Rain Bird unveils film competition finalists

• Winners to be announced October 13th; Linda Adams of the California EPA to give keynote address prior to film competition screening and awards presentation

AZUSA, CA, Sept. 27, 2007 -- Rain Bird, the leading manufacturer and provider of irrigation products and services, today named the six finalists for The Intelligent Use of Water™ Film Competition, an environmentally focused film competition that gives both amateur and experienced filmmakers the opportunity to showcase their talents and use the power of film to bring about a greater awareness of the need for intelligent water use in the face of a water crisis of global proportions. The six finalists will be featured guests at a special screening event during The Intelligent Use of Water Summit VII on October 13, 2007, at The Los Angeles County Arboretum & Botanic Garden. Two winners will be announced and awarded cash prizes of $6,000 for judges' selection and $3,000 for audience's pick.

Selected by a panel of judges according to pre-determined criteria including creativity and effective communication of approaches and ideas to intelligently manage and efficiently utilize the Earth's most precious resource, this year's Intelligent Use of Water Film Competition finalists are:
• A Drop of Life -- filmmaker: Shalini Kantayya -- Brooklyn, NY
• Poop at the Zoo -- filmmaker: Chris Popenoe -- New York, NY
• Would you Like Water with That? -- filmmaker: Abigail Cole-Belnap -- Henefer, UT
• Carpa Diem -- filmmaker: Sergio Cannella -- Palermo, Italy
• Adventures of I Heart H2O Man! -- filmmaker: Ethan Van Duzer -- Boulder, CO
• The Water Road -- filmmaker: Mark E. Petersen -- Denver, CO

Rain Bird also announced that Linda Adams, Secretary of the California Environmental Protection Agency and former director of the California Department of Water Resources, will be the event's Keynote Speaker, in addition to her role as an Intelligent Use of Water Film Competition judge.

Joining Adams as film competition judges is a panel of environmental and film industry experts that includes: Gary McVey, Executive Director, American Cinema Foundation; Lane Kneedler, Programming Coordinator, American Film Institute; Amanda Pope, Associate Professor, University of Southern California's School of Cinematic Arts; and Robert Glennon, Professor, University of Arizona's Rogers College of Law and author of Water Follies: Groundwater Pumping And The Fate Of America's Fresh Waters.

Tickets for The Intelligent Use of Water Film Competition screening event are $75 per person and are available through the Los Angeles County Arboretum & Botanic Garden, (626) 821-3237. The evening's proceeds will benefit the Los Angeles County Arboretum & Botanic Garden plant conservation programs.

Rain Bird's Intelligent Use of Water Film Competition is the most recent example in the company's history of creating programs and initiatives to boost awareness of water conservation. Rain Bird devotes significant resources to its Intelligent Use of Water public initiatives, which include a series of white papers; public service announcements; membership on the Alliance for Water Efficiency and the steering committee advising the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on its WaterSense product labeling program; bi-annual Intelligent Use of Water Summits, partnerships with non-profit organizations; development and support of elementary and middle school curricula; and participation in the Tournament of Roses Parade®, an annual worldwide stage to communicate the need for water conservation.

Based in Azusa, Calif., Rain Bird Corporation is a manufacturer and provider of irrigation products and services.

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