Mary Kay Makes an Impact Through Film

Mary Kay Makes an Impact Through Film

Mary Kay® Inspiring Stories Gives Women the Chance to Make Movies with a Mission in Hollywood

DALLAS, June 14, 2011 /PRNewswire/ --Mary Kay® Inspiring Stories is an exciting new program created to give women nationwide the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to be flown to Hollywood and produce documentaries that inspire, educate, and create a national conversation about the issue of domestic violence. Those selected will also work alongside celebrities like JoAnna Garcia Swisher (from television's Better With You) who share a commitment to the cause. Mary Kay, a company dedicated to enriching women's lives, is taking action with this compelling initiative to empower women to bring their collective voices together to fight back against the number one cause of injury to women. Women, ages 18 to 34, are invited and encouraged to apply online from June 1 through June 30 at: http://www.MaryKayInspiringStories.com for a chance to get involved.

InAugust, the selected participants for the Mary Kay Inspiring Stories project will converge in Hollywood, CA. The women will work together for seven days to create, produce, and direct three unique documentaries that share inspiring and moving stories of women affected by domestic violence. Through the stories of survivors, these three documentaries will educate the public on ways to end domestic violence, an epidemic that impacts 1 in 4 women in the United States who will experience abuse in their lifetime.

"Mary Kay has always been about enriching women's lives, and being a champion for causes that affect women," said Yvette Franco, Vice-President, Mary Kay Inc. "Over the years, we've been proud to raise awareness and take action on important issues like domestic violence and we're proud to continue in that tradition through Mary Kay Inspiring Stories."

Each documentary will feature a female celebrity narrator who will add her voice to raise awareness and education about domestic violence. The celebrity narrators and the female participants will work together to bring their collective voice to raise awareness about domestic violence. The announcement of all three celebrities involved will be announced before August.

JoAnna Garcia Swisher added, "As an actress, I think it's important to use film and television as vehicles to help inspire, empower and educate others about issues like domestic violence that deserve our attention. I hope each documentary created through this project helps bring about positive change in the lives of women faced with the threat or reality of domestic abuse."

The films will premiere in late September, on the cusp of National Domestic Violence Awareness Month. Following the premiere and throughout the month of October, millions of people across America will have the chance to view, vote and support the documentaries online at http://www.MaryKayInspiringStories.com. The film crew that captures America's vote will have a $20,000 grant given to a domestic violence shelter in their name from the Mary Kay Foundation.

To further efforts to combat domestic violence, consumers can join Mary Kay in its worldwide efforts to change the lives of women and children through the purchase of Limited-Edition Beauty that Counts® Mary Kay® Creme Lipstick. In the U.S., from Sept. 16 through Dec. 15, 2011, $1 will be donated from the sale of each shade - Give Dreams, Give Hope and Give Joy - to the Mary Kay Foundation in its efforts to end domestic violence. Yvette Franco, Vice-President for Mary Kay and Mary Kay Foundation board member, added, "Mary Kay® Inspiring Stories is a powerful project because it unites a community of diverse women all looking to bring their voice to millions nationwide to support the often-unheard women impacted by domestic violence."

For the third straight year, the "Mary Kay Truth About Abuse" national survey conducted earlier this year, shows domestic violence shelters reporting increased demand for their services while the economy struggles. In fact, 80 percent of domestic violence shelters nationwide (more than three out of four) reported an increase in women seeking assistance from abuse.

ABOUT MARY KAY

Mary Kay is one of the world's largest direct selling companies with more than $2.5 billion in annual wholesale sales worldwide. Mary Kay was founded in 1963 by Mary Kay Ash with the goal of helping women achieve personal growth and financial success. Mary Kay remains committed to enriching women's lives, and today more than 2 million people of all backgrounds are enjoying the advantages of being Mary Kay Independent Beauty Consultants. Mary Kay's high-quality skin care and color cosmetic products are sold in more than 35 countries around the world. To learn more about Mary Kay, visit www.marykay.com.

ABOUT DREAMING TREE FILMS

Dreaming Tree Films is a production company that specializes in producing creative programs that provide individuals with a hands-on experience and allows them to interact with and explore the creative process of filmmaking. Program participants are given the tools and resources they need to harness their own creativity and confidently produce films that send a positive message. Mary Kay teamed up with Dreaming Tree Films to help oversee the program's execution.

SOURCE Dreaming Tree Films

Dreaming Tree Films

CONTACT: Alana Bardauskis, Publicity, Dreaming Tree Films, +1-773-334-8380, ext. 111, alanab@dreamingtreefilms.com; or Jill Kleiner, Publicity, Coyne PR, +1-973-316-1665, jkleiner@coynepr.com

Web Site: http://www.dreamingtreefilms.com

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