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News Charlize Theron presents the exclusive Northern California Premiere of MIGHTY JOE YOUNG to benefit Koko and The Gorilla Foundation  Charlize Theron, in association with The Gorilla Foundation, presented the exclusive Northern California premiere of Disney's "Mighty Joe Young" to benefit Koko and The Gorilla Foundation on Thursday, December 17th. The event was sponsored by Stagecast Softerware, Inc. of Palo Alto, California. Stagecast produces Stagecast Creator, a quick and intuitive simulation authoring tool which software authors and teachers can use to create interactive materials. Stagecast Creator projects can run on CD-ROM, the Internet or over a network and are compatible with Microsoft Windows, Mac OS and other Java-capable operating systems.The event kicked off on Thursday afternoon with a special luncheon for Dr. Penny Patterson and The Gorilla Foundation given by Planet Hollywood San Francisco. Lunch was followed by an exclusive presentation by Daniel Jeannette, Animation Supervisor of Industrial Light & Magic, demonstrating a behind-the-scenes look of the making of "Mighty Joe Young." Charlize Theron, star of "Mighty Joe Young," and Director, Ron Underwood, then presented Lori Puccinelli, Planet Hollywood SF's Regional Public Relations Manager, with memorabilia from the film - the Spirit Protector used to scare poachers away from gorilla family groups. Carol Issac, Acting Director of the San Francisco Film Commission, read letters of official welcome from the San Francisco Mayor's Office to both Charlize and Dr. Patterson, and interviews with the press and an autograph session with Charlize followed. The benefit was held at United Artists Coronet Theater in San Francisco and officially began at 6:30pm that evening. Following a VIP Pre-Screening Reception - attended by Charlize, Ron Underwood, Dr. Patterson and the staff of The Gorilla Foundation - San Francisco's Mayor Willie Brown arrived to present Charlize with an official proclamation claiming Thursday, December 17th, to officially be known as "Mighty Joe Young Day." The general public was then invited into the theater to view two documentary shorts on The Gorilla Foundation - "From California to Hawaii" by Goodby, Silverstein & Partners; and "A Home for Koko," a brand new presentation produced by Dave West's Utah Film & Video about the Foundation's gorilla sanctuary in Maui - and the Northern California premiere of Disney's "Mighty Joe Young." Following the premeire, Dr. Patterson conducted a Question and Answer session about the Foundation's gorillas - Koko, Michael, and Ndume - and gorillas in the wild. The evening wrapped up with a raffle which included gorilla art T-shirts and a framed and matted print of Michael's painting, "Apple Chase." The Foundation also passed out copies of its journal, Gorilla, and other informative materials, including a compact disc prepared by Dave West's Utah Film & Video containing state-of-the-art presentations on the Foundation, our work, and the Maui preserve. All in all, the benefit was a great success and helped raise nearly $10,000 to go toward the development of the Foundation's gorilla preserve and for the distribution of educational materials to teachers and children in the United States and abroad. The Gorilla Foundation wishes to thank both Charlize and Ron Underwood, Stagecast Software, and everyone else who helped make this such a memorable evening. Disney's "Mighty Joe Young" opened across the country on December 25.  A relative newcomer on the Hollywood scene, Charlize Theron has taken the celluloid jungle by storm, winning both audience and critical acclaim since arriving from her native South Africa. In addition to her starring role in Disney's MIGHTY JOE YOUNG, Charlize has appeared in numerous films including the offbeat thriller 2 Days in the Valley, and Devil's Advocate with Keanu Reeves and Al Pacino. This winter, Charlize stars opposite Leonardo DiCaprio in Woody Allen's new film, Celebrity, and alongside Johnny Depp in the highly anticipated The Astronaut's Wife. Related web sites: The official MIGHTY JOE YOUNG website Walt Disney's website Stagecast Software, Inc.'s website |
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