Two Films Take Top Honors at the 2012 Intelligent Use of Water Film Competition

Water is Cast in a Starring Role at Rain Bird’s Environmentally Focused Film Competition

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The 2012 Intelligent Use of Water Film Competition™, now in its fifth year of showcasing original short films that focus on the need for responsible water use, named two short films and their filmmakers as the winners of the 2012 competition earlier this evening.

“All finalists should be congratulated for their outstanding film submissions that we hope will not only extend awareness of this important issue but also continue to encourage the important discussion of ways to better manage and efficiently utilize earth’s most precious resource”

Following a final screening event at the Paley Center for Media in Beverly Hills, in which six finalists and their films were viewed by judges and audience members, Isla Urbana by Greg Harriott of Brooklyn, NY was chosen by the judging panel as the $10,000 Jury Award winner and The Wash by Carla Dauden of Long Beach, CA was named winner of the $5,000 Audience Choice Award, as chosen by the evening’s audience members.

Presented by Rain Bird, in partnership with North Coast Media, the screening event was hosted by Jack Hanna, director emeritus, Columbus Zoo and Aquarium, and host of Jack Hanna’s Into the Wild and Jack Hanna’s Wild Countdown television series. As a renowned environmental documentary filmmaker and animal expert, Hanna presided over the evening’s events, including the showing of the finalists’ films to a live audience and a panel of judges that included representatives from the media, film, entertainment and water management industries.

Judging the 2012 film entries were Sandra Keats, Associate Producer of Last Call at The Oasis; Carl Bell, KNBC-TV Weathercaster; Sasha Perl-Raver, Syndicated Movie Reviewer and Blogger, Hollywood Bites; Rick Porras, Co-producer of The Lord of the Rings trilogy; Jane Griffin, President, The Groundwater Foundation; and Seth Jones, Editor-in-Chief, Golfdom Magazine.

“All finalists should be congratulated for their outstanding film submissions that we hope will not only extend awareness of this important issue but also continue to encourage the important discussion of ways to better manage and efficiently utilize earth’s most precious resource,” said Dave Johnson, Rain Bird’s Corporate Marketing Director. “Rain Bird’s Intelligent Use of Water platform was built so that filmmakers like these finalists would have an influential platform to address the world’s water challenges and in doing so, inspire others to take action in their own way.”

Now in its 5th year of providing a platform to actively raise awareness of the need for water conservation, Rain Bird’s Intelligent Use of Water Film Competition encourages filmmakers to use the power of film to creatively explore methods and ideas that responsibly manage and use the earth’s most precious resource.

More information on the competition is available at www.IUOWFILM.com.

Follow @RainBirdCorp and visit Rain Bird’s Facebook page to share thoughts and ideas with other filmmakers.

ABOUT RAIN BIRD CORPORATION

Headquartered in Azusa, Calif., Rain Bird Corporation is the world’s leading manufacturer and provider of irrigation products and services. From simple beginnings in 1933, Rain Bird now offers the industry's broadest range of irrigation products for farms, golf courses, sports arenas, commercial developments and homes, available in more than 130 countries. Rain Bird has been awarded hundreds of patents, including the first in 1935 for the impact sprinkler. Rain Bird’s philosophy called The Intelligent Use of Water ® is about using water wisely. Its commitment extends beyond products to education, training and services for the industry and the community. Rain Bird maintains state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities around the world. http://www.rainbird.com

NORTH COAST MEDIA

North Coast Media, LLC (NCM) is the largest B2B publishing company headquartered in Cleveland. The company employs 35 professionals who collectively possess hundreds of years of experience creating and delivering unparalleled media -- from industry-leading print magazines, to websites and enewsletters, to social media and mobile solutions, to exclusive industry research, custom products and one-on-one buyer-seller networking events. NCM's flagship brands include Landscape Management (LM) and Golfdom. Ancillary brands include Portable Plants & Equipment (PP&E), Geospatial Solutions, and Athletic Turf News.