A Billion Lives Wins Best International Documentary Award At 2016 Jozi Film Festival In South Africa

LOS ANGELES - Sept. 28, 2016 - PRLog -- The internationally acclaimed film A BILLION LIVES, by director Aaron Biebert, won the Best International Documentary Award at the 5th Annual Jozi Film Festival in Johannesburg, South Africa.

The four-day festival screened 40 films selected from 300 entries and closed with an awards ceremony in Johannesburg on September 18^th with the best films in five categories garnering honors.

A year in the making, A BILLION LIVES tells the story of how Biebert, who witnessed a close friend suffering from lung cancer continue to smoke until his death, began investigating alternatives to cigarette smoking.  In the process, he learned that according to the World Health Organization (WHO), a billion lives will be lost this century to smoking related illnesses, but that systemic corruption was endangering lives.

A BILLION LIVES exposes how pharmaceutical companies, anti-smoking advocacy groups, tobacco companies, and even the U.S. state and federal governments are to blame for the disinformation, over-regulation, and banning of smoking alternatives worldwide.

To prove his case, Biebert captures compelling interviews with leading scientists, doctors, technologists and policy makers from major international health organizations. Each in turn gives reasoned answers to the very serious question: "Are a billion lives being sacrificed needlessly for billions of dollars?"

The Electronic Vapour Products Association of South Africa (EASA), the national representative body of the South African e-cigarette industry, commended the film for bringing attention to the alternatives to smoking.

"A Billion Lives is a brilliant work that uncovers the real solutions we believe so many people have been waiting for. It addresses questions about both smoking and vapor technology in a manner that is both informative and insightful, giving all of us access to the global material available and opportunity to make our own choices for our health," said Dr Zuko Kubukeli, Chairman of EASA.

"I am immensely honored to have won this prestigious award and have A Billion Lives make its' South African premiere at the Jozie Film Festival in Johannesburg," said Biebert. "It's very important for us to get the message out about safer alternatives to smoking to an African audience as part of our global awareness program."

Independently funded by the Milwaukee, Wisconsin-based production company Attention Era Meda, A BILLION LIVES continues to rack up top honors: the Supreme Jury Prize and Best Director Awards at the Melbourne Documentary Film Festival in Australia, the Remi Award at the Worldfest Houston International Film Festival, and The Dorn Award from the Global Forum on Nicotine.

To view the trailer and obtain additional information visit: http://abillionlives.com