BETTER WORLD FUND

The 2-day event with Gala Dinner, Award Ceremony and Conference: “Consciousness, Health and Sustainability,” organized by Better World Fund with the Oscar winning producer Joanna Plafsky as Chair of the event took place in Venice during the 79th Venice Film Festival. The Gala and Conference were organized in partnership with the David Lynch Foundation. Among the participants, international attendees were such personalities as: famous iconic actress Catherine Deneuve who received the Golden Lion Award at this year's Festival, artist and singer Christabell, Award-winning composer and concert pianist Georges Tomb, actress Madalina Ghenea (House of Gucci), Academy Award director Barry Alexander Brown, Lebanese director and actress Nadine Labaki, former tennis player Yannik Noah.

Better World Fund Awards were assigned to: Best Commitment: David Lynch; Best Achievement: Dr. Tony Nader; Best Achievement in Acting: Madalina Ghenea for “House of Gucci”; Best

Achievement in Cinematography: Nadine Labaki; Best Achievement in Cinematography: Alex Pritz for the documentary “The Territory”; Best Commitment: Isaia di Carlo – Guerrato; Special Award: Best Achievement to Joanna Plafsky. Better World Fund partnered with global thought-leaders to discuss and highlight the importance of the critical value of Earth’s precious resources and focus on the immediate need to change agricultural and eating practices to take better care of the planet and global health. The conference theme is in accord with the UN Sustainable Development Goals and re-united filmmakers, writers, scientists, environmentalists, activists, and business leaders to explore and provide tangible efforts to address the environment, biodiversity and climate challenges. Then a networking event for all the attendees followed. The conference “Consciousness, Meditation and Sustainability” with Dr. Tony Nader. Dr. Nader is a Harvard- and MIT-trained medical doctor, neuroscientist, bestselling author and internationally recognized expert on consciousness, meditation, and the brain, who spoke on new scientific understandings of consciousness and the critical role of meditation, a modality of consciousness, in developing human creative potential. He showcased initiatives of the David Lynch Foundation and received the Better World Fund Prize for Commitment and Implementation of Programs toward Creating a Healthy World.

“When we have greater awareness and broader consciousness, we use higher individual and collective intelligence and become capable of solving all the problems that worry us, from climate change to poverty, from economic inequality to border disputes, without becoming mired in the bickering involved in the everyday run of politics and elections or, more importantly, resorting to war,” said Dr. Tony Nader, who is also the bestselling author of “One Unbounded Ocean of Consciousness” (Penguin Random House).

As part of the event, a masterclass was held: “The Territory”, director Alex Pritz, Multiple award-winning National Geographic Documentary Film with Koembu Uru-eu-wau-wau. The film provides an immersive look at the tireless fight of the Indigenous Uru-euwau-wau people against the encroaching deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon. Koembu, a young Indigenous activist from National Geographic’s multiple-award-winning documentary, “The Territory”, spoke and received the Better World Fund Prize for the Best

Achievement in Filmmaking.

“There is an excess of talk about climate change and biodiversity loss, but the time is now to put the spotlight on more specific actionable issues. Food waste, the degradation of our land and food systems, the carbon footprint, and the tremendous impact of food on our health are slow poisons that can ruin generations. It is time to act now, together, and fast,” said Manuel Collas de la Roche, President and Founder of Better World Fund.

“I am excited to have been the chair of the event which brought together the knowledge and consciousness of Dr. Tony Nader with the creativity of David Lynch. I’m also very happy for the award received from Better World Fund”, - said Joanna Plafsky, Chair of the event.

A Special Thanks to our Supporters and Sponsors: 314Cannes, La Pensée Sauvage, Joanna Plafsky Films, Maslina Resort, Scuola Grande della Misericordia di Venezia, Client Earth, Guerrato S.P.A., Studio Mao, ArtDaoudi, Squair, Clinique La Prairie, Circle X, CA’ Sagredo, LUXURY International Magazine, Chic Icon, Magnifica Consulting, M GARDA DOC, Marco Polo Experience, Marateale International Film Festival, FABUK Magazine, MagnificaGroup, ReviscienceLabsFrance, OCF, XZEN, MC Consulting, the University Paris Saclay, SDB New Delhi, Filmfestivals.com, Floresta.