Lifetime Networks Announces The 2008 Every Woman's Film Competition Presented
by Lifetime Movie Network in Partnership With The Hollywood Reporter, New York
Women In Film & Television, The Paley Center for Media, William Morris Agency
and Women In Film Los Angeles
Hollywood Judges And Lifetime Movie Network Viewers Will Select Winning Films
To Be Showcased On Lifetime Movie Network And LMN.tv And At The 2008 Hamptons
International Film Festival
NEW YORK, April 7, 2008 /PRNewswire/ -- In the 80 years of the Academy
Awards, only three women have ever been nominated for Best Director (Lena
Wertmuller/1975, Jane Campion/1993, Sofia Coppola/2003) and no woman has ever
won that award! To nurture the next generation of great women filmmakers who
might one day finally walk away with an Oscar, Lifetime Movie Network, The
Hollywood Reporter, New York Women in Film & Television (NYWIFT), The Paley
Center for Media, William Morris Agency and Women In Film Los Angeles are
launching the second annual Every Woman's Film Competition, presented by
Lifetime Movie Network.
After the strong response to last year's Lifetime Movie Network Student
Filmmaker Competition, the 2008 contest has been expanded to all women
interested in film -- not just students.
In announcing the 2008 Competition, Louise Henry Bryson, Executive Vice
President and General Manager, Lifetime Movie Network, said "In 2006, women
comprised 15 percent of all directors, executive producers, producers,
writers, cinematographers and editors working on the top 250 domestic grossing
films.* Lifetime Movie Network -- the only basic cable movie channel
dedicated to women and the #2 network for women, second only to Lifetime -- is
working to change those statistics by offering the next generation of female
filmmakers the chance to be discovered."
The Every Woman's Film Competition entrants will produce short films three
to five minutes in length to be judged by a "who's who" of women in Hollywood.
Angela Bassett, Jennifer Lopez, Lauren Shuler Donner, Gale Anne Hurd and Mimi
Leder were among last year's judges.
There will be a first place and second place winner, and three honorable
mentions selected. In addition, the LMN.tv audience will have a chance to vote
online for their favorite film which will determine the selection of a special
LMN.tv Audience Winner. The judge-selected first place and second place
winners will receive $5,000 and $2,500, respectively, to advance their film
projects and exposure on Lifetime Movie Network and LMN.tv, as well as trips
to both The Hollywood Reporter Women in Entertainment Breakfast and The
Hamptons International Film Festival, where they will be featured guests. The
three honorable mention recipients, as well as the favorite filmmaker chosen
by the LMN.tv audience, will win $1000 each.
"This is one more way in which Lifetime is at the forefront of inspiring
women to express themselves and develop their talents," said Elizabeth Guider,
Editor, The Hollywood Reporter. "The Hollywood Reporter is proud to be
associated with this initiative."
"New York Women in Film & Television is committed to the goal of equity
for women in the film and television industries," said Terry Lawler, Executive
Director, NYWIFT. "Lifetime Movie Network's Every Woman's Film Competition
will recognize the young great new talents of the next decade -- the women who
will finally break the glass ceiling! We are looking forward to working with
Lifetime Movie Network on this wonderful project."
"Women In Film Los Angeles is thrilled to work with Lifetime Movie Network
and our illustrious partners in this important effort to empower female
directors," said Jane Fleming, President, Women In Film Los Angeles. "It is
through programs like the Every Woman's Film Competition that we can improve
the statistics and find the next creative leaders in entertainment."
"We are thrilled to further women filmmakers by showcasing the winning
films of the Lifetime Movie Network's Every Woman's Film Contest for the
second year in a row at the 16th Annual Hamptons International Film Festival,"
said Karen Arikian, Executive Director of the Hamptons International Film
Festival.
Contest information is available online at www.LMN.tv/filmcontest, and an
on-air spot encouraging women to enter the 2008 Every Woman's Film Competition
presented by Lifetime Movie Network ran during the record-setting premiere of
"The Capture of the Green River Killer," the most-watched program in Lifetime
Movie Network's 10-year history. Based on the true story of the 20-year search
for the most prolific serial killer in United States history, "The Capture of
the Green River Killer" stars Tom Cavanagh, Amy Davidson and Sharon Lawrence.
