Disney Channel’s GEEK CHARMING is out on DVD, and to celebrate WAMG is giving away a GEEK CHARMING prizepack.

The lucky winner will receive:

• GEEK CHARMING on DVD
• A GEEK CHARMING poster signed by Sarah Hyland

The 2-Disc DVD (DVD + Digital Copy) of GEEK CHARMING is the ideal Valentine’s Day gift and includes 10 episodes of the Disney Channel smash hit television show “Shake It Up,” plus a special collectible charm set. What are you waiting for? Enter to win!

Bonus features include 10 episodes of the Disney Channel Smash hit, Shake It Up!

Synopsis:  

When Dylan Schoenfield (Sarah Hyland), Woodlands Academy’s top girl, accidentally drops her expensive “it” handbag into the mall fountain, she is surprised that film geek, Josh Rosen (Matt Prokop), retrieves it forher.  In exchange for rescuing her bag, Dylan must agree to be the subject of Josh’s documentary film.  Dylan hopes the film will help her campaign for Blossom Queen – she claims that winning is her only life goal.  Josh plans to make a hard-hitting expose about popularity, but, as he gets to know Dylan, he learns that the real Dylan is much more interesting than the persona she’s created.  At the last minute, Josh decides that his film should introduce this awesome girl to the world, but how will Dylan react when she sees it?

Cast: Sarah Hyland (TV’s “Modern Family”), Matt Prokop (High School Musical 3), Sasha Pieterse (TV’s “Pretty Little Liars”)

Director: Jeffrey Hornaday (Shout)

DVD Bonus: 10 episodes of the Disney Channel smash hit TV series “Shake It Up”

Street Date: February 7, 2012 (Direct Prebook: 12/13/11; Distributor Prebook: 12/27/11)

Rating: TV-G in U.S./G in Canada. Bonus materials not rated.
Feature Run Time: Approximately 98 minutes
Suggested Retail Price: 2-Disc DVD (DVD + Digital Copy) = $26.99 U.S./$29.99 Canada
Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1
Sound: DVD Feature Film – Dolby Digital 2.0
Languages: English
Subtitles: English, French and Spanish

GEEK CHARMING is out now on DVD & Digital Copy

The first official images of Billy Bob Thornton and Paul Wesley in THE BAYTOWN DISCO, the upcoming “Southern Whip-Ass Extravaganza” action comedy from director Barry Battles have been released, and WAMG has them for you!

Synopsis:

The rousing rebel spirit of a family of Southern thugs takes off at breakneck speed in THE BAYTOWN DISCO — a wickedly playful, high-velocity action-comedy in which three infamously ruthless Alabama brothers find themselves on the wrong side of crooked cops, relentless Feds, mad mobsters, road pirates, tomahawk-wielding bikers, tricky femme fatales and an unforgettable cast of characters as colorful as they are lethal when they finally try to do a single good deed.

THE BAYTOWN DISCO stars Academy Award® winner Billy Bob Thornton (Bad Santa, Monster’s Ball, Sling Blade), Golden Globe winner Eva Longoria (Desperate Housewives, The Sentinel), Thomas Brodie Sangster (Love Actually, Bright Star), Clayne Crawford (Swimfan, A Walk to Remember),  Michael Rapaport (Hitch), Daniel Cudmore (X-Men: The Last Stand, New Moon), Travis Fimmel (The Experiment, The Beast) Andre Braugher (Homicide: Life on the Street, Salt), and Paul Wesley (Vampire Diaries).

Photo credit: Courtesy of LLeju Productions

FOR MORE INFO:

Web: http://baytowndisco.com/

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Baytown-Disco/143699379032436

Twitter: http://twitter.com/baytowndisco

There is a reason that the CRAZY HORSE nightclub is well-known throughout the world. Beautiful girls, elaborate dance numbers, and spectacular lighting have made this spot famous. Now, you can experience the glitz and glamour without traveling to Paris.

Directed by Frederick Wiseman, CRAZY HORSE offers a behind the scenes glimpse into one of the most famous nude dance shows in the world. Open since 1951, they strive to make their show the best that they can so that they can live up to their legendary reputation. Their choreography has to be perfect, their lighting has to be exquisite, and the girls have to be in top physical condition… not only for appearance, but to be able to withstand the vigorous practice sessions.

The first thing that is apparent when the behind the scenes footage starts to roll is that the Crazy Horse is all about preparation and practice! These girls go through long, exhausting rehearsals to make sure that every move is perfectly executed. One thing that I noticed is that they make sure that the girls all tend to look a lot alike. They are all very similar in height, bone structure, and physique. It makes sense though, so that the dancers better flow together and no particular one stands out unless made to.

The main focus, however, besides the spectacular dance numbers, is the design of the show. The choreographer, as well as the people who are behind the Crazy Horse, are trying to revamp the show without interrupting the current show. Rather than close down the show for a few days, or even weeks to create their new show, it all has to be done while the current show is running. This means that tensions are high, and the days are long.

The thing that is so seductive about the Crazy Horse, is that the show is sultry and sexy without being raunchy or trashy. It’s actually rather classy. The documentary does a great job of showcasing some of their numbers. You aren’t just watching a naked girl dance, you are watching a show. The lights alone are their own show! It’s one big artistic piece designed to entice without being overly graphic. Heck, the athletic ability that these girls display during some of their acts is incredible. It reminds me a bit of Cirque du Soleil at times.

The only problem that I had with the film is that it lacks a narrative, which causes a bit of a pacing problem. The film just kind of jumps from a full performance to the middle of a meeting, or to a practice, then back to another full performance without explaining what is going on. (Not that the film is hard to follow…) These random jumps lead to a few spots where the film lags. (I know… How am I paying attention to pacing with all of these naked, beautiful girls parading around?!) That being said, the film is still rather enjoyable.

OVERALL RATING: 3.75 out of 5 stars

Check out the official poster for FRIENDS WITH KIDS below, starring Adam Scott, Jennifer Westfeldt, Jon Hamm, Kristen Wiig, Maya Rudolph, Chris O’Dowd, Megan Fox, and Edward Burns. Written and directed by Jennifer Westfeldt.

Synopsis: Friends With Kids is a daring and poignant ensemble comedy about a close-knit circle of friends at that moment in life when children arrive and everything changes. The last two singles in the group observe the effect that kids have had on their friends’ relationships and wonder if there’s a better way.  They decide to have a kid together – and date other people.

There are big laughs and unexpected emotional truths as this unconventional ‘experiment’ leads everyone in the group to question the nature of friendship, family and, finally, true love.

Friends With Kids stars Adam Scott (“Parks and Recreation”), Jennifer Westfeldt, Jon Hamm, Kristen Wiig, Maya Rudolph, Chris O’Dowd, Megan Fox and Edward Burns. Written and directed by Jennifer Westfeldt (Kissing Jessica Stein).

For more info, visit:

http://friendswithkids.com/

Lionsgate and Roadside Attractions will release Friends With Kids on March 9, 2012

Hey there kids! Melissa here, with another exciting tale for you…

(Insert Jazz Hands Here)

A few weeks ago, I was lucky enough to participate the the press junket for Liam Neeson’s new film THE GREY, where his character leads an unruly group of oil-rig roughnecks when their plane crashes into the remote Alaskan wilderness. Battling mortal injuries and merciless weather, the survivors have only a few days to escape the icy elements – and a vicious pack of rogue wolves on the hunt – before their time runs out.

So, for your listening pleasure… here are the roundtables from the day. TAHDAHHHHH!!

THE GREY Roundtable: Liam Neeson

THE GREY Roundtable: Dermot Mulroney & Dallas Roberts

THE GREY Roundtable: Frank Grillo & James Badge Dale

THE GREY Roundtable: Joe Carnahan

In THE GREY, Liam Neeson leads an unruly group of oil-rig roughnecks when their plane crashes into the remote Alaskan wilderness.  Battling mortal injuries and merciless weather, the survivors have only a few days to escape the icy elements – and a vicious pack of rogue woes on the hunt – before their time runs out.

THE GREY is in theaters now

WORST.  BABYSITTER.  EVER.

Jonah Hill Takes You Where No Babysitting Movie Has Gone Before in the Outrageously Raunchy and “Totally Irresponsible” Edition

Arriving on Blu-ray, DVD and Digital Download March 20th

 From the director of Pineapple Express comes an adventure in babysitting that is definitely not for the entire family as Jonah Hill (21 Jump Street,Moneyball) steps in as THE SITTER, arriving on Blu-ray, DVD,  and digital download March 20th from Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment.  Defiant, vulgar and envelope-pushing, THE SITTER will be available in the “totally irresponsible” edition offering a hilarious and even raunchier unrated cut of the film.

