thomas Drake, William Binney and Kirk Wiebe, who all alleged retaliation from the government. (Rob Kall/Flickr, CC BY)

Targets of retaliation

The consequences for government whistleblowers in the last 20 years have been harsh, in part because laws about classified information have made it difficult for people to publicize wrongdoing on sensitive issues.

After William Binney and J. Kirk Wiebe alleged in 2002 that their employer, the National Security Agency, mismanaged intelligence-gathering software that potentially could have prevented 9/11, their homes were raided and ransacked by the FBI as their families watched. Ultimately, the NSA revoked their security clearances and they were forced to sue to recover the confiscated personal property.

Another NSA whistleblower, Thomas Drake, alleged in 2002 that the agency’s mass-surveillance programs after 9/11 involved fraud, waste and violations of citizens’ rights. He became the subject of one of the biggest government leak investigations of all time and was prosecuted for espionage, which he ultimately settled through a plea agreement.

A third NSA whistleblower, Edward Snowden has spent years in exile, fearing an unfair trial should he return to the U.S.

Former Army intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning has spent years in federal prison for releasing classified documents regarding U.S. military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Difficult consequences can come not just from the government but also from the public and the media. The New York Times has come under criticism for revealing identifying details about the current whistleblower’s position.

Edward Snowden and Chelsea Manning. (Composite from Laura Poitras and Tim Travers Hawkins/Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA)

Few protections

Most laws governing federal whistleblowers lay out a procedure for coming forward with concerns, offer protections for confidentiality, and prevent recipients of information from harassing, threatening, demoting, firing or discriminating against the person raising the complaint.

Whistleblowers reporting securities law violations to the Securities and Exchange Commission have those protections. So do whistleblowers who report on fraudulent billing or claims against the government, such as Medicare or Medicaid fraud.

It can be difficult to find a balance between the government’s need to protect highly sensitive classified information and the public’s interest in uncovering wrongdoing. As a result, protections for whistleblowers in the intelligence community lack robust protections. The Intelligence Community Whistleblower Protection Act of 1998 outlines a process for whistleblowers in the intelligence community to raise concerns, but doesn’t explicitly protect the whistleblower from retaliation or being publicly identified. Two executive-branch directives, created during the Obama administration, do bar retaliation against whistleblowers. However, they create a conflict of interest, because the person who determines whether there has been retaliation may be the person doing the retaliating.

Those Obama-era directives also prevent the whistleblower from seeking an independent court’s review. They do not specify whether and exactly how aggrieved whistleblowers are entitled to back pay or reinstatement of employment, which are common whistleblower remedies.

It’s no surprise, then, that in the first 10 years after the Intelligence Community Whistleblower Protection Act was enacted, no intelligence whistleblower was compensated for retaliation. While there have been no subsequent inquiries or information to determine whether intelligence whistleblowers have fared better since 2009, the law as it stands makes it nearly impossible for them to be protected.

Whistleblowers bring much-needed attention to matters of interest and importance to the public. Their courage – and willingness to face professional and personal peril – helps bring to light information that others would prefer to keep secret. That helps society as a whole fight injustice, waste, corruption and abuse of power, rather than passively and blindly accepting it.

About Today's Contributor:
Jennifer M. Pacella, Assistant Professor of Business Law and Ethics, Indiana University

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. 

Rodeo FX Reveals The Visual Effects Behind The Monsters Of 'Stranger Things 3'

'Stranger Things 3' - The Mind Flayer

Rodeo FX, lead vendor on the record-breaking third season of the Netflix hit series Stranger Things, is set to release three behind-the-scenes videos on October 2 that break down the visual effects that brought all the season's creatures and monsters to life. Inspired by the iconic title creature from The Thing, the Duffer Brothers' vision of the season's terrifying Mind Flayer was modeled and animated by the Rodeo FX team. The team also delivered complex visual effects for environments, matter and substances, including imploding rats and moving goop.

From previs and look development to compositing, the Rodeo FX team worked on the seven effects-rich episodes of the eight-episode season. VFX Supervisor Martin Pelletier led almost 200 artists over 13 months to deliver above 400 shots, hundreds of CG assets, and all the new season's CG creatures.

"After watching the first season of Stranger Things, I remember thinking that I had to work on that show one day," said VFX Supervisor Martin Pelletier. "The third season was such a treat to be a part of. Working with the Duffer Brothers is a remarkable experience. They are really enthusiastic and it's incredible to witness their creative process."

On set in Atlanta, and later at the post-production office in Los Angeles, Martin Pelletier met with VFX Supervisor Paul Graff and the Duffer Brothers on multiple occasions to discuss the artistic and technical challenges of bringing the season's epic monsters to life.

This marks an important achievement for the VFX house, which paved its way in the industry following three Emmy wins for its work on HBO's groundbreaking Game of Thrones. Having established its expertise in creature and animation work on It, Paddington 2, Bumblebee, Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle, and Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, among others, Rodeo FX was tasked by Netflix with raising the bar with new monsters.

"Netflix trusted us with the biggest effects for their flagship show, which was both a tremendous honour and a great challenge," said Rodeo FX President Sebastien Moreau. "I'm incredibly proud of how our teams rose to the occasion and delivered truly hair-raising creatures and effects."

The three making-of videos will be unveiled to the media via an exclusive, live, online presentation by VFX Supervisor Martin Pelletier and Animation Supervisor Yvon Jardel on October 1, at 11:00 a.m. (ET). The presentation will showcase the Rodeo FX's work, as well as feature anecdotes and stories from their team's collaboration with the Duffer Brothers.

Rodeo FX reveals the visual effects behind the monsters of Stranger Things 3 (CNW Group/Rodeo FX)

Click here to access the online presentation on October 1, at 11:00 a.m. (ET)

• Martin Pelletier and Yvon Jardel will also participate in a Facebook Live on October 2 at 12:00 p.m. (ET), followed by a Reddit AMA at 1:00 p.m.

• Stranger Things – Season 3 is available for streaming on Netflix.

SOURCE: Rodeo FX

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Sam Raimi Returns To New York Comic Con With R-Rated Version Of 'The Grudge'

'The Grudge'

In anticipation of Screen Gems' and Stage 6 Films' release of The Grudge on January 3, 2020, the cast and filmmakers will discuss the film for the first time as they address fans on a panel at New York Comic Con. 

The panel includes the film's producer, Sam Raimi, along with director Nicolas Pesce (The Eyes of My Mother, Piercing) and cast members Betty Gilpin ("Glow"), Lin Shaye (Insidious), and Andrea Riseborough. 

• The panel will take place on Thursday, October 3rd at 4 p.m. ET on the Main Stage at the Javits Center.

"I'm very excited to attend New York Comic Con and there's no better way than to go with this amazing cast and crew," said producer Sam Raimi. "I can't wait to finally share some truly wicked footage with the country's biggest Grudge fans."

The film is directed by Nicolas Pesce, with a screenplay by Nicolas Pesce, and story by Nicolas Pesce and Jeff Buhler based on the film Ju-On: The Grudge written and directed by Takashi Shimizu. Produced by Sam Raimi, Rob Tapert, and Taka Ichise. Executive producers are Nathan Kahane, Erin Westerman, Brady Fujikawa, Andrew Pfeffer, Roy Lee, Doug Davison, John Powers Middleton, and Schuyler Weiss. 

'The Grudge'

• The film stars Andrea Riseborough, Demián Bichir, John Cho, Betty Gilpin, with Lin Shaye and Jacki Weaver.

SOURCE: Sony Pictures Entertainment

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