Ted Leonsis, Vice Chairman Emeritus of AOL

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Honored by Internews Media Leadership Awards – “Filmanthropist” Ted Leonsis shares his thoughts. Ted is owner of the Washington Capitals National Hockey League team, and Chairman of Clearspring Technologies and Revolution Money, is a dedicated philanthropist and a film producer. Leonsis produced Nanking, a documentary film inspired by the late Iris Chang’s book, The Rape of Nanking, about the Japanese invasion of Nanking, China, in the early days of World War II. Nanking made its world premiere at the 2007 Sundance Film Festival where it was awarded the Documentary Editing Award. The film, released in December 2007, also received the Humanitarian Award at the Hong Kong Film Festival and is the highest-grossing documentary to date in China. In 2008, Leonsis followed Nanking with Kicking It, a documentary about the lives of homeless people who are changed forever through an international soccer competition, the Homeless World Cup. Kicking It debuted at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival and will be distributed by ESPN. Both films are examples of “filmanthropy”, a phrase coined by Leonsis to describe a new category of filmmaking that sheds light on important issues around the world, and activates discussion, as well as new volunteers and new funds, to benefit a social cause. Leonsis is a committed philanthropist and is involved with numerous charities, including Best Buddies, Hoop Dreams, See Forever Foundation, YouthAIDS, and others through the work of the Leonsis Foundation.