When Noah (Hill), the suburban slacker, is watching the neighbor’s kid he gets a booty call from his girlfriend in the city. To hook up with her, Noah takes to the streets, but his urban adventure spins out of control as he finds himself on the run from the maniacal drug lord.  Raunchy laughs and insane action – it’s all in a night’s work for The Sitter.

With hilarious supporting performances from J.B. Smoove (“Curb Your Enthusiasm”),
Ari Graynor (What’s Your Number?) and Sam Rockwell (Cowboys & Aliens), THE SITTER “totally irresponsible” edition Blu-ray is loaded with special features including an unrated cut of the film, deleted scenes, a gag reel, outtakes and three behind-the-scenes featurettes.  The Blu-ray and DVD will be available for an average retail price of $29.99 and $19.99 respectively.  Prebook is February 22.

THE SITTER “Totally Irresponsible” Edition Blu-ray Special Features

• The “Totally Irresponsible” unrated edition
• Deleted & Extended Scenes

o   Noah Goes Downtown – Extended

o   Noah and Slater Talk About Twins – Extended

o   Getting the Minivan – Extended

o   Karl’s Back Room – Extended

o   Karl Hugs It Out – Deleted

o   Kids on the Curb – Deleted

o   Meeting Karl in Chinatown – Extended

o   Noah Calls Stephanie – Deleted

o   Brooklyn Party Scenes – Deleted

o   Alternate Ending: Carousel Fight

• Gag Reel
• “Totally Irresponsible” outtakes
• “For Your Consideration” with Blythe featurette
• “The Making of The Sitter” featurette
• “Jonah the Producer” featurette

About Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment LLC

Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment, LLC (TCFHE) is a recognized global industry leader and a subsidiary of Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation, a News Corporation company. Representing 75 years of innovative and award-winning filmmaking from Twentieth Century Fox, TCFHE is the worldwide marketing, sales and distribution company for all Fox film and television programming, acquisitions and original productions on DVD, Blu-ray Disc Digital Copy, Video On Demand and Digital Download. The company also releases all products globally for MGM Home Entertainment. Each year TCFHE introduces hundreds of new and newly enhanced products, which it services to retail outlets from mass merchants and warehouse clubs to specialty stores and e-commerce throughout the world.

THE SITTER “Totally Irresponsible” Edition Blu-ray (Catalog #2273751)

Street Date:                       March 20, 2012

Prebook Date:                   February 22, 2012

Screen Format:                 16:9 (1.85:1)

Audio:                                  English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio, Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital, French 5.1 DTS

Subtitles:                             English / French / Spanish

U.S. Rating:                        Unrated

Total Run Time:                 82 minutes

Closed Captioned:           Yes

THE SITTER “Totally Irresponsible” Edition DVD (Catalog # 2273744)

Street Date:                       March 20, 2012

Prebook Date:                   February 22, 2012

Screen Format:                16:9 (1.85:1)

Audio:                                  English 5.1 Dolby Digital, Spanish 2.0 Dolby Digital, French 2.0 Dolby Digital

Subtitles:                            English, Spanish

U.S. Rating:                       Unrated

Total Run Time:                82 minutes

Closed Captioned:          Yes

Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions (SPWA) and Samuel Goldwyn Films are partnering on the U.S. theatrical release in addition to jointly acquiring North American rights to Park Pictures Features’ ROBOT & FRANK, the 2012 Sundance Film Festival favorite, starring Academy Award® nominee Frank Langella (Frost/Nixon), Academy Award® winner Susan Sarandon (Dead Man Walking), James Marsden, Liv Tyler, Golden Globe® nominee Peter Saarsgard (Shattered Glass), Jeremy Sisto and Jeremy Strong.  Additionally, SPWA has acquired all media rights for Latin America, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Scandinavia and Eastern Europe including Russia.

The deal was negotiated by SPWA’s Executive Vice President of Business Affairs, Michael Helfand, and Joe Matukewicz, Senior Vice President of Acquisitions, with Peter Goldwyn, Vice President of Acquisitions, representing Samuel Goldwyn Films.  CAA and ICM’s Jessica Lacy negotiated on behalf of the filmmakers.  ICM represents Langella, Sarandon and Strong.

“We have loved this project from the script stage and were at the very first Gala screening in Salt Lake City,” Matukewicz said. “This winning film strikes a special chord with audiences, and we are delighted to bring ROBOT & FRANK into the Sony Pictures family.  Jake’s film shows us a future that is right around the corner, and I for one, can’t wait for my own Robot!”

Added Meyer Gottlieb, President of Samuel Goldwyn Films: “Our team fell in love with this clever, irreverent story anchored by Frank Langella’s indelible performance. Jake has done a remarkable job and we are thrilled to continue working with talented first time filmmakers. We look forward to partnering again with our friends at Sony on a title we know audiences will flock to in droves.”

Filmmaker Jake Schreier added, “I heard Jonathan Demme say once at a Q&A that all you can hope for is to find people who care as much about releasing your film as you did making it.  The Sony/Goldwyn guys were there from the first night in Salt Lake City and really showed that they got the movie and even connected to it personally.  I’m thrilled to be working with them on getting it out into theaters.”

Producers Galt Niederhoffer and Sam Bisbee said, “We are thrilled to have found not one but two passionate partners with Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions and Samuel Goldwyn Films.”

Set in the near future, Frank (Frank Langella) a retired jewel thief gets a new lease on life when he is introduced to a surprising new companion. With the help of his new friend, he attempts to woo a local librarian (Susan Sarandon) and resume his criminal escapades.  ROBOT & FRANK is directed by first time filmmaker Jake Schreier, written by Christopher Ford (TVs “Atom TV”), and produced by Galt Niederhoffer, Sam Bisbee, Jackie Kelman Bisbee and Lance Acord.  ROBOT & FRANK is Park Pictures Features’ first film.  The film was produced in association with White Hat Entertainment and Dog Run Pictures.  Park Pictures Features is represented by John Sloss and Marc Simon

SONY PICTURES WORLDWIDE ACQUISITIONS 

Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions (SPWA) is a Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE) company. Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE) is a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America, a subsidiary of Tokyo-based Sony Corporation.  SPE’s global operations encompass motion picture production and distribution; television production and distribution; home entertainment acquisition and distribution; a global channel network; digital content creation and distribution; operation of studio facilities; development of new entertainment products, services and technologies; and distribution of entertainment in more than 142 countries.  Sony Pictures Entertainment can be found on the World Wide Web athttp://www.sonypictures.com.

ABOUT SAMUEL GOLDWYN FILMS

Samuel Goldwyn Films is a major, independently owned and operated motion-picture company that develops, produces and distributes innovative feature films and documentaries.  The company is dedicated to working with both world renowned and emerging writers/filmmakers and committed to filmed entertainment that offers original voices in uniquely told stories.  This is best exemplified by the Academy Award® nominated THE SQUID AND THE WHALE and SUPER SIZE ME, AMAZING GRACE and Julie Delpy’s hit comedy 2 DAYS IN PARIS. Past Goldwyn titles include PRICELESS, a romantic comedy starring Audrey Tautou, Academy Award® winner Claude Lelouch’s ROMAN DE GARE, the critically hailed ELEGY starring Academy Award® nominee Penélope Cruz, HARRY BROWN starring Michael Caine and the box office smash FIREPROOF.  MAO’S LAST DANCER, directed by Academy Award nominee Bruce Beresford was one of the top grossing independent films of 2010. In addition to THE DOUBLE HOUR, a revered thriller that was one of the top foreign language grossers of 2011, SGF released THE WHISTLEBLOWER, a powerful, ripped from the headlines thriller starring Academy Award® winner Rachel Weisz that premiered at last year’s Toronto Film Festival. Upcoming releases include THE ISLAND PRESIDENT (March 28th), winner of this year’s Audience Award at Toronto about President Mohamed Nasheed of the Maldives, a man confronting a problem greater than any other world leader has ever faced – the literal survival of his country and everyone in it as well as DIANA VREELAND THE EYE HAS TO TRAVEL, an acclaimed documentary about the late fashion icon which premiered at this year’s Venice Film Festival.

