"It is amazing to me that there are 200 little children thriving today because of our film." -- Eduardo Verástegui

Contact: Tracy Reynolds, 650-400-0436

LOS ANGELES, Oct. 29 /Christian Newswire/ -- Bella, the inaugural production from Metanoia Films, celebrated the third anniversary of its theatrical release this week.  The film's impact was evident from the onset when it was voted the winner of the coveted People's Choice Award at the 2006 Toronto Film Festival.  And it continues to entertain and move audiences the world over with solid DVD sales.

Perhaps the most amazing hallmark of this independent film is the news that on the very day of its third anniversary -- October 26 -- the film's producers learned of the 200th Bella HERO baby.

Understanding the power that art has to educate, motivate and inform, the Bella HERO vision was as inspired as it was simple: provide free DVD copies to women's care centers around the country to be used as a counseling tool.  "Seeing the reaction that our film got everywhere it was screened, I realized that if we could put this film into the right people's hands it could literally change and save lives," said Jason Jones, one of the film's co-executive producers, who launched the Bella HERO initiative as part of his non-profit, the Human rights Education and Relief Organization (HERO). 

Over the past two years, Jones has raised the funds to distribute more than 10,000 Bella DVDs to nearly 400 pregnancy care centers to be given to abortion-minded clients.  The story behind the latest Bella HERO baby illustrates the positive and lasting effect this film has on its viewers:  A woman in Rochester, N.Y., was scheduled for an abortion.  A mere 48 hours before this procedure was to happen, she visited her local pregnancy care center and was given a copy of Bella.  After watching the film, she informed her counselor at the pregnancy center that she could no longer go through with the abortion and canceled her appointment.

This is just one of many amazing stories of lives changed and babies born because of Bella. "It is amazing to me that there are 200 little children thriving today because of our film," said producer and the film's star Eduardo Verástegui.  To learn more about the Bella HERO project, please visit: www.BellaHero.com.