DELRAY BEACH, Fla., Oct. 3, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The TreadRight Foundation proudly announces their support for a moving film about a whale's struggle for survival off the coast of Chile's Juan Fernandez Archipelago. Produced by Céline Cousteau, the short film demonstrates the effects of human negligence on the World's oceans, and the incredible power of human compassion.
For more than five months, Céline Cousteau worked with a film crew in Chile, creating a 12-part broadcast series that reveals true stories of the vast surrounding ocean. One episode tells of a day when between dives, the crew heard a report from local fishermen about an entangled whale nearby. As Céline puts it, "It was an incredible coincidence that we happened to be only 500 meters away." Despite being untrained for such a rescue mission, the team set off to help. During the rescue, the crew was able to capture some incredible footage of the juvenile humpback, and subsequently compiled it to create the emotive short film Scars of Freedom, to be featured at the celebrated Blue Ocean Film Festival. TreadRight lends their support for this magnificent short film so that the poignant story may be told to a wider audience. As a direct result of TreadRight's funding, Scars of Freedom will be available for distribution on all new media platforms, through partner organizations including international conservation groups, and available to be embedded, downloaded, and shared for free.
Shannon Guihan, Program Manager for TreadRight, The Travel Corporations sustainable tourism foundation, describes the partnership with Céline Cousteau as inspiring, "Céline's work inspires The Travel Corporation and our travellers by demonstrating the fragile relationship we have with the natural world around us. She is the perfect Sustainability Partner for TreadRight, and Contiki in particular, and we're committed to helping her educate the public about the precarious state of our oceans."
"A new generation of active citizens are making a difference by understanding and protecting the Earth's resources," said Céline. "The health of our fragile oceans are key to the well-being of our planet as a whole and TreadRight and Contiki's choice to help protect the marine environment is a cause which deeply resonates with me."
TreadRight is a joint initiative by The Travel Corporation's family of travel brands that works to encourage sustainable tourism development within its own companies, and in the places they visit. To date, TreadRight has donated more than $1.5 million to projects worldwide. Projects range from working with Red Carnation Hotels on their support for a new, standardized approach to hotel carbon management, sponsored by the World Travel & Tourism Commission to Uniworld's efforts to create a Sustainable River Cruising toolkit, in partnership with the Travel Foundation.
About TreadRight
TreadRight is a not-for-profit foundation established by The Travel Corporation to encourage sustainable tourism within a family of travel brands and in the places they visit. To date, TreadRight has committed more than $1.5 million to sustainable tourism projects worldwide and encourages industry best practice by annually supporting the World Travel & Tourism Council's Tourism for Tomorrow awards. TreadRight reflects the commitment The Travel Corporation has made to adopting responsible business practices and the company's work to create a more sustainable future. To learn more about the many projects TreadRight is funding, please visit us at www.treadright.org.
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About The Travel Corporation
The Travel Corporation is a highly successful international travel group with over 25 award winning brands including Brendan Vacations, African Travel, Inc., Trafalgar Tours, Contiki Holidays, Insight Vacations, Uniworld Boutique River Cruises and Red Carnation Hotels. The Travel Corporation's guiding principle is one of providing the most enjoyable, enriching travel experience for its customers across the globe. www.thetravelcorporation.com
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About Céline Cousteau
Founder and executive director of the non-profit organization CauseCentric Productions, Céline Cousteau collaborates with other non-profits and individuals to increase their worldwide exposure by creating short documentaries about their work, thereby providing a visual communication tool. As an international speaker, writer, and spokesperson, Céline seeks to educate and inspire through adventure and visual storytelling. See www.celinecousteau.com for more information about Céline's incredible efforts.
A photo accompanying this release is available at:
http://www.globenewswire.com/newsroom/prs/?pkgid=15020