ABOUT PARK PICTURES FEATURES

Launched in July 2011, Park Pictures Features is a feature film division of Park Pictures and is devoted to the production of high quality and entertaining films.  The company is lead by Galt Niederhoffer and Sam Bisbee. Parent company Park Pictures, formed by Jackie Kelman Bisbee and Lance Acord, is one of the most prestigious commercial production houses in the business, with offices in NY, LA and London, having won numerous Clios, AICP awards, and Cannes Lions and working regularly with blue chip corporations including Nike, Target, and Coca-Cola, most notably Lance Acord directed the beloved and widely seen “The Force” Super Bowl spot for Volkswagen.

Academy Award® Winner Rachel Weisz Stars in the Heart-Pounding Suspense Thriller Arriving on Blu-ray and DVD January 24

The women of THE WHISTLEBLOWER are an array of empowering and inspirational females in Hollywood. Here, you will get to know the incredible women of THE WHISTLEBLOWER, including   Rachel Weisz, Monica Bellucci and Vanessa Redgrave.

How far will one woman go to fight global injustice? Inspired by true events, THE WHISTLEBLOWER has been met with praise by critics and heralded at the Palm Springs International Film Festival (“Best Narrative Feature”), Seattle Film Festival (“Best Director”) and Whistler Film Festival (“Best Film,” “Best Narrative Feature”).

Academy Award winners Rachel Weisz (The Constant Gardner) and Vanessa Redgrave (Julia) head a powerful cast that includes Oscar® Nominee David Strathairn (Good Night and Good Luck) in writer-director Larysa Kondracki’s harrowing dramatic thriller. When Nebraska cop Kathryn Bolkovac (Weisz) accepts a U.N. peacekeeper position in post-war Bosnia, she uncovers a deadly sex trafficking ring. After learning that fellow peacekeepers and military contractors are involved in the ghastly practice and its cover-up, Bolkovac risks her own life to save the lives of others and expose the corruption.

Rachel Weisz is an English actress who has worked in theater, television and film. Rachel has won an Academy Award, a Golden Globe a Screen Actors Guild and a Critics’ Circle Theatre Award for her outstanding performances in The Constant Gardener and A Streetcar Named Desire. Rachel is well known for appearing in the blockbluster hit The Mummy and its sequel, The Mummy Returns, as well as Enemy at the Gates,About a Boy, Constantine, and The Fountainˆ

Monica Bellucci is an Italian model and actress. Following her highly successful modeling debut in the late 1970s (where she modeled for Dolce & Gabbana and Dior), Monica began acting in the early 1990s. Monica has gained worldwide recognition as an actress since staring in films such asThe Matrix Reloaded, The Passion of the Christ, The Brothers Grimm, and The Sorcerer’s Apprentice.

English actress Vanessa Redgrave is something of a legend. The majority of Vanessa’s family is or has been involved in theater and film, and she is an extremely respected actress in both realms. Vanessa has won Oscar, Olivier, Emmy, Tony, Cannes, Golden Globe, and the Screen Actors Guild awards for her extremely impressive body of work. Aside from being a celebrated actress, Vanessa is also known for her political activism, including serving as an UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador.

Roxana Condurache was born in Iasi, Romania and is an up and coming actress. Following many school and amateur theater productions, In 2009, Roxana was discovered by The Whistleblower director, Larysa Kondracki, and cast as Raya in the film. Since portraying the important role of Raya in The Whistleblower, Roxana has starred in two short films (For Mona and Closed Thread), and the music video for The Sleepy Rebels’ “Unbelievable.”

Summary:

How far will one woman go to fight global injustice? Clandestine secrets are waiting to be exposed in the gripping dramatic thriller THE WHISTLEBLOWER, arriving on Blu-ray and DVD January 24 from Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment.  Inspired by true events, THE WHISTLEBLOWER has been met with praise by critics and heralded at the Palm Springs International Film Festival (“Best Narrative Feature”), Seattle Film Festival (“Best Director”) and Whistler Film Festival (“Best Film,” “Best Narrative Feature”).

Academy Award winners Rachel Weisz (The Constant Gardner) and Vanessa Redgrave (Julia) head a powerful cast that includes Oscar® Nominee David Strathairn (Good Night and Good Luck) in writer-director Larysa Kondracki’s harrowing dramatic thriller.  When Nebraska cop Kathryn Bolkovac (Weisz) accepts a U.N. peacekeeper position in post-war Bosnia, she uncovers a deadly sex trafficking ring.  After learning that fellow peacekeepers and military contractors are involved in the ghastly practice and its cover-up, Bolkovac risks her own life to save the lives of others and expose the corruption.  With masterful acting and a heart-racing plot, THE WHISTLEBLOWER is an acclaimed film inspired by actual events and includes stellar supporting performances from Benedict Cumberbatch (“Sherlock”), Monica Bellucci (The Matrix Reloaded) and David Hewlett (“Stargate: Atlantis”).

THE WHISTLEBLOWER Special Features

• Cast & Crew Interviews

THE WHISTLEBLOWER Blu-ray (Catalogue #2278055)
Street Date: January 24, 2012
Prebook Date: December 28, 2011
Screen Format: Widescreen 1.78:1
Audio: English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio
Subtitles: English, Spanish
U.S. Rating: R
Total Run Time: 112 minutes (additional 30 minutes of bonus material)
Closed Captioned: Yes

 THE WHISTLEBLOWER DVD(Catalogue #2278051)
Street Date: January 24, 2012
Prebook Date: December 28, 2011
Audio: English 5.1 Dolby Digital
Subtitles: English, Spanish
U.S. Rating: R
Total Run Time: 112 minutes (additional 30 minutes of bonus material)
Closed Captioned: Yes

Canon U.S.A., Inc., a leader in digital imaging solutions and the Official Digital Camera of the 2012 Sundance Film Festival, will host private screenings of “when you find me,” produced by two-time Academy Award® winner Ron Howard, and directed by his versatile daughter Bryce Dallas Howard, on January 26 and 27 at 6 p.m. and 7:15 p.m. at the Holiday Village Cinema. Attendees will be able to view the short film, the final product of “Project Imagin8ion,” the first user-generated photo contest to inspire a Hollywood film.

After receiving nearly 100,000 submissions, the eight winning photos were chosen by Ron Howard, setting the stage for his next production.  The film “when you find me”, shot using Canon cameras including the new Cinema EOS System and DSLR cameras and lenses, tells the story of two sisters whose childhood bond is tested by a tragedy they are too young to understand.  Alternating between the past and present, the short film is an emotional fable of two people coping with loss in very different ways and what it takes to find peace within yourself and reconciliation with the ones you love.  The screening will also include the “Project Imagin8ion Making Of” movie, which provides a behind-the-scenes look at the project’s journey.

“‘when you find me’ is just one example of how the world of storytelling on screen has been drastically changed,” said Yuichi Ishizuka, executive vice president and general manager, Imaging Technologies & Communications Group, Canon U.S.A.  “At this year’s Sundance Film Festival, we wanted to tap into the increasing accessibility and usability of digital SLRs with our speaking series and workshop, EOS HDSLR Storytelling.”

The common goal for filmmakers remains to suspend the viewer in a sweeping visual and emotional reality.  Canon will present “EOS HDSLR Storytelling: One Tool Endless Potential” at New Frontier on Thursday, January 26 and Friday, January 27 from 2:30 p.m. – 4:00 p.m., bringing together speakers Shane Hurlbut, ASC, of Hurlbut Visuals and Patrick Moreau of stillmotion, to highlight how they achieve their vision with varied production crew sizes using Canon EOS equipment.

Festival attendees will also be able to tap into the inspiration of “Project Imagin8ion” with the “Frame Your Imagin8ion” sweepstakes for the chance to win a Canon EOS DSLR kit. Street teams will be dispersed throughout the festival, handing out special “Project Imagin8ion” picture frames to encourage consumers to capture photos that best represent each of the eight movie themes that were featured in the “Project Imagin8ion” contest.  Consumers can then upload their photo at the Canon booth (first floor of the Festival Co-op at 608 Main Street) and be entered into the sweepstakes with one winner chosen each day.

The Canon experience at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival is coordinated by Canon U.S.A.’s agency of record, Grey NY and Alliance, the entertainment and lifestyle marketing division.

About Canon U.S.A., Inc.

Canon U.S.A., Inc., is a leading provider of consumer, business-to-business, and industrial digital imaging solutions. With more than $45 billion in global revenue, its parent company, Canon Inc. (NYSE:CAJ), ranked fourth overall in patent holdings in the U.S. in 2010†, and is one of Fortune Magazine’s World’s Most Admired Companies in 2011. Canon U.S.A. is committed to the highest levels of customer satisfaction and loyalty, providing 100 percent U.S.-based consumer service and support for all of the products it distributes. Canon U.S.A. is dedicated to its Kyoseiphilosophy of social and environmental responsibility. To keep apprised of the latest news from Canon U.S.A., sign up for the Company’s RSS news feed by visiting www.usa.canon.com/rss.

