AmmoLand.com

Shepherds of Helmand Wins Platinum Sponsors Award
GI Film Festival presents high honors to powerful documentary.

Benchmade Knives

OREGON CITY, Ore. --(Ammoland.com)-  Benchmade is proud to announce that the documentary film Shepherds of Helmand won the Platinum Sponsors Award at the GI Film Festival. The Platinum Sponsors Award is presented by the Military Channel.

“It is such an honor to be chosen out of several other influential films at the festival,” says Gary Mortensen, Director of Shepherds of Helmand. “It is truly rewarding to share the story of these brave soldiers and their sacrifices for our country.”

Shepherds of Helmand

The Shepherds of Helmand tells the story of 17 Oregon National Guard soldiers deployed to Afghanistan to train a battalion of the Afghan National Army in 2008.

The film depicts their mission to conduct counter narcotics patrols in the deadly Helmand Province, a region notorious not only for its opium production but as a Taliban stronghold. Shepherds of Helmand is the true story of one of the most decorated units in Oregon National Guard history.

“We were very proud to support the making of the film and are thrilled to see all of awards and accolades” says Rob Morrison, Benchmade’s Director of Marketing and Strategic Planning. “Gary did a phenomenal job of pulling the material together and sharing the story of these true American heroes.”

The GI Film Festival (GIFF) is a 501 c(3) non-profit educational organization dedicated to sharing the military experience in and out of the arena of war. The GI Film Festival is the first film festival in the nation to exclusively celebrate the successes and sacrifices of the service member through the medium of film. This year’s event took place May 9th through 15th in Washington, DC. For more information on the GI Film Festival and other films, please visit: http://gifilmfestival.com.

In addition to the GI Film Festival, the Shepherds of Helmand has also been an official selection of the Riverside Film Festival, Capital City Film Festival, Sunscreen Film Festival, and was picked Best Documentary of the Queens World Film Festival.

To purchase a copy of the DVD of Shepherds of Helmand, please visit www.benchmade.com/.

Filed under: Shooting Industry News, Shooting Media News by Ammoland 1 Comment »

Military Channel Is a Proud Sponsor of the GI Film Festival

GI Film Festival

Military Channel

Arlington VA - -(AmmoLand.com)- The GI Film Festival, which will be held May 13-17, 2009 at the Carnegie Institution in Washington, DC, is the first and only film festival dedicated to the American military.

The GI Film Festival honors American GIs with dozens of patriotic films, expert panels, awards ceremonies, musical performances, Hollywood meet-and-greets, and, of course, parties and more parties.

Buy your tickets online today! And if you cannot personally attend the GI Film Festival, please consider sending a soldier in your place.

Click here to find out more about the GI Film Festival’s “Sponsor a Soldier” campaign.

About Military Channel
The Military Channel brings viewers compelling, real-world stories of heroism, military strategy, and significant turning points in history. The network takes viewers “behind the lines” to hear the personal stories of servicemen and women and offers in-depth explorations of military training, aviation technology and cutting-edge weaponry. As the only cable network devoted to military subjects, it also provides unique access to this world, allowing viewers to experience and understand the full spectrum of human drama, courage, and patriotism intrinsic to the armed forces, as well as, the long-held traditions of the military. For more information, please visit military.discovery.com.

About:
The GIFF will present films from new and established international and domestic filmmakers that honor the heroic stories of the American Armed Forces and the worldwide struggle for freedom and liberty. Some of the films screened will be fan favorites. Others will be screened for the first time. All will in some way express the courage and selflessness of our fighting men and women and the value of their work.

The GI Film Festival is open to filmmakers of every experience level, from first-timers to veteran directors and producers. Prizes will be awarded to winners of three main categories: feature, documentary, and film shorts.

Filed under: Shooting Media News by Ammoland No Comments »