Safe Haven Honored in Hollywood

Blue Heron International Pictures announced today that Safe Haven: The Warsaw Zoo, an award-winning Holocaust documentary directed by Gary Lester, has won a major award at the Los Angeles Cinema Festival of Hollywood.

"I am absolutely elated," said Lester from his home in Daytona Beach, Florida. "Any time Safe Haven wins an award, it honors the heroes of the story, the millions of Holocaust victims, the heroic rescuers, and everyone who had a part in making this movie."

The Los Angeles-based film festival bestowed Best Documentary laurel leaves to the production and has listed it as one of the main festival winners for 2010.

"In addition to these wonderful film festival awards, Safe Haven has attracted a lot of attention in classrooms around the world," said Lester.

"The message of the film is universal and timeless. With tolerance, understanding, and empathy, we can do the right thing and make the world a better place for all."

The film is shown regularly at the Warsaw Zoo, where the story takes place.

Also in Poland, Aleksandra Blalteberg, an English teacher, has created a Safe Haven study guide in English to help her students better understand the issues of the Holocaust, and the importance of such values as tolerance, empathy, and courage.

Blalteberg's class in Gdynia, Poland is part of a network of students known as Global Dreamers, which was created by Israeli school-teacher Marsha Goren.

Goren, who is the educational outreach coordinator for the film, has recently been honored as an E-Pals Teacher Ambassador in Israel. E-Pals consists of 600,000 teachers in 200 countries representing approximately 20 million students.

Due to the efforts of Israeli producer Alex Ringer, Safe Haven has been broadcast twice on Israeli national television with both Hebrew and Russian subtitles. It also screens at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, DC.

Safe Haven: The Warsaw Zoo was produced by Feliks Pastusiak in Warsaw and Alex Ringer in Israel. It was directed by Gary Lester, and premiered at the West Hollywood International Film Festival last year, where it captured a Special Juror Mention. The film has won numerous awards at film festivals around the country, and was honored with six Crystal Reels from the Florida Motion Picture & Television Association.

The Crystal Reel Award is the state equivalent of an Academy Award.

Director Gary Lester with Producer Feliks Pastusiak

For more information about The Los Angeles Cinema Festival of Hollywood, please visit:
http://www.hollywoodcff.com/2010_Best_Winners_%28Summer%29.html

For information about the Global Dreamers, visit www.globaldreamers.org

To join the Global Dreamers on Facebook, click
http://www.facebook.com/ePals#!/group.php?gid=128992997140832&ref=mf

Teachers can find the Safe Haven Study guide at
www.globaldreamers.org/holocaust09/Safe_Haven-Class_Activities.pdf

 
Poster created by students in Gdynia, Poland