Renowned Composer/Double-violinist Gingger Shankar to debut “Himalaya Song” at Sundance 2012

Multimedia Performance Film focuses on the Region Burdened by Major Ecological Changes

Classically trained violinist and renowned composer Gingger Shankar will debut her latest film project “Himalaya Song” this week at Sundance 2012. Collaborating with Chinese musician David Liang and filmaker Mridu Chandra, Shankar infused modern electro-sounds and ancient instruments to tell the story of the geographic region that is currently burdened by melting glaciers and major ecological changes.

Gingger is also on the roster of the 2012 Sundance Alumni Advisory Board.

Gingger Shankar is a seasoned composer and musician having worked with artists like the Smashing Pumpkins, Cheap Trick and scored the critically acclaimed Mel Gibson film The Passion of the Christ. She is the only female and one of 2 double-violinists in the world.

For more information on “Himalaya Song,” please visit:
http://www.sundance.org/festival/film-events/himalaya-song/

Visit Gingger on Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/ginggershankar

Follow Gingger on Twitter - http://www.twitter.com/ginggershankar

Hold on to the edge of your seats kiddies, because WAMG has something special for you! It’s a special, exclusive preview of MAN ON A LEDGE, the new film starring Sam Worthington, Elizabeth Banks, Jamie Bell, Anthony Mackie, Ed Burns, Titus Welliver, Genesis Rodriguez, Kyra Sedgwick,and Ed Harris.

CHECK IT OUT:

SYNOPSIS:

In the heart-pounding thriller MAN ON A LEDGE, Nick Cassidy (Sam Worthington) makes a desperate and life-threatening move to prove his innocence after he is framed for the theft of a rare, prized diamond. Recently escaped from prison and with nowhere else to go, Nick climbs onto the ledge of a towering skyscraper, inviting the eyes of New York City to anxiously watch as one wrong step could mean plunging to his death.

But as one police negotiator soon learns, Nick’s daredevil stunt, captivating the eyes of the public and media, masks a dangerous ploy to reveal the truth about his tarnished name. With the help of his brother and with time running out, Nick’s intricate plan must work perfectly, but when you’re on the 25th floor ledge of a building, going down takes on an entirely more hair-raising meaning.

With unpredictable twists and electrifying turns, MAN ON A LEDGE features an amazing ensemble cast including Elizabeth Banks, Jamie Bell, Anthony Mackie, Edward Burns, Genesis Rodriguez, Kyra Sedwick, and Ed Harris.

FOR MORE INFO:

FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/ManOnALedge

WEBSITE: http://www.ManOnALedge.com

MAN ON A LEDGE hits theaters January 27

SKOLL FOUNDATION AND SUNDANCE INSTITUTE PRESENT
CELEBRATING “STORIES OF CHANGE” PANEL

AT 2012 SUNDANCE FILM FESTIVAL

Fifth Stories of Change Convening for Filmmakers and Social Entrepreneurs

The Sundance Institute Documentary Film Program and the Skoll Foundation today announced a special Celebrating “Stories of Change” panel to be held at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival. The panel celebrates the fifth anniversary of the Stories of Change: Social Entrepreneurship in Focus Through Documentary initiative, dedicated to exploring film’s role in advancing knowledge about social entrepreneurship.

At this special event on Tuesday, January 24, 3:00 p.m. at the Egyptian Theatre, Skoll Foundation President and CEO Sally Osberg will moderate a thought-provoking dialogue between award-winning filmmakers (including clips from their work) and innovators who are impacting millions. Panelists include Joia Mukherjee (Partners in Health), Jehane Noujaim (Director, Control Room), Bunker Roy (Founder, Barefoot College) and Kief Davidson (Director, The Devil’s Miner). Ticket information is available atwww.sundance.org/tickets.

Also at the Festival, the Documentary Film Program and the Skoll Foundation will host a Stories of Change Convening. A series of private workshops focused on storytelling strategies as well as nightly networking events, film screenings and panels will create a framework for defining entrepreneurs’ unique personal and organizational stories. A select group of Skoll Foundation-awarded social entrepreneurs and filmmakers will participate.

“It is a gift not only to put the work in, but also get the word out,” said Sally Osberg, CEO of the Skoll Foundation. “We believe in the power of social entrepreneurs to find innovative ways to solve the planet’s most daunting problems – and then, ingenious ways to spread the message that change is not just possible, it is essential.”

“Global issues demand innovative solutions, and the power of documentary film is increasingly showcasing the unprecedented efforts of social-issue changemakers around the world,” said Cara Mertes, Director of the Sundance Institute Documentary Film Program.

Since 2007, Stories of Change has supported nearly 100 filmmakers and social entrepreneurs through a strategic combination of high-level, invited gatherings and documentary film project funding. Convenings at the Sundance Film Festival, the Skoll World Forum, the Sundance Institute Creative Producing Summit and related gatherings have created a network of learning and professional exchange for documentary filmmakers, change-makers, and their stakeholders. The partnership has also made possible the production of ten new, feature-length independent documentary films that reframe and amplify social entrepreneurship – an innovative approach to the central issues of our time.

In addition to critical funding from the Skoll Foundation, the Sundance Institute Documentary Film Program is made possible by generous support from the Cinereach Foundation, The Charles Engelhard Foundation, The Ford Foundation, The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, Open Society Foundations, the S.J. and Jessie E. Quinney Foundation, the Woodruff Charitable Memorial Trust, and the Wallace Global Fund.

Sundance Institute Documentary Film Program 

The Sundance Institute Documentary Film Program provides year-round support to nonfiction filmmakers worldwide. The program advances innovative nonfiction storytelling about a broad range of contemporary social issues, and promotes the exhibition of documentary films to audiences. Through the Sundance Documentary Fund, the Documentary Edit and Story Laboratory, Composers + Documentary Laboratory, Creative Producing Lab, as well as the Sundance Film Festival, the Sundance Creative Producing Summit and a variety of partnerships and international initiatives, the program provides a unique, global resource for contemporary independent documentary film. www.sundance.org/documentary

Sundance Institute 

Founded by Robert Redford in 1981, Sundance Institute is a global, nonprofit cultural organization dedicated to nurturing artistic expression in film and theater, and to supporting intercultural dialogue between artists and audiences. The Institute promotes independent storytelling to unite, inform and inspire, regardless of geo-political, social, religious or cultural differences. Internationally recognized for its annual Sundance Film Festival and its artistic development programs for directors, screenwriters, producers, film composers, playwrights and theatre artists, Sundance Institute has nurtured such projects as Born into Brothels, Trouble the Water, Son of Babylon, Amreeka, An Inconvenient Truth, Spring Awakening, Light in the Piazza and Angels in America. Join Sundance Institute on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.

Skoll Foundation

The Skoll Foundation drives large scale change by investing in, connecting and celebrating social entrepreneurs and the innovators who help them solve the world’s most pressing problems. It has given almost $300M since 1999, including awards to 91 entrepreneurs in 74 organizations on five continents. The aim? Identify those already bringing positive change around the world and help them extend their reach, tell their stories, and maximize their impact. Jeff Skoll created the Skoll Foundation to help create a sustainable world of peace and prosperity. It has been led by CEO Sally Osberg since 2001 and its Skoll World Forum is the premier conference on social entrepreneurship. www.skollfoundation.org

STORIES OF CHANGE SHORT FILM

Back to School
Director: Kirsten Johnson
Producer: Julia Parker Benello
Social Entrepreneur: Sakena Yacoobi

Sakena Yacoobi’s Afghan Institute for Learning, a grassroots organization she founded 12 years ago, brings education to women in Afghanistan. Due to security concerns about filming a feature-length documentary in Afghanistan at this time, this project is a short film which premiered at the Skoll World Forum in 2010.

STORIES OF CHANGE FEATURE FILMS

Barefoot Engineers (working title)
Director: Jehane Noujaim
Producer: Mette Heide
Social Entrepreneur: Bunker Roy

An intimate observational documentary that follows three women with limited formal education as they take a life-changing journey from their home villages in Africa and the Middle East to India in order to become educated in solar engineering.

Easy Like Water
Director: Glenn Baker
Producer: Stephen Sapienza
Social Entrepreneur: Abul Hasanat Mohammed Rezwan

In Bangladesh, solar-powered floating schools are turning the front lines of climate change into communities of learning. As the water steals the land, one man’s vision is recasting the rising rivers as channels of communication and transforming people’s lives.

