The highly anticipated Earth Days documentary, which chronicles the beginnings of the American environmental movement, will get its first major public debut on, of all places, Facebook.

It’s a real declaration of just how powerful social media has become — something we glimpsed last year with the YouTube release of the stunning documentary film HOME.

“It’s an opportunity, we think, to engage with a new audience, an audience that we may not be bringing to PBS Monday nights at 9 o’clock,” said executive producer Mark Samels. “It’s such a distancing medium that we work in, in television. You put all this work into something, and then it goes into this black hole, the ether.”

The Facebook premiere will hit April 11th — and also allow viewers to interact with director Robert Stone and Samels in real-time. According to The Times, the online screening will use Brand Networks’ new social-screening application, which integrates a customized video player, a proprietary poll system, and Facebook’s comment box.

Earth Days will hit traditional media on PBS eight days later, April 19th.

Categories: Film/TV.

About Michael dEstries

Michael has been blogging since 2005 on issues such as sustainability, renewable energy, philanthropy, and healthy living. He regularly contributes to a slew of publications, as well as consulting with companies looking to make an impact using the web and social media. He lives in Ithaca, NY with his family on an apple farm.

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