Ebay Co-founder and Hollywood

Jeff Skoll believes in socially responsible films, and he is putting his money on the line. He was also a major funder of the PBS series, The New Heroes.

Three films that are considered serious Oscar contenders -- "North Country," "Good Night and Good Luck" and "Syriana" -- have one thing in common. They are all bankrolled by one man, a man whose life story might be said to share a title with a less prestigious film -- "Revenge of the Nerds." He's the 40-year-old mogul who heads Participant Productions, Jeff Skoll.

In under a year, this unlikely Hollywood hotshot has attracted big stars and big buzz.

"I tip my hat to him. It's amazing to find somebody who wants to do socially responsible films. Very cool. Very rare," said actor Woody Harrelson.

Feature films and documentaries are a great way to get a message out. If we support these types of films, Hollywood may start paying attention. Heck, this format is relatively inexpensive compared to those blockbusters Hollywood cranks out.

Lots more cool projects being funded by the Skoll Foundation: great to see some of these ideas and projects getting funded.