Poor Consuelo Conquers the World
Director: Peter Friedman
Producer: Paul Miller
Social Entrepreneur: PCI-Media Impact

Poor Consuelo Conquers the World tells the story of popular soap operas and telenovelas that are being used to combat the effects of poverty around the world. The film makes the connection between the fictional stories and the real lives of the fans and shows that in the post-TV/Internet age, radio remains a vital way to reach millions of the world’s poor.

The Revolutionary Optimists
Directors/Producers: Maren Grainger-Monsen and Nicole Newham
Social Entrepreneur: Amlan Ganguly

In the slums of Calcutta, children are leading the way to saving lives. Amlan Ganguly, a lawyer turned social entrepreneur, empowers children to become “health minders” in their communities. As a result, malaria and diarrhea rates are dropping, neighborhoods being transformed, and children are blossoming. The Revolutionary Optimists shows both the desperate, flawed world that Ganguly is trying to change and the vibrant, colorful world his optimism is making a reality.

SH*T!

Directors/Producers: Annika Gustafson and Phil Jandaly
Social entrepreneurs: Camilla Wirseen and Anders Wilhelmson, Peepoople; Bob Erwin, MaxWest; Dr. Kamal Kar, CLTS; and Dr. Pathak, Sulabh International.

Access to clean water is a human right, but if we cannot talk about why the water is contaminated in the first place, change will not happen. Using animation to look at innovative ways of producing green energy from human waste, SH*T! is a socially minded film that plays fast and loose with taboo and relevant issues. It tells you how to save the planet, improve the economy while you do it, and have a laugh or two in the process. You’ll be sorry you flushed.

The Team 

Director: Patrick Reed
Producer: Peter Raymont
Social Entrepreneurs: John Marks and Susan Collin Marks/Search for Common Ground

Using a technique developed by Search for Common Ground to employ popular culture as a tool for reconciliation, Kenyans scramble to produce a dramatic TV soap-opera series, hoping taboo story lines can bridge deep divisions as their country is wracked by ethnic and tribal tensions in the wake of elections.

To Catch a Dollar: Muhammad Yunus Banks on America 

Director: Gayle Ferraro
Social Entrepreneur: Muhammad Yunus

This film journeys with Dr. Muhammad Yunus, 2006 Nobel Peace Laureate and the architect of microfinance, as he continues building opportunities for the poor worldwide through Grameen microcredit and his latest venture, social business. The film chronicles the first year of Grameen America and the challenge of marrying a process proven in developing countries to the American dream of immigrant women in Queens, New York.

Partners in Health Project

Director: Kief Davidson
Producer: Cori Sheperd Stern
Social Entrepreneur: Paul Farmer

This is the story of Partners In Health, a remarkable public health charity organization operating in thirteen of the poorest countries around the world and the controversial man who founded it, Dr. Paul Farmer. Dr. Farmer and his colleagues are larger-than-life heroes to millions, fighting to change the way the world cares for the poorest among us, by insisting on quality health care as a basic inalienable human right.

Youthbuild Project
Directors/Producers: Annie Sundberg and Ricki Stern
Social Entrepreneurs: Dorothy Stoneman and YouthBuild

This feature-length documentary follows a year in the lives of out-of school young people selected for a high-stakes community rebuilding project in North Philadelphia.

The Levi’s^® brand, in alliance with two of the American Film Institute’s renowned programs – AFI Fest, a showcase of the best in global cinema, and AFI Conservatory, named the #1 film school in the world by The Hollywood Reporter – is pleased to launch “Show Us The Way” – a short film competition for burgeoning filmmakers. The contest is calling on filmmakers to submit actionable story treatments for the chance to produce a five-minute short film about a better tomorrow.  The program was announced at this afternoon’s AFI Alumni Reception during the Sundance Film Festival.

“We feel that the medium of film has a powerful resonance in our culture and is a great avenue for the leaders of tomorrow to promote change,” said Mary Alderete, global vice president of marketing for the Levi’s® brand. “We are proud to align with the American Film Institute to challenge visual artists of today to inspire the world through their creations. In the spirit of our Go Forth campaign, we hope this alliance with AFI will amplify the voice of future pioneers to believe anything is possible and then make it so.”

“AFI Fest has always supported the work of emerging filmmakers. We are pleased to join with Levi’s® to provide participating filmmakers with the opportunity to showcase their short films at AFI Fest 2012 presented by Audi and bring their voices to the dialogue, driving positive change in the world through their art,” said Jacqueline Lyanga, festival director for AFI Fest.

The contest’s film treatment submission period is open through March 30, 2012. During this open call, filmmakers can submit their story treatment to Levi.com/ShowUsTheWay.

Levi’s® and AFI will announce six winners in May 2012 as selected by the jury of experts. Winners will be awarded a grant of $5,000 to produce their short film, $500 for a Levi’s® wardrobe for their cast and ten hours of mentorship from a regarded AFI Conservatory alumnus. Winners will be flown, expenses paid, to AFI Fest 2012 to see their films showcased at the festival. For more information about the Levi’s® brand, please visitwww.levi.com. For more information about the American Film Institute, AFI Fest and AFI Conservatory, please visit www.AFI.com.

ABOUT THE LEVI’S^® BRAND

The Levi’s^® brand epitomizes classic American style and effortless cool. Since their invention by Levi Strauss & Co. in 1873, Levi’s^® jeans have become the most recognizable and imitated clothing in the world – capturing the imagination and loyalty of people for generations. Today, the Levi’s^® brand portfolio continues to evolve through a relentless pioneering and innovative spirit that is unparalleled in the apparel industry. Our range of leading jeanswear and accessories are available in more than 110 countries, allowing individuals around the world to express their personal style. For more information about the Levi’s^® brand, its products and stores, please visit www.levi.com.

ABOUT THE AMERICAN FILM INSTITUTE AND AFI FEST

AFI is America’s promise to preserve the history of the motion picture, to honor the artists and their work and to educate the next generation of storytellers. AFI provides leadership in film, television and digital media and is dedicated to initiatives that engage the past, the present and the future of the moving image arts. AFI programs include the AFI Catalog of Feature Films and AFI Archive, the AFI Life Achievement Award, now in its 40th year, AFI Awards, honoring the most outstanding motion pictures and television programs of the year, AFI Fest presented by Audi, which celebrated its 25th edition this fall, AFI-Discovery Channel Silverdocs, AFI Silver Theatre and the AFI Conservatory, which was named the #1 film school in the world by The Hollywood Reporter. A program of the American Film Institute, AFI Fest presented by Audi takes place each fall in the heart of Hollywood.  Kicking off the awards season, AFI Fest offers a crucial avenue of exposure to the entertainment community, while providing appreciative audiences with a festive atmosphere and the very best of global cinema, right in the center of the film capital of the world. Additional information about AFI is available at www.AFI.com.

Keri Putnam, Executive Director, Sundance Institute, and Cathy Schulman, President of Women In Film Los Angeles, announced today that the two organizations will collaborate to support independent women filmmakers working in both narrative and documentary feature film.  The announcement was made at a joint event at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival hosted by Putnam, Schulman, Sundance Institute trustee Pat Mitchell, and Women Moving Millions Co-Chair Jacki Zehner.

Putnam noted, “Sundance Institute has long believed in the value of diverse storytellers contributing to a vibrant culture. Looking at representation of women filmmakers is an important activity in that context, and we wanted to start our inquiry in our own organization. What we’ve already found is that if statistics tell us a story, the story being told about women filmmakers today needs work.”

16.9% of the 3,879 feature films in both narrative and documentary categories submitted to the 2012 Sundance Film Festival were directed by women. While the number of films made by women as directors and producers is higher in the independent film arena, and particularly among documentary films, there remains a marked disparity between the numbers of feature length films completed by male versus female filmmakers.

Recognizing a unique opportunity to advance film culture and to forward its mission to discover and develop independent artists and audiences, Sundance Institute has collaborated with Women In Film to take a fresh look at this issue. Together, they will ultimately harness the creative programs of both institutions to understand and work toward addressing these challenges.

Schulman said “Studies have shown that women make up just 16% of the behind the scenes crew on domestically produced commercial films.   We want to commit our collective Women In Film and Sundance Institute influence and resources to make sure women beginning their filmmaking career at Sundance Institute continue to have a support system all along the way.  We want to encourage long and productive careers for these women, in hopes that they will pave the way to increasing the overall number of films made for and by women into the future.”