The competition runs through June 15, 2008, and winners will be announced
in October. For more information please go to www.LMN.tv/filmcontest.
*Source: The Celluloid Ceiling: Behind-the-Scenes Employment of Women
on the Top 250 Films of 2006 By Martha M. Lauzen, Ph.D., School
of Communication, San Diego State University,
Copyright (C) 2007 -- All rights reserved
About Lifetime
LIFETIME is the leader in women's television and one of the top-rated
basic cable television networks. A diverse, multi-media company, LIFETIME is
committed to offering the highest quality entertainment and information
programming, and advocating a wide range of issues affecting women and their
families. LIFETIME Television, Lifetime Movie Network, Lifetime Real Women and
Lifetime Digital (including myLifetime.com) are part of LIFETIME Entertainment
Services, a 50/50 joint venture of Hearst Corporation and The Walt Disney
Company.
About The Hollywood Reporter (www.hollywoodreporter.com)
Now in its 77th year, The Hollywood Reporter covers the business of the
entertainment industry via a network of media outlets. They include the print
daily and weekly editions, the web site, various electronic-media offerings
and high-profile events such as the Key Art Awards and Women in Entertainment.
The Reporter's team of reporters and news editors number more than 60, with
representatives in most of the world's major cities. The Reporter is published
by Nielsen Business Media which is part of The Nielsen Co., a global
information and media company whose trade publications include Billboard and
Adweek. The Nielsen Co. also owns the media research firm ACNielsen. The first
Hollywood-based daily trade newspaper covering the entertainment industry, The
Hollywood Reporter began publishing Sept. 3, 1930.
About New York Women in Film & Television (www.nywift.org)
New York Women in Film & Television (NYWIFT) is the preeminent
entertainment industry association for women in New York City. Dedicated to
helping women reach the highest levels of achievement in film, television and
new media, and promoting equity for women in these industries, NYWIFT produces
over fifty innovative programs and special events each year. NYWIFT's 1,750
members are part of a network of forty international women in film
organizations, representing more than 10,000 members worldwide.
About The Paley Center for Media (www.paleycenter.org)
The Paley Center for Media, with locations in New York and Los Angeles,
leads the discussion about the cultural, creative, and social significance of
television, radio, and emerging platforms for the professional community and
media-interested public. At the center of its She Made It initiative is a
unique collection of television and radio programming created by women. This
landmark collection will provide a permanent record of the vital contributions
female television and radio creators and executives have made to our culture.
Over 1,500 hours of programming have been collected to date, compiled both
from the Paley Center's existing collection of more than 140,000 programs and
from new acquisitions. The She Made It archives are available for viewing and
listening at both Paley Center locations in New York and Los Angeles. Public
events highlighting the work of leading women in the industry and an
interactive website (www.shemadeit.org) support this valuable collection.
About Women In Film Los Angeles (www.wif.org)
Women In Film is a non-profit organization dedicated to helping women
achieve their highest potential within the global entertainment,
communications and media industries and to preserving the legacy of women
within those industries. Founded in 1973, Women In Film and its Women In Film
Foundation provide for members an extensive network of contacts, educational
programs, scholarships, film finishing funds and grants, access to employment
opportunities, mentorships and numerous practical services in support of this
mission.
About William Morris Agency (www.wma.com)
Founded in 1898, William Morris Agency (WMA) is the largest and most
diversified talent and literary agency in the world, with principal offices in
New York, Beverly Hills, Nashville, London, Miami Beach and Shanghai. The
Agency represents clients in all segments of the entertainment industry,
including Motion Pictures, Television, Music and Personal Appearances,
Broadway Theatre and Theatrical Touring, Book Publishing, Commercial
Endorsements, Sports Marketing, Corporate Consulting, Digital Media, and Video
Games.
SOURCE Lifetime Networks
Geralyn Lucas of Lifetime Networks, +1-212-424-7066, lucas@lifetimetv.com
