When we began working on our first film, The Witness, in the Fall of 1998, we had a theory about how widespread social change might be brought about by using the artistic medium of film. What follows is the story of how our ideas played out in reality, and the vision that has since grown out of the experience.

Shortly after its release in 2000, The Witness received the award for Best Documentary at its film festival premiere. It soon became a festival favorite, winning eight more top awards and receiving positive press coverage. Touched by this story of one man's remarkable change of heart, people from all walks of life began to take an active role in helping our fledgling organization bring the film to a larger audience.

By 2002, thousands of people had purchased copies over the internet to share with their families and friends, along the way bringing the film to the attention of journalists, broadcasters, celebrities, and national political leaders. Concerned citizens organized hundreds of public screenings in their communities, at local theaters, schools, university campuses, libraries, and places of worship. They also brought The Witness to other countries, partnering with us to translate it into Spanish, French, German, Japanese, and Swedish.

As awareness of The Witness grew, so did appreciation of the impact it was having on so many lives. Donations came in to meet the need for developing outreach programs and educational resources, as well to cover the cost of producing and releasing our next documentary, Peaceable Kingdom.

In February of 2004, Peaceable Kingdom premiered to a sold out audience at Manhattan's Lincoln Center. In the house that night were scores of beloved public figures, as well as hundreds of everyday people who had contributed their time, energy, and resources to support the film's creation and release.

Peaceable Kingdom went on to premieres held in three more major cities in North America, as well as screenings at 34 film festivals, where it received numerous awards. As with The Witness, hundreds of people organized screenings in their communities, and thousands of copies were purchased by people from all over the world.

As the years have gone by, a grassroots movement of artists, scholars, educators, clergy, and concerned citizens has grown around these films and the ideas that inspired them. It is an ethical movement that refuses to deny the truth of human violence nor shy away from the truth of human beauty. It is a diverse movement that synergizes the collective energy, resources, and wisdom of thousands of people. And it is a growing movement that speaks to a need we all have to find meaning, to develop our potential, and to be of service to the most vulnerable beings of our world.

Through this whole experience, we have come to understand our films and distribution methods as organic systems, interdependent with those whose lives they affect, not only putting messages out, but also taking in a tremendous amount of powerful feedback, and using that feedback to further evolve our work.

From this day forward, we will continue the adventure of listening, learning, creating, sharing, and teaching in collaboration with a global community of caring people. Every day, we move closer to realizing our vision of facilitating widespread peaceful transformation. And we are doing so with films made independent of the mainstream systems for financing, production and distribution that so often limit the quality, content and reach of works of art capable of producing lasting positive change.