In an election year marked by unprecedented grassroots energy on the left, and with just one month to go until the midterms (Nov 6th), dozens of notable cultural figures have come together in a video series launching today with the goal to drive mass volunteer action that transforms our government this November.
Amid a slew of celebrity PSAs and reminders to vote, their message is different: “Don’t just vote this year — volunteer!”
Entitled The Last Call for The Last Weekend, the video series is the last big push for The Last Weekend, a coalition campaign organized by Swing Left and backed by more than 60 other progressive organizations including Indivisible, MoveOn, Organizing for Action, and Emily’s List to enlist people from across the country to volunteer a collective 1 million hours to help get out the vote when volunteering matters most: on the last weekend before the midterm elections (Saturday 11/3 – Tuesday 11/6).
In the video series, prominent volunteers such as actress Kerry Washington, activist DeRay Mckesson, and US representative Nydia Velazquez voice their reasons why progressives should sign up at TheLastWeekend.org to volunteer in the races that will decide control of our government by knocking on doors, calling voters and making sure they’re doing everything they can to ensure victory in November. The videos feature previously unreleased music by Moby.
The full list featured in the campaign includes: Activist and writer Adam Eli, Vogue editor-in-chief and Condé Nast artistic director Anna Wintour, Broadway actor Ben Ross, New York City Council Speaker Corey Johnson, actress Crystal Reed, activist DeRay Mckesson (Campaign Zero), Grammy-nominated musician Devendra Banhart, editor Elaine Welteroth, US Senator Elizabeth Warren, activist and artist Emma Sulkowicz, chefs Erika Namakura and Jocelyn Guest, actress Gina Gershon, actress Grace Gummer, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, actress Indya Moore, writer Ira Madison III, musician Jack Antonoff, designers Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez (Proenza Schouler), author and actress Jill Kargman, chef JJ Johnson, producer Jordan Roth, actor Justin Kirk, actress Kathryn Hahn, actress Keiko Agena, actress Kerry Washington, activist Kevin Herzog (Gays Against Guns), model Laura Love, artist Laurie Simmons, writer and actress Lena Dunham, actress and activist Logan Browning, actress Mamie Gummer, actor Mandy Patinkin, artist Marilyn Minter, designer Mike Eckhaus (Eckhaus Latta), comic Nore Davis, US representative Nydia Velazquez, designer Rachel Antonoff, Broadway actor Taylor Trensch, actress Tracee Ellis Ross, activist and YouTube star Tyler Oakley, actress Uzo Aduba and designer Waris Ahluwalia.
The Last Call video series features a full-length “hero” piece on the importance of volunteering, in addition to several issue-based videos featuring a selection of the above names speaking out on Women’s Rights, LGBTQ Rights, Gun Violence, Immigration, Swing Districts, their plans for The Last Weekend, and more. The Last Call for The Last Weekend videos were directed by Bunny Lake Films and Aliya Naumoff and produced by N6 Group and Bunny Lake Films.
Since debuting in July, The Last Weekend initiative has seen its coalition size of progressive organizations more than double, and is already almost halfway to meeting its goal of 1 million volunteer hours committed to the last weekend before the midterms. The Last Weekend volunteers will be connected with coalition organizations such as Swing Left to knock on doors and make calls to voters in key midterm races.
New coalition partners added since the July launch include Run for Something, Justice Democrats, Voto Latino, MomsRising, Pantsuit Nation, EMILY’s List, Millennial Politics, Red to Blue CA, Woman’s National Democratic Club, Blue Revolution, GoodWerk, Opportunity First, It Starts Today, Let America Vote, Action Together Network, Code Blue, Blue Future, Flipthe14, OMGWTF, The Creative Resistance, 350 Action, 5 Calls, Blue Wave Crowd Source, Climate Hawks Vote, Crowdpac, Fight for a Better America, Get One To Vote, ResistryPAC, The Resurgent Left, Daily Kos, Blue Midterm 2018, Battleground Texas, For Our Future Fund, Local Majority, motivote, We Stand United, and Women’s March Chicago.
Previous creative concepts for The Last Weekend featured Rashida Jones, Jane Fonda, and Lily Tomlin, in a video directed by Jones — and husband-and-wife Kevin Bacon and Kyra Sedgwick, in a rare joint project.
For more information on The Last Weekend, including a full list of coalition partners, go to TheLastWeekend.org.