Looking at distribution statistics regarding the 250 top-grossing films released 2010 (compiled by http://womenintvfilm.sdsu.edu/), only 7% were directed by women, 10% written by women and 24% produced by women. Early research shows that when the number of women in behind the camera roles increases, so do the roles for women in front of the camera and so does the content interesting to women and girls worldwide. These encouraging facts indicate that we can be effective in driving these poor statistics upwards through ongoing discourse and strategic programs.

The initial goals for 2012 are to invite considered reflection and study on the statistics regarding women filmmakers; to follow the 2012 Sundance Institute “class” of female Festival filmmakers, Fund and Lab filmmakers to analyze challenges they may face moving projects forward; and finally to formulate a vision for what may be possible within the scope of both institutions’ programs. The efforts will focus on supporting opportunities or paths toward sustained careers, inclusivity and parity, and the diversity in the content and backgrounds of women filmmakers. In addition, Women In Film has agreed to co-program a symposium in Los Angeles with Sundance Institute spotlighting the challenges facing independent women filmmakers, and to open up their mentorship and career counseling programs to Sundance Institute supported filmmakers where they will receive guidance, mentoring, and business and creative support services.

Sundance Institute

Sundance Institute is a global nonprofit organization founded by Robert Redford in 1981. Through its artistic development programs for directors, screenwriters, producers, composers and playwrights, the Institute seeks to discover and support independent film and theatre artists from the United States and around the world, and to introduce audiences to their new work. The Institute promotes independent storytelling to inform, inspire, and unite diverse populations around the globe. Internationally recognized for its annual Sundance Film Festival, Sundance Institute has nurtured such projects as Born into Brothels, Trouble the Water, Son of Babylon, Amreeka, An Inconvenient Truth, Spring Awakening, I Am My Own Wife, Light in the Piazza and Angels in America. Join Sundance Institute on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.

Women In Film

Women In Film is a non-profit organization dedicated to helping women achieve their highest potential within the global entertainment, communication 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.  For more information about Women In Film and programs, visit www.wif.org.

Celebrate Star Wars^TM: Episode I The Phantom Menace As it Returns to Theatres in Spectacular RealD® 3D with Exclusive Activities and Giveaways at AMC® Theatres

AMC Theatres to host special events and Hasbro giveaways during opening weekend,

February 10-12

The first chapter of the Star Wars Saga arrives in theatres for the first time ever in 3D starting February 10, and AMC theatres across the country are celebrating the occasion with plans to make opening weekend one for fans and families to remember!

To mark the return of Star Wars: Episode I The Phantom Menace to theatres, now in immersive 3D, kids, collectors and Star Wars fans of all ages will receive an all-new Hasbro Star Wars Fighter Pod with the purchase of each RealD 3D ticket for Episode I, all weekend long, February 10-12 only at AMC theatres (limit one per ticket, while supplies last).

Additionally, 10 AMC theatres in the United States will host exclusive event screenings in RealD 3D to bring the fun of Star Wars in 3D to life for families and fans. Starting Saturday, Feb. 11 at 11 a.m. local time, select theatres will offer activities, giveaways, and interactive experiences. Fans can expect (while supplies last):

• ·         Exclusive Anakin Skywalker Podracer 3D glasses with ticket purchase, to truly get into the speed and spectacle of 3D Star Wars on the big screen.
• ·         A Hasbro Star Wars FIGHTER PODS collectible toy with RealD 3D ticket purchase
• ·         A LEGO® feature area
• ·         Darth Maul face-painting; a chance to reveal your inner Sith Lord at long last!
• ·         Special character appearances for photo opportunities
• ·         Demonstrations of the upcoming Xbox Kinect™ Star Wars™

The 10 participating Star Wars: Episode I The Phantom Menace exclusive event screening theatres are:

Atlanta: AMC Southlake 24; Boston: AMC Loews Liberty Tree Mall 20; Chicago: AMC South Barrington 30; Denver: AMC Highlands Ranch 24;Los Angeles: AMC Tustin 14 at The District; AMC Ontario Mills 30; New York: AMC Empire 25; AMC Garden State 16; Phoenix: AMC Mesa Grand 24; San Francisco: AMC Emeryville Bay Street 16

About Fox Filmed Entertainment

One of the world’s largest producers and distributors of motion pictures, Fox Filmed Entertainment produces, acquires and distributes motion pictures throughout the world.  These motion pictures are produced or acquired by the following units of FFE:  Twentieth Century Fox, Fox 2000 Pictures, Fox Searchlight Pictures, Twentieth Century Fox Animation and Fox International Productions. Twentieth Century Fox International is a unit of Fox Filmed Entertainment, a segment of Fox Entertainment Group.

About AMC Theatres

AMC Theatres delivers distinctive and affordable movie-going experiences in 351 theatres
with 5,083 screens across the United States and Canada. AMC has propelled industry innovation and continues today by delivering premium sight and sound, enhanced food and beverage and diverse content.  AMCTheatres.com.

Lucasfilm, STAR WARS™ and related properties are trademarks and/or copyrights, in the United States and other countries, of Lucasfilm Ltd. and/or its affiliates. TM & © Lucasfilm Ltd.  All rights reserved.  All other trademarks and trade names are properties of their respective owners.

Five Films with Major Support from JustFilms Set for World Premiere at Sundance Film Festival

In its first year, the Ford Foundation initiative has already provided $10 million
to more than 100 filmmakers and mediamakers around the world

Just one year after its launch, JustFilms, the Ford Foundation’s documentary film fund, is providing major support to five independent films selected for competition and premiere at the Sundance Film Festival, the world’s leading showcase for independent filmmaking.

Each of the five embodies JustFilms’ vision of the power of independent film to illuminate the world in which we live and inspire people to engage in pressing social challenges, from the untold story of bravery and activism that opened access to AIDS drugs in the United States, to a poignant account of Detroit residents reimagining their city.

“We’re extremely pleased that five projects receiving major support from JustFilms have been selected to premiere at Sundance,” said Darren Walker, vice president of Ford’s Education, Creativity and Free Expression Program. “This is exactly what our initiative is all about—ensuring that talented filmmakers who are tackling tough social issues can break through to large new audiences in a timely way.”

JustFilms was launched one year ago, a day before the start of the 2011 Sundance Film Festival. In its inaugural year, the initiative has made more than $10 million in grants to support more than 100 filmmakers and mediamakers around the world.

“We believe that Sundance is just the beginning of an opportunity for these filmmakers, and many others like them, to reach a new audience of engaged people who are hungry for stories about issues shaping our future,” added Walker.

JustFilms focuses on film, video and digital works that show courageous people confronting difficult issues and actively pursuing a more just, secure and sustainable world. Through 2016, it will invest $10 million every year to support and expand the community of filmmakers and mediamakers around the world focused on creating documentaries with passion and purpose, but who often lack funding to realize their visions or reach audiences.

The following films are premiering at the Sundance Film Festival with major support from JustFilms:

How to Survive a Plague (U.S. Documentary Competition)
Director: David France
Ford Foundation Support: $400,000

Chronicles the battle to find life-saving drugs to fight AIDS in the United States.

Love Free or Die: How the Bishop of New Hampshire is Changing the World
(U.S. Documentary Competition)
Director: Macky Alston
Ford Foundation Support: $400,000

Explores the story of Gene Robinson, the first openly gay Episcopal bishop.

DETROPIA (U.S. Documentary Competition)
Directors: Heidi Ewing, Rachel Grady
Ford Foundation Support: $450,000

Tells the dramatic story of the economic challenges facing Detroit and its most innovative residents.

The House I Live In (U.S. Documentary Competition)
Director: Eugene Jarecki
Ford Foundation Support: $600,0000

Filmed in more than 20 states, explores how America’s war on drugs has led to mass incarceration and the growth of a U.S. prison industry.

Red Hook Summer (Premiere)
Director: Spike Lee
Ford Foundation Support: $200,000

A feature film about a young Atlanta boy who spends a summer in Brooklyn with his grandfather, whom he’s never seen before.

And More

An additional nine films in the festival are receiving funding through JustFilm’s partnerships with the Sundance Documentary Film project and the Independent Television Service (ITVS).

“While focusing on issues as diverse as human rights, poverty, cultural expression and sustainable development, every project supported by JustFilms has one thing in common—the power of good storytelling,” said Orlando Bagwell, director of the JustFilms initiative at Ford. “These films make complex and often difficult issues accessible and entertaining, opening up whole new opportunities for audiences to engage on topics that may have once felt overwhelming or simply out of reach.”

