The Cowspiracy Conference is in Berkeley, California on September 17. I encourage people to sign up and attend. (And if somehow you haven't yet seen Cowspiracy (website, trailer), by all means check out the compelling environmental documentary on Netflix, or the companion book, The Sustainability Secret (Amazon)!)
This brings up the issue that the role that film could play in promoting EA causes more generally. I'd love to have people's thoughts on any or all of the following issues, and/or similar issues:
- Existing plans to make films on EA or high-impact topics
- Existing EA or semi-EA films people should watch, screen, or promote
- EA-related films that should exist
- candidate topics
- candidate titles
- candidate pitches
- etc.
- Promotion & audience engagement
- Effectiveness issues
- cost
- cost-effectiveness
- expected impact
- room for funding
- tractability
- talent needs
2) People should definitely watch and try to screen the film Unlocking the Cage (website, trailer), which documents the ongoing fight in the US for legal personhood for primates.
3.1) AI safety and existential risk are obvious topics on which stimulating documentaries could be impactful.
4) My impression is that Cowspiracy was independently screened scores of times across the world, especially privately by the vegan and animal rights communities. I'd love to know more details. The trailer currently has 1.1 million views.
5.1) Cost: If a documentary mostly involves interviewing experts, the costs would be relatively low, even below five figures USD. Cowspiracy set a goal of $54,000 for its Indiegogo campaign, and ended up with over twice that (see brief article on its crowdfunding strategy).