Ludacris, Nelly, Sarah Silverman and Darryl 'DMC' McDaniels to Join Impact Film Fund in Washington to Celebrate Inauguration of Barack Obama

Ludacris, Nelly, Sarah Silverman and Darryl 'DMC' McDaniels to Join Impact Film Fund in Washington to Celebrate Inauguration of Barack Obama

Impact's Late Night Party to Salute These and Other "Artists Making an Impact"

Get out the Vote Campaigns The Great Schlep and Funny or Die Highlighted

WASHINGTON, Jan. 16 /PRNewswire/ -- The Impact Film Fund will honor performers from the worlds of film, music and comedy this Inaugural weekend at its first "Artists Making an Impact" event celebrating the historic election of Barack Obama and recognizing artists whose words, films and actions played a role in the cultural dialogue.

"We are thrilled to have these performers join us at this historic event," said IFF co-founder Kimball Stroud. "Ludacris, Nelly, Darryl 'DMC' McDaniels, and Sarah Silverman are artists who not only make an impact with their music and comedy but also with their commitment to change in this country."

Proceeds from this event will go towards the Impact Film Fund's year-round programming, including an upcoming screening series in Washington, DC, New York and Los Angeles, following on the successful Impact Film Festival at the Democratic and Republican National Conventions, which featured Oscar shortlisted documentaries IOUSA and TROUBLE THE WATER, plus THE BLACK LIST, FLOW, ACCIDENTAL ADVOCATE and other important films.

              The IMPACT Film Fund's "Artists Making an Impact" Party                                    10pm-2am                               Sunday, January 18                                  FUR Nightclub                             33 Patterson Street, NE                                 Washington, DC    ABOUT THE ARTISTS   

Christopher "Ludacris" Bridges, founder of the Ludacris Foundation, has raised more than $1 million for inner-city youth. The Foundation allocates funds to various organizations committed to the betterment of the lives of teens through musical and artistic expression. Mr. Bridges also spearheaded a series of college tours to raise awareness for issues of youth HIV and AIDS, raising more than $200,000 for HIV/AIDS research and treatment in 2007. He has also teamed with the National Runaway Switchboard to support runaways.

Cornell "Nelly" Haynes, Jr., a committed philanthropist, has founded two charitable organizations, 4 Sho 4 Kids, dedicated to improving the quality of life for children born with developmental disabilities and those born addicted to drugs; and Jes Us 4 Jackie, launched to educate African-Americans about the need for bone marrow and stem cell transplant donations. Since 2005, the organization's continued efforts have saved eight lives so far through donor matches. In November 2008, Nelly launched a new sponsorship program at his annual "Black and White Ball" gala which will provide two students from the St. Louis region with 4-year full-tuition scholarships/grants to Lindenwood University in St. Charles, MO.

Darryl "DMC" McDaniels has contributed immeasurably to philanthropic efforts in the arenas of adoption and foster care after discovering he was adopted. He co-founded the Felix Organization, a foundation designed to improve the quality of life for children "who didn't get taken home." Among other ventures, the foundation launched Camp Felix in 2006. The institution provides 170 foster children annually with the opportunity to experience summer camp. He also advocated for legislation to allow adult adoptees full access to their original birth records. He has been presented with the Congressional Angels in Adoption Award, as well as Hard Rock Cafe's "Love All, Serve All" Award. McDaniels as part of Run-DMC will be inducted into the Rock 'n Roll Hall of Fame in April.

Sarah Silverman has become a symbol of celebrity political awareness, using her talents on behalf of environmental, humanitarian and political efforts. Whether for Project A.L.S, a foundation seeking a cure for Lou Gherig's disease, or the "Burma: It Can't Wait" campaign, Sarah uses humor to bring attention to important social issues. Her recent video for the website "The Great Schlep" encouraged Jewish youth to visit their grandparents in Florida, in an effort to convince them to vote for Obama. Frank Rich of the New York Times wrote, "Obama drew a larger percentage of Jews nationally (78) than Kerry had (74) and -- mazel tov, Sarah Silverman -- won Florida."

Ari Wallach and Mik Moore created The Great Schlep in an effort to dispel unfavorable Obama rumors among older Jewish voters. The site offers "talking points" to aid young democrats in presenting the Obama campaign to their Jewish grandparents, as well as a video of Sarah Silverman, who uses humor to encourage young Jews to trek to Florida in a push for Barack Obama. Mr. Wallach says, "The Great Schlep allows people to enter into a very serious conversation in a way that a very serious or boring or heavy name would not have allowed for."

Funny or Die, the comedy video website founded by Will Ferrell and Adam McKay serves as a tool in bringing about political awareness. The site reaches a younger demographic than most political advertising, making it a major contributor to the ever-rising number of young voters. Most recently, Funny or Die made its mark in the political humor arena with its film, "Paris Hilton is Running for President."

The Impact Film Fund, a 501 (c) 3 not-for-profit organization founded in 2008 by Jody Arlington, Jamie Shor and Kimball Stroud, three veterans of the Washington political and film arena. Our mission is to celebrate and elevate the diversity and power of documentary and narrative storytelling to engage nuanced conversation about the issues of the day and increase the impact of art. More information at www.impactfilmfund.org

First Call Analyst:
FCMN Contact:

Source: The Impact Film Fund

CONTACT: Jamie Shor, +1-301-437-1533, Jamie@prcollaborative.com, or
Leslie Keating, +1-202-550-7055, Leslie@prcollaborative.com, both for The
Impact Film Fund

Web Site: http://www.impactfilmfund.org/

---

Profile: International Entertainment