Echoing Green Fellows are hitting the big screen! And of course, their work reflects the important social changes issues to which they have dedicated their lives.

2006 Echoing Green Fellow Muhsin Hendricks, founder of The Inner Circle, is featured prominently throughout a new documentary, A Jihad for Love. The film aims to reclaim the concept of Jihad, whose true meaning is similar to ‘an inner struggle’, for gay and lesbian Muslims worldwide. Filmed in twelve countries and nine languages, A Jihad for Love explores the complex global intersections between Islam and homosexuality. The movie will be showing at the IFC Center in New York, beginning on May 21. It’ll be on for only two weeks, so be sure to catch it soon!

Also, a film produced in association with The Global Fund for Children, founded by 1993 Echoing Green Fellow Maya Ajmera, premiered at this year’s Tribeca Film Festival. War Child traces the life of Emmanuel Jal, a rap artist who served as a child soldier in Sudan’s civil war years ago. Commenting on the collaboration between The Global Fund for Children and director Karim Chrobog, Maya noted that, “by investing in films such as War Child, we are educating the public on the difficulties faced by vulnerable children and youth worldwide, while continuing to offer a way for people to get involved and make a difference.” Check out the War Child website to see if the film will be showing in your area.

While we’re on the topic of social entrepreneurs in the movie business, what is your favorite socially conscious film? What movie opened your eyes to a pressing problem in today’s world?