Christal Films is proud to announce that “The Green Chain” has been selected to compete for the Vancouver International Film Festival’s new $25,000 “Climate for Change Award” — one of the largest cash awards at any film festival in North America.

The series includes dramatic features and documentaries and “The Green Chain” is the only Canadian film in competition and one of only two dramatic entries. “The Green Chain,” which deals with the people behind the issues in today’s forests, is written and directed by Mark Leiren-Young. The movie stars Tricia Helfer and Tahmoh Penikett (from TV’s Battlestar Galactica), Genie and Gemini award winner and recent Emmy nominee August Schellenberg (Bury My Heart At Wounded Knee, The New World, Black Robe), Genie and Gemini award winner Brendan Fletcher (The Pacific, RV), Gemini Award winner Babz Chula, and Vancouver actors Jillian Fargey (Mount Pleasant) and Scott McNeil (Sleeping With Strangers). The new annual award is and is sponsored by Kyoto Planet, “a new eco-conscious company with three distinct but interrelated parts: a financial vehicle to support and facilitate investment in, and management of, business opportunities in the green sector, a foundation to award grants and manage the non-profit portion of the company’s business, and a consumer company grounded by a broad portal to serve as the preeminent marketplace for knowledge, ideas, discussion and goods and services in the environmental space.” VIFF Director Alan Franey says, “This is a major and very important development for our festival. Although it is true that we have featured many films on environmental issues over the years, the generous and enlightened support of Kyoto Planet encourages us to put environmentally themed films front and centre in our program.”

The production of The Green Chain was financed in participation with Telefilm Canada, TMN - The Movie Network and Movie Central and will be distributed by Christal Films across Canada in 2008.

For more on the Climate for Change Award visit KyotoPlanet.  Information on the film can be had at “The Green Chain” Official Website.