Before we get started we wanted to throw a number out to you, 7000. That’s the number of people that participated in this year’s first ever Clips of Faith Beer Tasting & Film Tour.

The first-year festival which brought people together for an outdoor screening of amateur short films accompanied with some of New Belgium’s esoteric Lips of Faith beers plus food from local providers. In the end after some 7,000 people participated, New Belgium was able to accumulate over $31,000 which went to 15 non-profits.

“We knew this would be a fun venue to celebrate the arts of filmmaking and Belgian-style brewing,” said Christie Catania, Clips of Faith Manager at Large. “But the opportunity to support local advocacy groups doing great things was a tremendous benefit.”

At each location, the volunteers collected funds from the attendants, that were later distributed amongst the local charities, all while enjoying a hard to get NB beer and sitting through 20 of the best film entries.

Selected films covered the spectrum from kayaking friends avoiding bears and whales while paddling from Alaska to Seattle, to a spaghetti-western inspired film about a flat tire (and of course beer). There were even bike themed dramas, comedy shorts, before before people were brought back to earth by serious environmental exhibitions.

The creative team at New Belgium Brewing reviewed and selected the films that went on tour and picked three filmmakers to visit New Belgium for the Ft. Collins screening and Tour de Fat. Those festival honorees were:

Joseph Marcello, Tarrytown, NY – “The Trip” – In this tragi-comic stop action short, two bottles of New Belgium Lips of Faith beers visit the Big Apple but only one makes it out alive!

Kenton Hoppas, San Diego, CA – “Flat Tire” – A noirish spaghetti western shot lovingly on Super 8 film involves a bike, a flat tire and some beer.

Nicholas Cryder, Tacoma, WA – “Old Belgium/New Belgium” – A young man leaves his best friend in charge of the apartment to go on a job interview and returns to find he has lost everything due to a little creative capitalism - everything, that is, except a little nectar from the bottle.

If you are a filmmaker, or an aspiring filmmaker, and would like to be part of New Belgium’s 2011 Clips of Faith tour, entries are now being accepted at www.clipsoffaith.com. To take a look at some of the winning films from the 2010 tour, visit www.clipsoffaith.com.

Clips of Faith City-by-City Breakdown

Grand Totals

• $31,819 – Total funds donated to the local non-profits
• Approximately 7,220 attendees

June 16, 2010 – Madison, WI

• $2,205 - Total funds donated to Bicycle Federation of Wisconsin
• Approximately 450 attendees

June 25, 2010 – St. Louis, MO

• $1,381 - Total funds donated to Trailnet.org
• Approximately 350 attendees

July 2, 2010 – Kansas City, MO

• $3,334 - Total funds donated to Missouri Bicycle and Pedestrian Federation
• Approximately 500 attendees

July 7, 2010 – Missoula, MT

• $1,869 - Total funds donated to Bike/Walk Alliance for Missoula
• Approximately 400 attendees

July 16, 2010 – Eugene, OR

• $1,176 - Total funds donated to Skaters for Eugene Skateparks
• Approximately 320 attendees

July 23, 2010 – Davis, CA

• $4,479 - Total funds donated to Davis Bicycles! & The Davis Bike Collective
• Approximately 1,200 attendees

July 30, 2010 – Truckee, CA

• $1,237 - Total funds donated to Truckee Trails Foundation
• Approximately 250 attendees

August 6, 2010 – Reno, NV

• $1,141 - Total funds donated to Reno Bike Project
• Approximately 300 attendees

August 13, 2010 – Flagstaff, AZ

• $2,389 - Total funds donated to Flagstaff Biking Organization
• Approximately 550 attendees

September 3, 2010 – Nashville, TN

• $4,732 - Total funds donated to Soundforest
• Approximately 950 attendees

September 10, 2010 – Asheville, NC

• $2,376 - Total funds donated to Asheville on Bikes
• Approximately 550 attendees

September 16, 2010 – Raleigh, NC

• $2,577 - Total funds donated to Triangle Spokes Group
• Approximately 300 attendees

September 23, 2010 – Charleston, SC

• $1,880 - Total funds donated to Charleston Moves
• Approximately 550 attendees

October 1, 2010 – Athens, GA

• $2,042 - Total funds donated to BikeAthens
• Approximately 550 attendees

About New Belgium Brewing Company

New Belgium Brewing Company, makers of Fat Tire Amber Ale and a host of Belgian-inspired beers, began operations in a tiny Fort Collins basement in 1991. Today, the third largest craft brewer in the U.S., New Belgium produces seven year-round beers; Fat Tire Amber Ale, Sunshine Wheat, Blue Paddle Pilsner, 1554 Black Ale, Abbey, Mothership Wit and Trippel, as well as a host of seasonal releases. In addition to producing world-class beers, New Belgium takes pride in being a responsible corporate role model with progressive programs such as employee ownership, open book management and a commitment to environmental stewardship. For more information, visit www.newbelgium.com.

To learn more about New Belgium’s Clips of Faith series and to submit your entry for next year, go to www.clipsoffaith.com.

Cheers