Brita FilterForGood Music Project Combines the Social Power of Music With Passion for the Environment by Unveiling Short Documentary at Exclusive 2012 Sundance Film Festival Event Hosted by Malin Akerman

PARK CITY, UT--(Marketwire - Jan 17, 2012) - Brita® FilterForGood® will continue to prove that small changes can make a big difference for the planet by unveiling a short documentary at a Brita FilterForGood Music Project event on Saturday, Jan. 21, 2012. Actress Malin Akerman, a member of the Environmental Media Association Young Hollywood Board, will host the exclusive event at the Sundance Channel HQ. The Brita FilterForGood Music Project connects musicians, fans and backstage crews to make concerts more sustainable by encouraging people to ditch bottled water for reusable bottles filled with Brita® filtered water. The Music Project also educates fans on recycling, composting and other sustainable tour practices, providing artists with a platform to amplify positive environmental messages and inspire their fans to get involved in eco-friendly activities. Brita FilterForGood will continue to partner with Nalgene® and Sundance Institute to eliminate the distribution of 50,000 plastic water bottles at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival for the fourth consecutive year.

"Music Sustains" Provides Inside Peek at Music Industry's Environmental Efforts
"Music Sustains" is a short documentary exploring greening trends within the music industry and features interviews with high-profile artists including Janelle Monáe and Guster, as well as behind-the-scenes footage of the latest greening practices backstage at concert tours such as Dave Matthews Band Caravan. The documentary was created by writer/director Destin Cretton, whose 2009 Sundance Film Festival submission, "Short Term 12," won the Jury Prize in Short Filmmaking and whose 2012 Festival submission "I Am Not a Hipster" is generating early buzz.

Through the Environmental Media Association's partnership with the Brita FilterForGood Music Project, Akerman hopes to shed light on how her two passions -- film and music -- can inspire a path toward a healthier planet.

"'Music Sustains' captures the environmental issues facing the music industry and shows how bands are coming together to set the stage for future green touring practices," said Akerman. "I love that the message extends beyond the concert venue and challenges individuals to make changes in their everyday lives. Whether using reusable water bottles instead of bottled water or cloth totes instead of plastic bags, we are all ultimately responsible for creating positive change."

Reducing Bottled Water Waste at the Sundance Film Festival
Over the course of the three year partnership, Brita FilterForGood and the Sundance Film Festival have saved more than 160,000 plastic bottles from potentially ending up in landfills by providing free limited-edition Brita FilterForGood Nalgene bottles and Brita filtered water at Hydration Hubs located throughout the Festival. The partnership raises awareness of how small steps, such as switching to a reusable bottle filled with filtered water, can have a significant impact on the earth.

"Protecting and preserving the environment has always been a top priority for Sundance Institute. As a result, our attendees have come to expect innovative, eco-friendly alternatives at the Festival," said Sarah Pearce, Director of Operations for the Sundance Film Festival. "Partnering with Brita gives us an immediate solution to reduce bottle water waste at the Festival by providing free filtered water and reusable bottles, as well as the resources needed to live a green lifestyle back home."

For more information about Brita FilterForGood at the Sundance Film Festival, visit the Brita Hydration Hub at Sundance House on Main Street or contact Dana Fennewald, dana.fennewald@edelman.com.

How to Stay Connected with the Brita FilterForGood Music Project
For more information, attendees can "Like" the Brita FilterForGood Music Project tab on Facebook and follow @BritaFilterForGood on Twitter to take the Brita FilterForGood pledge and gain access to exclusive ticket giveaways, videos and music partnership news.

Brita FilterForGood Music Project
As part of the Brita FilterForGood campaign, the Brita FilterForGood Music Project works with fans and green-minded artists like Jack Johnson, Dave Matthews Band, Lady Antebellum and Guster to make concerts more sustainable by providing free Brita® filtered water from Brita® Hydration Stations™ and reusable Nalgene bottles. The Brita FilterForGood Music Project also encourages fans to bring the movement home by taking the Brita FilterForGood pledge to reduce bottled water waste and recycling their Brita® filters by visiting http://www.filterforgood.com.

In 2007, Brita partnered with Nalgene® to create the FilterForGood® movement, which encourages people to reduce their bottled water waste by switching to reusable bottles filled with filtered water. Each year, Americans purchase billions of plastic water bottles; most of them end up in landfills. Since the campaign launch, more than 345,000 people* have taken the pledge to reduce their bottled water waste, keeping an estimated 349 million disposable bottles** potentially out of landfills. Visit http://www.facebook.com/BritaFilterForGood to learn how you can make a difference.

*Based on number of participants in the FilterForGood pledge database.
**Standard 16.9-ounce

Environmental Media Association
The Environmental Media Association (EMA) is a Non-Profit 501(c)3 Organization founded in 1989 by Cindy and Alan Horn and Lyn and Norman Lear. EMA is dedicated to harnessing the power of celebrity and the media to promote sustainable lifestyles and believes through positive role modeling the entertainment community can inspire consumers to take action. The organization has grown into a diverse group of industry professionals from film, television and music dedicated to the mission of promoting environmental awareness through the entertainment business and the media. EMA serves as a valuable link between the entertainment industry and the environmental community. www.ema-online.org

Sundance Institute
Sundance Institute is a global nonprofit organization founded by Robert Redford in 1981. Through its artistic development programs for directors, screenwriters, producers, composers and playwrights, the Institute seeks to discover and support independent film and theatre artists from the United States and around the world, and to introduce audiences to their new work. The Institute promotes independent storytelling to inform, inspire, and unite diverse populations around the globe. Internationally recognized for its annual Sundance Film Festival, Sundance Institute has nurtured such projects as Born into Brothels, Trouble the Water, Son of Babylon, Amreeka, An Inconvenient Truth, Spring Awakening, I Am My Own Wife, Light in the Piazza and Angels in America. Join Sundance Institute on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.