THE MEATRIX RECEIVES COVETED WEB AWARD
Award-winning Film Takes Home Another Prize
[New York , NY] - Last night, Moopheus, the bovine star of the humorous flash animation spoof, The Meatrix (www.themeatrix.com) took the stage at Manhattan's Gotham Hall to accept the Internet's most coveted award—a Webby.  The Webby Awards are the leading international awards honoring excellence in web design, creativity, usability, and functionality, and are best known as the “Online Oscars.” The Meatrix was selected by the 500-member International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences as the best website by a nonprofit/charitable organization. Moopheus accepted the award along with a posse of his creators from the GRACE and Free Range Graphics. The group stood out in their sunglasses and all black clothing—an homage to the Warner Brother's Matrix films spoofed by The Meatrix.
Webby organizers allowed winners a maximum five word acceptance speech, which GRACE and Moopheus used as an opportunity to speak out against factory farming. Rebecca Bray, GRACE's Internet Development Director, accompanied Moopheus on stage to say: “Moopheus says ‘factory farms stink!” The audience responded with clapping, cheering and a few loud “mooos!!”
“It's a great honor to be chosen from the thousands of web sites that were submitted for a Webby,” said GRACE President Alice Slater. “Not only is winning a testament to the success of our film and web site, it's an effective way to reach more consumers and educate them about the problems surrounding today's meat supply.”
Webby attendees clamored for pooping cow and pig key chains (a statement about the vast amounts of manure created by factory farms) distributed by GRACE and Free Range at the awards ceremony.
An account of the event, along with pictures, is available on The Sustainable Table blog at www.SustainableTable.org/blog/
With a Webby under their belts, Moopheus and GRACE have now taken home more than a half dozen major film and Internet awards, including honors from South by Southwest, the Annecy International Animated Film Festival, the Environmental Media Association, the Glynwood Foundation, and Media Rights' Media That Matters Film Festival.
Since its debut in late 2003, well over 7 million people have viewed The Meatrix. Critics everywhere, from Adbusters to The Ecologist to The Nation have lauded the film's unique pop culture approach to educating the public about factory farming.
Moopheus is currently “rehearsing” for his upcoming sequel, The Meatrix II: The Revolt Continues, which GRACE anticipates releasing in Fall 2005.
GRACE is a nonprofit organization that works with research, policy and grassroots communities to raise awareness and promote solutions to preserve the planet for future generations. Visit us at www.gracelinks.org
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