March 30, 2012 — Macquarie University, The University of Melbourne and Monash Sustainability Institute have announced that the short animated film “Green NinjaTM: Footprint Renovation,” has won the Grand Prize of $5,000 at the Green Screen Climate Fix Flicks festival in Sydney, Australia.

The film is one of a series that has been produced by students in the film and animation departments at San Jose State University as part of The Green Ninja Project, led by Professor of Meteorology and Climate Science Eugene Cordero. With funding from the National Science Foundation, NASA, and PG&E, Professor Cordero has led a collaboration of students, scientists, and media artists to create the Green Ninja, a climate action superhero who forms the center of an education and behavior change program targeted at reducing our collective carbon footprint.

“Our goal with the Green Ninjafilm series is to communicate important topics of climate science in a way that is accessible and fun for everyone,” said Cordero.  “I am delighted that we are reaching a global audience with this work.”

Cordero in a Vimeo video box, click on the photo to connect to the video

Cordero explains The Green Ninja Project (TEDxSanJoseCA video).

“Footprint Renovation” was also screened in March at the San Francisco Green Film Festival, and won high marks from a panel of Hollywood TV and film directors, assembled at the American Geophysical Union earlier this year, for its excellence in conveying scientific ideas in a way that is easily understood by the general public. The next screening of “Footprint Renovation” will happen in Korea as part of the Green Film Festival in Seoul.

“I am really proud of the animation team and the SJSU students who have made the Green Ninja come to life,” said Assistant Professor of Animation and Illustration David Chai, who led the team of students who created the film.

Professor Cordero will be speaking at the TEDxSanJoseCA conference on April 14, 2012 in San Jose.

For more information, visit the Green Ninja website or contact Eugene Cordero.