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After hosting the New York premiere of Bold Native, the first fiction film about the Animal Liberation Front (ALF), Russell Simmons sits down to talk about veganism, spirituality and radical activism. On the nine billion animals bred, raised and killed for food annually in the U.S., Simmons says, “Aside from all the suffering we’re causing and all the sickness we cause, we’re abusing the planet as well.” He goes on to talk about the difficulty in creating a change in consciousness and the importance of films like Bold Native for doing just that.

To book a screening of Bold Native at your college contact danielle@sparrowmedia.net

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Those reading this on facebook or RSS click here to watch the video interview with Leanne Mai-Ly Hilgart of Vaute Couture.

Leanne Mai-ly Hilgart, founder of Vaute Couture, the first and only vegan winter coat line on the market sat down with the Sparrow Project this fall for an interview where she detailed her 8 months of fabric research for a vegan alternative to wool that was slim & pretty but ready for a Chicago winter. Leanne is the first to use a fabric that is wind/snow resistant, designed to retain heat, and completely recyclable and vegan, lined in a windproof 100% recycled closed loop zero waste ripstop. The line is limited run and only 25 of each color and style have been produced for her launch.

One style in Leanne’s line, the Vaute, has been named one of 22 best new coats by Chicago Magazine, and donates all net profits to the Farm Sanctuary. Leanne has a laundry list of celebrity fans including Alicia Silverstone, Emily Deschanel, and Ginnifer Goodwin.

Leanne has been vegan since she was 17 and vegetarian since age 10, her background is not in fashion but in activism and start-ups, as she has been advocating for animals since she was 8 years old and helped push a bill into law at 17, for dissection alternatives in IL schools. She has been named 20 under 30 by VegNews Magazine and featured in Entrepreneur Magazine and the LA Times who had this to say about Vaute Couture, “Vegan fashion takes a turn for the stylish.”

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For those visiting from SuperVegan.com Please be sure to check out our new online store here.

It’s exciting news to say that after a lot of saving up money, designing, and signing contracts the Sparrow Project is proud to announce that this Spring 2010 we will be launching a line of benefit shirts, that are sweatshop-free, printed with love in Long Island with soy & water based inks & color discharge elements.  They are full-bleed, seam-to-seam, art prints that benefit the projects we love most.  The Spring 2010 line will benefit Farm Sanctuary, Hope International for Tikar People, The Uganda Skateboard Union, Clean Ocean Action, The Icarus Project, & the Sparrow Media Project.

Each design is a partnership between Sparrow & an artist or activist who works with one of the organizations that will be benefiting from the sales.  We are calling the project 50%50 because even though we offer art direction we want to empower the people involved in the causes to have their struggle reflected in the art.  This is just a sneak peak at what will be coming.  Tee’s will be available online soon for $25.  They look good & feel good.

Many thanks to Brooke, Alex, Beck & Jason at MerchDirect for bringing this all together.

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^ Click on the image above to print the hi-res flyer off of issuu.

In February of 2009 activist & photo journalist Cassi Amanda Gibson visited the Kitintale skatepark in Uganda. She brought back a beautiful series of photos of the young locals discovering their own skate styles & forms as well as photos of the gorgeous and complex surrounding Kitintale community. Her photos inspired two of her friends, community activists Andy Stepanian & Dan Tudor to do something to support the kid’s creativity & expression in Kitintale. On June 6th, 2009 Cassi will be returning to Uganda & the Kitintale park & our aim is to take (2) 100lb crates filled with donated gear (new or lightly used) to the kids in Kitintale, if you or your shop can help, please do. Specifically, we are looking for decks, trucks, wheels, bearings, and shoes, however any additional gear (pads, caps, clothes) will be warmly accepted. In the weeks leading up to the 6th of June Andy Stepanian & Daniel Tudor will be rounding up donations & visiting local shops soliciting their help. Receipts can be provided upon request to donors for tax purposes. Dan, Andy, & Cassi will be filming this process for an online video magazine segment set to air at the end of this summer, and would love to credit those who donated to their efforts in their film segment. If either you, your brand, or stop would like their logo to appear in the film segment please email the all logos, links & similar info to Andy by July 1st, 2009 (Andrew@papress.com). We all look forward to working with brands, shops, & donors like you on making something great happen for the skaters in Uganda.

For information on the Kitintale park & the skaters in Uganda visit http://ugandaskateboardunion.org

To view some of the photos from Cassi’s last trip you can visit http://saudades.tumblr.com

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