OWEN WILSON, JESSE JAMES AMONG CELEBRITIES TO SHARE ECO-FRIENDLY PRACTICES IN UPCOMING FINE LIVING TV NETWORK SPECIAL "IT'S EASY BEING GREEN" Raleigh-Based Distillery Pictures Created and Produced ‘It’s Easy Being Green’ Premiering Saturday, April 21 RALEIGH, N.C. (April 9, 2007) – What do actor Owen Wilson, motorcycle mogul Jesse James and singer Alanis Morrisette have in common? They all share a passion for the environment. These celebrities offer a glimpse of their eco-friendly lifestyles, along with other fascinating people who are living green, in a one-hour special set to premiere on Saturday, April 21 at 10pm ET and 7pm PT on the Fine Living TV network. It's Easy Being Green, created and produced by Raleigh-based Distillery Pictures, explores the growing interest among Americans to make eco-friendly lifestyle choices. Hosted by chef, author and green guru Renée Loux, the special provides viewers with a wealth of ideas about how to live a fuller life that contributes to the well-being of the planet. It even shows ways to save some “green” – as in money – in the process. In 2005, Americans spent more than $200 billion on green goods and services, making it one of the fastest growing business sectors. Distillery Pictures’ Betty Buckley and Scott Myers, creators and co-executive producers of It's Easy Being Green, recognized this enormous growth trend and set out to showcase ways people across the country are living green. Distillery Pictures pitched the project to Kent Takano, vice president for Programming & Production at Fine Living, and found a receptive ear. Renée Loux, author of “The Balanced Plate,” was a natural choice to host the special. “Renée is a nutritionist to celebrities and a consultant to companies looking to implement sustainable practices,” said Myers of Distillery Pictures. Buckley added, “She lives her life embodying what she teaches – living a truly green existence. We knew right away she would be the perfect host for It's Easy Being Green.” The production went around the country – from New York to California, Hawaii to North Carolina – to find story segments. It features interviews with the likes of Owen Wilson, Jesse James, Alanis Morrisette and Barenaked Ladies. The show also highlights everyday people who have discovered how easy it is nowadays to be green. Among those people is Larry Larson, founder of Larry’s Beans based in Raleigh. Larson was interviewed for It’s Easy Being Green to tell the story of how a self-described coffee geek discovered the value of sustainability. “I started off as a coffee geek,” says Larson. “In 1999 … I got to see what life was like for coffee growers. In doing that, it changed my life forever.” Larson’s company is a wholesaler, purveyor and manufacturer of roasted coffee beans. Larry’s Beans buys only the highest quality beans from around the world. The products are certified organic (grown without toxic chemicals or pesticides), Fair Trade (protecting the small farmers by paying international Fair Trade prices) and shade grown (no trees were cut down to grow crops). As Larson explains on It’s Easy Being Green, “You can have fun doing business, you can do a lot of good for the world, and you can still make a profit.” “It's Easy Being Green features fascinating people who have taken their personal passion for green living to the next level,” Buckley said. “It explores some of the latest, coolest earth-friendly technologies and trends – everything from the clothes we wear to the food we eat to the cars we drive.” Show segments include the Tesla Roadster, an all-electric sports car that’s faster than a Porsche. A top New York fashion model shows off sustainable style. And a designer demonstrates how she turns things people throw away into useful household items – like a side table made of egg cartons and a lamp made of mini-blinds. The one-hour special also tours the eco-friendly home of a North Raleigh family, makes a stop at the Carrboro Farmer’s Market, and discovers how much fun it is to trade stuff at the Scrap Exchange in Durham. “In doing research for the show, it was amazing to learn about all the different ways people are reducing their footprint on the Earth,” said Myers. ”The possibilities are endless, and It’s Easy Being Green brings so many great ideas to light.” It’s Easy Being Green will premiere on Saturday, April 21 at 10pm ETand 7pm PT on Fine Living. It will be re-broadcast at the same time on Sunday, April 22 (Earth Day) and again on May 12. Distillery Pictures is a long-format production boutique focusing on documentary television, film and new media from concept to broadcast. Its work includes programming for Discovery Health, National Geographic, PBS, TLC, Sundance and ESPN. A part of Trailblazer Studios, Distillery Pictures is a sister boutique of Serious Robots, providing animation, editorial and visual effects; Blazing Music + Sound, providing original music composition, voiceover recording, sound design and audio-post; and Red Truck Films, a leading TV commercial production company for advertising agencies in the Southeast, Northeast and Midwest. For more information, call 919-645-6600 or visit www.distillerypictures.com. Now in 43 million subscriber homes, the Fine Living TV network is available on Time Warner Cable channel 151, DirecTV's channel 232 and Dish Network's channel 113 in the Triangle area, or check your local listings. For more information, visit www.FineLiving.com. Fine Living is from the makers of HGTV and The Food Network, among others.
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