
The feature film The Man Who Saved the Internet with a Sunflower, directed by global filmmaker Ori Yardeni, has won the prestigious Competition Features Audience Award at the closing ceremony of Dances With Films 2024. The event was held yesterday evening at TCL Theatres in Hollywood.
The film, which had its world premiere on Friday, June 28, 2024, at 9:30 pm PST, during the Dances With Films festival (June 20-30, 2024), recounts the true story of American entrepreneur Rob Ryan. The narrative covers Ryan’s pivotal role in saving the Internet from collapsing in the 1990s, his impact on various industries, and his current efforts to protect the Internet from contemporary threats.
A Story of Resilience and Innovation
“It’s an unbelievable story, about a formula for personal success that can be replicated by any entrepreneur, in any field. The fact that the audience chose our movie as their favorite feature film at the festival proves that when you tell a real good story without cinematic effects and tricks, on a topic that concerns each of the viewers, the audience will connect with it,” commented Yardeni.
He added, “This is a film that does not come only to entertain, but to give each of the viewers a gift of life, a real and applicable tool for real and imperfect people.”
Special Reception and Notable Attendees
A special reception was held before the world premiere, attended by Rob and Terry Ryan, former Apple CFO Joseph A. Graziano and his wife Betty Graziano, E! founder Larry Namer, South Carolina Congressman JA Moore, writer/directors Colin Francis Costello and Patia Prouty and many others, including distributors and media.
The Untold Story of Rob Ryan
The film is the first in a planned trilogy and explores the future of technology and humanity. It tells the untold story of Rob Ryan, an innovative engineer and mentor whose Sunflower Code, a decision-making formula and tool to discover one’s true vocation, revolutionized the Internet and continues to inspire aspiring entrepreneurs.
A brilliant mathematician, Ryan had a tumultuous job history in Silicon Valley, including winning Intel Engineer of the Year Award for the standardization of the early Ethernet. After resigning from Intel, he founded the world’s largest innovative videoconferencing venture. Despite its roaring success, investors demanded a fresh product.
In response, Ryan developed the Sunflower Code, and he and his team rallied to rescue the Internet during its downturn in the 1990s. After making the company public, Ryan faced termination, yet the business fetched a staggering $24 billion. Undeterred, Ryan used the Sunflower Code to spawn three powerhouse companies, clinching the prestigious Silicon Valley Entrepreneur of the Year Award.
Today, he mentors young entrepreneurs and is dedicated to combating online challenges, including bullying, fake news, and AI threats.
REELated:
Stellar Cast and Crew
Filmed in Serbia during the pandemic, the feature stars British actor Martin Delaney (Zero Dark Thirty, Flags Of Our Fathers, Beowulf and Grendel, Now You See Me 2) as Rob Ryan, with Leo Hatton as Ryan’s wife Terry (H&M by Wes Anderson), as well as Troy Hewitt (Rye Lane), Michael Curran-Dorsano (Django, The Last Ship), and Sophie Hopkins (Dr. Who’s spin-off Class from BBC).
Global media entrepreneur and creator Ori Yardeni co-directed the film and co-wrote its screenplay. Known as the ‘stORIteller,’ Yardeni is recognized for his innovative work in immersive cinema and has received several awards for his films. He has also created License to Dream, a collaboration with Ryan, to equip teenagers with the tools and mindset to become successful entrepreneurs and social leaders.
Emil Ben Shimon, known for his work on TV series ZIGI, HaTachana, Katmandu starring Gal Gadot, and Wild Horses for Israel’s HOT Cable Broadcasting, and his feature film The Women’s Balcony (Toronto Festival), co-directed the film. Einat Glazer-Zarhin edited the film, and the screenplay is written by Oren Safdie, Izhar Har-Lev, and Yardeni. Kobi-Hoffman of Jiminy Creative is the executive producer.
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