Hulu's "The First" to Receive Prestigious Award from Leading Space Organization

AUSTIN, Texas, Oct. 15, 2018 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- The EarthLight Foundation and New Worlds Institute are proud to announce the presentation of the Odyssey Award to Hulu's "The First." Created by Beau Willimon (HOUSE OF CARDS) alongside his producing partner, Jordan Tappis, and starring Sean Penn and Natascha McElhone, "The First" tells the story of the first humans to go to Mars. The Odyssey Award will be presented to the "The First" at the Space Cowboy Ball, an avant garde awards dinner, costume ball, party, and fundraiser benefiting space education. This year's event will be held on November 10th at the AT&T Conference Center Grand Ballroom, in the heart of the University of Texas in Austin. The event is open for all to attend (space, future, or steam-punk themed costumes are suggested). Tickets are available at SpaceCowboyBall.org.

" 'The First' brings real people into the equation of our future on the frontier," said EarthLight founder Rick Tumlinson. "After all, it's not rockets and robots who will open space, but people - with all their issues and challenges, fears and foibles. 'The First' shows us how even with the baggage of being human, we can aspire to reach the heights of our dreams."

The EarthLight Executive Committee believes that through its depictions of what is possible, and who will make it happen, "The First" serves the cause of opening the space frontier by expanding the audience of those who stand to benefit when it happens, and helping both explain and create inspiration for those who will be the first to go to the New Worlds of space.

"Beau and I are honored to accept The Odyssey Award on behalf of the entire cast and crew of The First," said Jordan Tappis, executive producer of "The First. "The EarthLight Foundation continues to do admirable work in the fields of space technology and education and we are grateful to be part of their 2018 Space Cowboy Ball and New Worlds Fair and Symposium."

This is the second Odyssey Award to be presented, with SyFy channel's "The Expanse" accepting the award in 2017. Other awards to be presented at the Space Cowboy Ball are the Permission to Dream Award for outstanding educators who inspire the next generation of space farers, and the Space Cowboy Award, for pioneering leadership in opening the space frontier. The Space Cowboy Ball caps off the New Worlds Fair and Symposium, a three day event featuring The Texas Space Summit, the Cities In Space Student Conference (where over 500 school children design their own space colonies), and the Space Settlement Symposium, featuring academic and policy discussions focused on the human settlement of the frontier and the popular 'Sharks in Space' NewSpace Business Plan Competition. More information about the New Worlds Fair & Symposium and the Space Cowboy Ball can be found online at http://www.NewWorlds.space.

SOURCE The EarthLight Foundation