With the explosion of digital media production over the past decade, there is far more film and video content available from which audiences can choose. But it remains a challenge for most documentary filmmakers to find support—and audiences—for works that address social issues in meaningful and compelling ways. JustFilms seeks to support courageous filmmakers to complete their important works and to help them reach a growing audience of engaged and socially conscious viewers.
The foundation pursues a three-part strategy to ensure that it is able to identify and support a wide range of innovative filmmakers:

Signature Partnerships for Creativity and Change

• ·         JustFilms partners with major film industry and public media organizations such as the Sundance Institute, the Independent Television Serviceand the Tribeca Film Institute, to help open doors for our filmmakers and broaden the reach of their work.

Strategic Films to Advance Social Causes

• ·         Building linkages across the work of the Ford Foundation globally, JustFilms uses about one-third of its resources to support projects that advance public understanding and engagement on issues aligned to the efforts of our grantees worldwide. This path invests in filmmakers working to bring voice to some of the toughest issues confronted by the people and organizations we support.

New Ideas that Expand Horizons

• ·         Remaining open to new ideas wherever they may emerge, JustFilms devotes a third of its grants to projects that it discovers through an ongoing open application process. This path will help ensure that JustFilms stays attuned to creative and innovative trends and aware of emerging artists and ideas from around the world.

The Ford Foundation’s JustFilms initiative builds on the foundation’s longtime support for scores of documentaries, including such landmark productions as “Eyes on the Prize,” “State of Fear” and “Why Democracy.” It also leverages the foundation’s global network of 10 regional offices to identify and lift new talent from around the world and to strengthen emerging communities of documentary filmmakers.

To view the films the Ford Foundation has supported over its history, visit the Ford Foundation’s Film Collection.

To learn more about JustFilms, visit its Strategy and Partners pages, as well as an overview of its Grant Making.

ICE-T TO HEADLINE ‘A CELEBRATION OF MUSIC IN FILM’
AT 2012 SUNDANCE FILM FESTIVAL

 Free Tickets to be Distributed via Twitter @sundancefestnow and @finallevel

 Event Hosted By Sundance Institute Film Music Program

Sundance Institute today announced that Ice-T and hip hop icons Chuck D (Public Enemy) and Grandmaster Caz will perform at ‘A Celebration of Music in Film’ on January 21 at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival. ‘A Celebration of Music in Film,’ one of the most anticipated music events at the annual Festival, this year celebrates SOMETHING FROM NOTHING: THE ART OF RAP, by director Ice-T, co-director Andy Baybutt and producer Paul Toogood.

The event takes place Saturday, January 21, 8:30 p.m. at the Sundance Music Café. A limited number of free tickets to the event will be available to Festival credential holders (21 and up) via Twitter @sundancefestnow and Ice-T’s feed @finallevel. Additionally, the event will be live streamed at www.sundance.org/live and http://www.livestream.com/sundancefest in participation with Livestream. RSVP to be notified when the event is live.

SOMETHING FROM NOTHING: THE ART OF RAP explores the roots and history of Rap. Through conversations with Rap’s most influential artists – among them Kanye West, Eminem,  Common, Snoop Dogg, Dr. Dre, Chuck D, Mos Def, and Ice Cube – Ice-T reveals the creative process behind this now-dominant art form.

“Ice-T’s legacy in the music community is indelible, and we are very proud to showcase these prolific and groundbreaking artists at the Festival this year,” said Peter Golub, Director of the Sundance Institute Film Music Program and producer of ‘A Celebration of Music in Film.’ “Similarly, the Festival has long been a champion of showcasing the art and imagination of music in film, and that legacy continues this year.”

“We could not be more excited and honored to have music legends Ice-T, Chuck D and Grandmaster Caz perform at this year’s Festival,” said Tracy McKnight, producer and co-host of ‘A Celebration of Music in Film’ and Head of Film Music for Lionsgate. “This night is about celebrating music in film, and highlighting this incredible art form will certainly make this evening a ‘once-in-a-lifetime’ event.”

Other music-related events to be featured at the Festival include: Roundtable Discussion: Music and Film, The Creative Process, produced by BMI (January 25, 11:00 a.m. at Sundance House Presented by HP); Film Music Remix featuring Sundance Composers Lab Alums Ronit Kirchman, Kathryn Bostic, Terry Dame, Lili Haydn, Vivek Maddala and David Poe  (January 23, 8:00 p.m. at Sundance Music Café: Night Sessions); and the Sundance ASCAP Music Café, with scheduled performers including John Forte and friends featuring Natasha Bedingfield, Flying Lotus, David Gray, The All-American Rejects, Josh Kelley, David Nail, A Fine Frenzy, Greg Laswell and filmmaker/composer Terence Nance.

Among the Film Music Program alumni whose work will be featured at this year’s Festival are: T. Griffin (composer, California Solo); Kathryn Bostic (composer, Middle of Nowhere); Ryan Beveridge (composer, Mosquita y Mari); Terry Dame (composer, My Best Day); Fall On Your Sword (Nobody Walks); Ronen Landa with Anna Bulbrook (composer, The Pact); and Gingger Shankar (Himalaya Song).

The 2012 Sundance Film Festival runs January 19 through 29, in Park City, Salt Lake City, Ogden and Sundance, Utah. A complete list of films and events is available atwww.sundance.org/festival.

The Sundance Film Festival

A program of the non-profit Sundance Institute, the Festival has introduced global audiences to some of the most ground-breaking films of the past two decades, including sex, lies, and videotape, Maria Full of Grace, The Cove, Hedwig and the Angry Inch, An Inconvenient Truth, Precious, Trouble the Water, and Napoleon Dynamite, and through its New Frontier initiative, has showcased the cinematic works of media artists including Isaac Julien, Doug Aitken, Pierre Huyghe, Jennifer Steinkamp, and Matthew Barney. The 2012 Sundance Film Festival sponsors include: Presenting Sponsors – Entertainment Weekly, HP, Acura, Sundance Channel and Chase Sapphire^SM; Leadership Sponsors – Adobe Systems Incorporated, Bing™, Canon, DIRECTV, Focus Forward, a partnership between GE and CINELAN, Southwest Airlines, Sprint and Yahoo!; Sustaining Sponsors – Bertolli® Frozen Meal Soups, FilterForGood^®, a partnership between Brita^® and Nalgene^®, Grey Goose^® Vodka, Hilton HHonors and Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts, L’Oréal Paris, Stella Artois^®, Timberland, Time Warner Inc. and YouTube^TM. Sundance Institute recognizes critical support from the Utah Governor’s Office of Economic Development, and the State of Utah as Festival Host State. The support of these organizations will defray costs associated with the 10-day Festival and the nonprofit Sundance Institute’s year-round programs for independent film and theatre artists. www.sundance.org/festival

Sundance Institute

Sundance Institute is a global nonprofit organization founded by Robert Redford in 1981. Through its artistic development programs for directors, screenwriters, producers, composers and playwrights, the Institute seeks to discover and support independent film and theatre artists from the United States and around the world, and to introduce audiences to their new work. The Institute promotes independent storytelling to inform, inspire, and unite diverse populations around the globe. Internationally recognized for its annual Sundance Film Festival, Sundance Institute has nurtured such projects as Born into Brothels, Trouble the Water, Son of Babylon, Amreeka, An Inconvenient Truth, Spring Awakening, I Am My Own Wife, Light in the Piazza and Angels in America. Join Sundance Institute on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.

CHRIS KATTAN TO HOST
AT&T U-VERSE 2012 SUNDANCE SPECIAL

It was announced today that actor Chris Kattan will be the host of Sundance 2012 coverage on AT&T U-verse® Buzz.

Daily coverage of the festival, including interviews and behind-the-scenes footage, will be offered by AT&T U-verse on their Buzz Channel (Ch. 300 and 1300 HD for U-verse subscribers), Facebook (www.facebook.com/uverse), Twitter (@Sundance2012), Instagram (#Sundance2012), U-verse Online (uverseonline.att.net/uverse/exclusive), as well as a dedicated Sundance website (att.com/sundance2012). In addition to the daily coverage, a comprehensive 30-minute special will air on U-verse Buzz February 15 through March 15.

ABOUT CHRIS KATTAN

Chris Kattan got his start with the famous LA-based comedy improvisational group “The Groundlings.” He is best known for his memorable characters during his seven seasons on Saturday Night Live from 1996 to 2003, alongside Will Ferrell, Amy Poehler, Maya Rudolph, Jimmy Fallon, Tracy Morgan and Tina Fey. Kattan is currently filming his third season on the Wednesday night ABC comedy The Middle,while also writing his first book Zen and Narcissism – a surprisingly romantic autobiography. He can be seen in the upcoming film, Just Crazy Enough, a physical comedy in which he starred and co-wrote.

