Last Call at the Oasis Trailer Now Live on Mashable.com

Documentary and Mobile Campaign Tackle Global Water Crisis By Zoe Fox Mashable.com Last Call at the Oasis, a new documentary exposing the world’s growing water crisis, is using digital means to take the film’s message beyond the theater. Last Call at the Oasis is the latest documentary from Participant Media (An Inconvenient Truth, Food Inc, The Cove), a film company focused on creating social change via its digital division takepart.com. As with its previous releases, Participant Media has created a campaign to extend the reach of the documentary. “All of our films launch with a brand new initiative, written with the help of our partners,” says Wendy Cohen, director of digital campaigns and communities for Participant. “We like to say ‘we aren’t the experts, but we’re the experts at finding the experts.’” The company will release a still-unnamed iOS app, which shows how much water is associated with different actions in your daily life. The “water calculator,” which is still in early planning phases, will tell you how much water goes into your morning subway ride, say, or the making of your chocolate bar. “Obviously mobile is super important and our mission for us is to talk about hidden water,” Cohen says. “Hopefully having the calculator with you at all times will impact your decisions.” The film’s website serves as a hub for all the information featured in the film. One of the most useful features are a list of 10 ways you can make a difference, such as never drinking bottled water, only washing full loads of laundry and eating less meat. The film is also using SMS to keep viewers engaged. If you text “WATER” to 77177 you’ll receive updates on how to take action. There’s also a mobile push to get involved at the end of the full-length film. Last Call at the Oasis, which is premiering its trailer on Mashable, will be released in select cities May 4. It will be screened twice at South by Southwest: 11 a.m. on Wednesday at the Paramount Theater and 2 p.m. on Thursday in Alamo Lamar B. Do you think social action and film are a good pair? Let us know if you think Participant has found a winning combination. To view the trailer, please click on the following link: http://mashable.com/2012/03/14/last-call-at-the-oasis/