- Disneynature's Collaboration with the African Wildlife Foundation to Help Save the Savanna during "African Cats'" Opening Week Heats Up Online! -

(BLACK PR WIRE) – BURBANK, Calif. (April 4, 2011) – Disneynature’s plans to work with the African Wildlife Foundation (AWF) to “Save the Savanna” have gone viral.

As the April 22 opening of the awe-inspiring “African Cats” approaches, Disneynature is tapping into the true power of social media by building awareness of its “See ‘African Cats,’ Save the Savanna” program. During the film’s opening week (April 22-28), a portion of the proceeds from that week’s ticket sales will be donated to AWF through the Disney Worldwide Conservation Fund to protect the Amboseli Wildlife Corridor, a passage between the Amboseli, Tsavo West and Chyulu Hills National Parks that is frequently used by lions, cheetahs, elephants, zebras, giraffes and a host of other animals in the African savanna.

A host of compelling and unique social initiatives allows participants to make a difference, giving them the power to pledge their intent to see the film, support the cause and spread the word to others.

Like Disneynature on Facebook:

http://www.facebook.com/Disneynature

By becoming a fan of Disneynature on Facebook, participants have the ability to interact with “African Cats” content daily. Furthermore, liking, commenting on and sharing the content with friends spreads the viral reach of the film's message and philanthropic mission exponentially.

Pledge to see “African Cats” on Eventful:

http://eventful.com/africancats

Fans pledge to see “African Cats” opening week by logging onto http://eventful.com/africancats. Participants can watch how honoring that pledge can effectively save the savanna. A real-time counter will show how many people have participated, and there will also be a graphical map representing the number of acres across the savanna that are being conserved based upon the number of pledges received. Upon arriving at the theater, fans can check in via their mobile device to win special prizes.

Join the “African Cats” grassroots community and donate to the African Wildlife Foundation on Causes:

http://www.causes.com/africancats

Fans can join the “African Cats” grassroots community on Causes by signing the pledge to help Africa's lions and other imperiled wildlife survive and thrive for generations to come. Additionally, users are given the opportunity to enhance Disneynature’s commitment by donating directly to the African Wildlife Foundation (AWF) via the platform.

Buy tickets through Disney Tickets Together, invite friends and Disneynature will double its donation:

http://www.DisneyTicketsTogether.com

Disney Tickets Together, Facebook's first social ticketing application, allows fans to engage with the film by inviting friends to see "African Cats" and purchase tickets for local theaters without ever leaving Facebook. For all "African Cats" events created in Tickets Together, Disney will increase the donation to the Save the Savanna fund for every "Yes" RSVP that the events receive. The application launches during the week of April 18.

“African Cats,” which will be released in theaters worldwide, opens in North America on April 22, 2011. Tickets for groups of 20 or more are available in the United States by calling 1-888-DISNEY6.

ABOUT THE MOVIE

An epic true story set against the backdrop of one of the wildest places on Earth, “African Cats” captures the real-life love, humor and determination of the majestic kings of the savanna. Narrated by Oscar-nominated actor Samuel L. Jackson, the story features Mara, an endearing lion cub who strives to grow up with her mother’s strength, spirit and wisdom; Sita, a fearless cheetah and single mother of five mischievous newborns; and Fang, a proud leader of the pride who must defend his family from a rival lion and his sons. Disneynature brings “The Lion King” to life on the big screen in this True Life Adventure directed by Keith Scholey and Alastair Fothergill (“Earth”). An awe-inspiring adventure blending family bonds with the power and cunning of the wild, “African Cats” leaps into theatres on Earth Day, April 22, 2011.For more information about the movie and the “See ‘African Cats,’ Save the Savanna” initiative, check out Disney.com/AfricanCats.

ABOUT “SEE ‘AFRICAN CATS,’ SAVE THE SAVANNA

During the film’s opening week (April 22-28), a portion of the proceeds from that week’s ticket sales will be donated to the African Wildlife Foundation (AWF) through the Disney Worldwide Conservation Fund to ensure the future of lions, cheetahs, elephants, zebras, giraffes and a host of other animals in the vibrant African savanna. The AWF will be working to protect the Amboseli Wildlife Corridor, a passage between the Amboseli, Tsavo West and Chyulu National Parks that is frequently used by a variety of wildlife.

“See ‘African Cats,’ Save the Savanna” continues Disneynature’s conservation efforts, which began with its first release, “Earth” (2009), for which three million trees were planted in Brazil’s Atlantic Forest. “Oceans” (2010) audiences helped establish 40,000 acres of marine protected areas in The Bahamas, which contain miles of vital coral reef.

ABOUT EVENTFUL, INC.

Eventful is the leading digital media company connecting consumers with live entertainment, movies, and local events. More than 20 million people use Eventful to find out what’s happening and decide what to do. Eventful works with leading brands and entertainment properties to reach consumers and drive commerce through a unique and targeted blend of digital, social media, and direct marketing. Visit Eventful at http://eventful.com.

ABOUT CAUSES

Causes is the world’s largest platform for activism and philanthropy, empowering individuals to create grassroots communities called “causes” that take action on behalf of a specific issue or nonprofit organization. Since launching in 2007, Causes has brought together: 140 million users, over $30 million raised for over 25,000 nonprofits, and over 500,000 user-created causes.

ABOUT DISNEY’S TICKETS TOGETHER

Developed in 2010 for Disney Pixar's “Toy Story 3,” Disney Tickets Together is the first social ticketing application that allows Disney Facebook fans to view movie times at their local cinemas, create viewing events, invite their friends and buy tickets. Tickets Together is an innovative and interactive destination that bridges the social experience of going to the movies with the capabilities of social networking.

ABOUT AWF

Founded in 1961, the African Wildlife Foundation (AWF) is a leading conservation organization focused solely on the African continent. AWF’s programs and conservation strategies are based on sound science and designed to protect both the wild lands and wildlife of Africa and ensure a more sustainable future for Africa’s people. Since its inception AWF has protected endangered species and land, promoted public and private sector partnerships, created unique conservation tourism enterprises that benefit local African communities as a means to improve livelihoods, and trained hundreds of African nationals in conservation—all to ensure the survival of Africa’s unparalleled wildlife heritage. AWF is a non-profit organization currently operating in 14 countries across the continent. AWF is a registered 501(c)(3) in the United States. Visit www.awf.org.

ABOUT DISNEYNATURE

Disneynature, the first new Disney-branded film label from The Walt Disney Studios in more than 60 years, was launched in April 2008 to bring the world’s top nature filmmakers together to share a wide variety of wildlife subjects and stories with theatrical audiences. “Earth” (opening Earth Day 2009) was the first film to premiere domestically under the new label, and garnered a record-breaking opening weekend for a nature documentary. Its “Buy a Ticket, Plant a Tree” initiative led to the planting of 2.7 million trees in Brazil’s Atlantic Forest. Hitting theaters on April 22, 2010, “Oceans” was the third highest grossing feature-length nature film in history. Its “See ‘Oceans,’ Save Oceans” initiative helped establish 40,000 acres of marine protected area in The Bahamas, preserving essential coral reefs. Walt Disney was a pioneer in wildlife documentary filmmaking, producing 13 True-Life Adventure motion pictures between 1949 and 1960, which earned eight Academy Awards. For more information about Disneynature, check out disneynature.com like us on Facebook: facebook.com/Disneynature, and follow us on Twitter: twitter.com/Disneynature. For more information about the Disney Worldwide Conservation Fund, please visit Disney.com/conservation.