A section of joyful participants during the in-person gathering in Davey Jackson Field, Jackson, WY, last June. This year's event is on June 28, same venue. Photo: The Trueness Project.
Marina del Rey Film Festival official selection logo. Logo: Courtesy.
Part of The Trueness Project team poses for a photo during the Kenya Tour in Feb 2025. Photo: Godfrey Atsin'ga/The Trueness Project.
Founded in 2012 by Jon Gursha and Peter Greene, the Marina del Rey Film Festival has become a highly sought-after platform for independent filmmakers, dedicated to showcasing powerful and thought-provoking cinema from around the globe.
Giving Wings to a Movement joins this year's diverse slate of impactful films that challenge norms and elevate underrepresented stories, as told by The Trueness Project, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit changing lives through philanthropy, youth leadership promotion, education support, and various other initiatives in Kenya, Nepal, and other places globally.
The nonprofit is founded on a bold vision: to bring honesty, integrity, and authenticity back to the center of human connection and leadership.
Through emotional storytelling, intimate interviews, and inspiring visuals, the film explores how one small organization is sparking global transformation, empowering individuals to live truthfully, love deeply, and lead purposefully.
Giving Wings to a Movement is a 30-minute short documentary that explores the journey of The Trueness Project since inception, the impact the nonprofit has made, the lives changed, the dream behind the movement, the 2024 global butterfly event, and a glimpse into what the future holds.
Shot primarily against the scenic backdrop of Costa Rica, Kenya, and Wyoming, the film captures the early stages and bold aspirations of The Trueness Project, a nonprofit officially launched in 2023 to restore truth, integrity, and purpose in human relationships, leadership, and community.
The documentary features deeply personal interviews with changemakers such as Ali Mehdaoui, who is the Founder and CEO of The ME Studios, and M. Teresa Lawrence, JD, DHL, President & Executive Director of The Trueness Project, telling more about the journey to becoming, and why The Trueness Project’s programs matter.
Their perspectives illuminate themes of vulnerability, transformation, and the rediscovery of inner truth, offering viewers not just insight but an emotional call to action.
At the heart of the film is the nonprofit's symbol of the butterfly, representing the journey of gradual transformation everyone is on.
This imagery comes to life through the nonprofit’s annual gathering every last Saturday of June, where people from around the globe assemble in butterfly attire to celebrate personal growth, offer interdenominational prayers for world peace, and strive to break a world record for the largest assembly of butterflies—both literally and metaphorically.
Viewers will see what transpired during last year's Grand Butterfly Gathering, the official attempt to set a new world record for the largest number of dressed-like-butterfly people
With its blend of raw humanity, inspirational energy, and a growing global footprint, Giving Wings to a Movement is more than a documentary. It’s a cinematic invitation to fly with truth, love, and intention—and to be part of a worldwide flutter for positive change.
“This selection is an honor that speaks not only to our mission but to the growing global hunger for genuine, heart-led change,” said Teresa. “To see our story featured at a film festival rooted in creative independence is a beautiful affirmation of what we stand for.”
With its signature butterfly symbolism representing transformation, The Trueness Project has created a ripple effect, gathering changemakers from around the world each year in a symbolic event held on the last Saturday of June. Dressed as butterflies, they come together in a powerful show of unity, prayer, and purpose to promote peace and healing across the world.
The organization invites the public, supporters, and the broader global community to join in celebrating this recognition and supporting the ongoing movement.
This year's Grand Butterfly Gathering will be on June 28, in Davey Jackson Field, Jackson, Wyoming. The aim is to share and learn from transformational stories of global change, champion world peace, and set a new world record by being the largest gathering the world has ever seen of people dressed like butterflies.
Everyone who registers and participates physically in Wyoming will be rewarded with a 5-day, 6-night travel voucher to tour and explore either the Caribbean or Mexico, with all meals and accommodation paid for, courtesy of The ME Studios.
This film is a testament to what is possible when people lead with truth. It’s not just a story, but an invitation to an intentional decision to join the movement and use the wings we have to soar high, transforming lives and making the world a better place.
For more information about the screening schedule and to experience Giving Wings to a Movement, please visit Marina del Rey Film Festival website.
About The Trueness Project
The Trueness Project is a Wyoming–headquartered nonprofit organization dedicated to igniting authentic leadership, youth empowerment, and education across the globe. Through initiatives like the Grand Butterfly Gathering, Book Authorship, leadership book donations, and other forms of philanthropy and leadership mentorship, the organization fosters personal transformation and global impact, established in truth, compassion, and purpose.
About the Marina del Rey Film Festival
Founded in 2012 by Jon Gursha and Peter Greene, the Marina del Rey Film Festival was created to spotlight independent films and filmmakers from around the world. Based in Los Angeles, it has grown into one of the most vibrant festivals on the West Coast, celebrating innovative storytelling and diverse voices.
M. Teresa Lawrence
The Trueness Project, www.truenessproject.org
+1 307-231-6437
teresa@truenessproject.org
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