ABOUT AT&T

AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T) is a premier communications holding company and one of the most honored companies in the world <http://www.att.com/corporateawards> . Its subsidiaries and affiliates – AT&T operating companies – are the providers of AT&T services in the United States and around the world. With a powerful array of network resources that includes the nation’s fastest mobile broadband network, AT&T is a leading provider of wireless, Wi-Fi, high speed Internet, voice and cloud-based services. A leader in mobile broadband and emerging 4G capabilities, AT&T also offers the best wireless coverage worldwide of any U.S. carrier, offering the most wireless phones that work in the most countries. It also offers advanced TV services under the AT&T U-verse® and AT&T │DIRECTV brands. The company’s suite of IP-based business communications services is one of the most advanced in the world. In domestic markets, AT&T Advertising Solutions and AT&T Interactive are known for their leadership in local search and advertising.

Additional information about AT&T Inc. and the products and services provided by AT&T subsidiaries and affiliates is available at http://www.att.com. Follow our news on Twitter at @ATT.

LIVEstyle AND FULCRUM GROUP ANNOUNCE “AXE HAIR MEDIA LOUNGE and GROOM ROOM and Supper Club” AT THE 2012 SUNDANCE FILM FESTIVAL

New York-based entertainment agency LIVEstyle Entertainment, in partnership with Connecticut-basedFulcrum Group, is preparing to launch the 9^th year and 37^th major festival installation of its signature multi-day branded entertainment programs, the LIVEstyle Film Lounge, The Supper Club and AXE® Hair Media Lounge & Groom Room, located at 628 Park Ave in Park City, Utah.  The venue and integrated programs will be an anchor destination for filmmakers, celebrities, global film and consumer media outlets, world-class chefs, independent and major studios and producers.  Through this platform, sponsors AXE Hair; Issey Miyake’s new men’s fragrance L’Eau d’Issey Pour Homme Sport; Monster Energy Beverages; AriZona Beverages; hipswag.com; outdoor athletic products company Thule; IndieFlix.com; Pook Toque and official Festival sponsor Stella Artois will come face-to-face with the principal industry influencers, media, tastemakers and VIPs during one of the world’s largest film festivals, as more than thirty individual events and programs unfold onsite over six days involving fifteen different official festival films.

Friday, January 20, 2012 (5pm-7pm)

WHAT: YOUR SISTER’S SISTER cast dinner hosted by IFC Films and the cast and guest chef La-Toya Fagon

CAST: Emily Blunt, Rosemarie DeWitt, Mark Duplass

Friday, January 20, 2012 (8pm-11pm)

WHAT: FILLY BROWN cast dinner and premiere party hosted by cast with guest chef La-Toya Fagon and a surprise musical performance

CAST:      Lou Diamond Phillips, Gina Rodriguez, Jenni Rivera, Edward James Olmos

Friday, January 20, 2012 (11pm-2am)

WHAT: KEEP THE LIGHTS ON premiere after-party hosted by Director Ira Sachs

CAST:  Thure Lindhardt, Zachary Booth, Julianne Nicholson, Souleymane Sy Savane and Paprika Steen

Friday, January 20, 2012 (1:30-40:00AM)

WHAT: TIM & ERIC’S BILLION DOLLAR MOVIE post-premiere party

CAST:  Will Ferrell; John C. Reilly; Tim Heidecker, Eric Wareheim

Other Guest include : Blythe Danner and Melanie Lynskey

AXE HAIR MEDIA LOUNGE and Groom Room @ Blue Iguana 628 Park Ave, Park City, Utah  84060

About FULCRUM GROUP:

Fulcrum Group is a full service agency based in New York City and Connecticut with more than 50years combined experience in promotions, marketing, communications and digital media. Providing strategic programming, complete execution and customizable marketing campaigns, Fulcrum Group helps companies discover their core values and achieve their goals. Their wide range of printing and digital promotional services help clients acquire customized and creative merchandise vital to strengthen brand presence and equity, enhance market awareness and emanate overall success. Whether Fulcrum serves as event producer, consultant or promotional company; it delivers all components to create an exclusive event experience and maximum brand exposure unlike any other. For more information, please visit http://www.fulcrumgrp.com.

About LIVEstyle  Entertainment:    

Founded in 2002, LIVEstyle Entertainment is a leader in innovative live entertainment marketing, programming and production.  Having built and executed successful events and properties throughout the film, fashion, music, art and sports industries, LIVEstyle has proven its ability to deliver high-impact brand programs on an annual basis for clients and consumers alike.  In addition to being the most prolific film festival event producer in the world,  LIVEstyle Entertainment creates tailor-made event programs for corporate and entertainment industry clients alike.  For more information, please visit www.livestylent.com.

About AXE®

AXE Hair, a leader in men’s hair care, is proud to be the Title Sponsor of the AXE Hair Media Lounge & Groom Room at Sundance 2012, treating media, tastemakers, filmmakers and celebrity talent to the ultimate AXE Hair experience.  AXE is an iconic personal care brand around the world that helps guys look, smell and feel their best. The Unilever-manufactured brand is available in a line of shampoos and styling aids, as well as deodorants and shower gels.  The brand’s mission is to help guys get the girl with grooming products that reflect individual personality and lifestyle.  For more information, visit www.theaxeeffect.com.

About Unilever North America

Unilever is one of the world’s leading suppliers of fast moving consumer goods with strong operations in more than 100 countries and sales in 180.  With products that are used over two billion times a day around the world, we work to create a better future every day and help people feel good, look good and get more out of life with brands and services that are good for them and good for others.

In the United States, Canada and the Greater Caribbean (Trinidad & Tobago, Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico) the portfolio includes brand icons such as: Axe, Becel, Ben & Jerry’s, Bertolli, Blue Band, Breyers, Caress, Consort For Men, Country Crock, Degree, Dove personal care products, fds, Good Humor, Hellmann’s, I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter!, Just for Me!, Klondike, Knorr, Lever 2000, Lipton, Motions, Nexxus, Noxzema, OMO, Pond’s, Popsicle, Promise, Q-Tips, Ragu, Skippy, Slim-Fast, Soft & Beautiful, St. Ives, Suave, tcb, TIGI, TRESemmé, Vaseline, and Wish-Bone.

All of the preceding brand names are registered trademarks of the Unilever Group of Companies. Dedicated to serving consumers and the communities where we live, work and play, Unilever employs more than 13,000 people across North America – generating nearly $10 billion in sales in 2010.  For more information, visit www.unileverusa.com, www.unilever.ca,orwww.unilevercaribbean.com.

About AriZona

AriZona Beverages USA LLC was founded in Brooklyn in 1971 by Don Vultaggio and John Ferolito and to this day remains a privately held and family-run American business based in Woodbury, NY. AriZona Beverages—makers of AriZona Iced Tea, waters, juices, energy drinks, sports drinks and powdered tea mixes —is the number one ready-to-drink tea in North America and has begun worldwide expansion starting with South America, Europe and Asia. AriZona’s mission is to create the highest quality products that not only look great, but also taste great and are affordable for people to buy. For more information, visit www.drinkarizona.com.

There is a new clip for ONE FOR THE MONEY, the new film based on the popular novel by Janet Evanovich which hits theaters next Friday, January 27, 2012… and WAMG has it for you!

SYNOPSIS:  Katherine Heigl brings Stephanie Plum – the popular heroine of Janet Evanovich’s worldwide best-selling eighteen-book mystery series – to vibrant life in Lionsgate and Lakeshore Entertainment’s ONE FOR THE MONEY.

A proud, born-and-bred Jersey girl, Stephanie Plum’s got plenty of attitude, even if she’s been out of work for the last six months and just lost her car to a debt collector.  Desperate for some fast cash, Stephanie turns to her last resort: convincing her sleazy cousin to give her a job at his bail bonding company…as a recovery agent.  True, she doesn’t even own a pair of handcuffs and her weapon of choice is pepper spray, but that doesn’t stop Stephanie from taking on Vinny’s biggest bail-jumper: former vice cop and murder suspect Joe Morelli – yup, the same sexy, irresistible Joe Morelli who seduced and dumped her back in high school.

Nabbing Morelli would be satisfying payback – and a hefty payday – but as Stephanie learns the ins and outs of becoming a recovery agent from Ranger, a hunky colleague who’s the best in the business, she also realizes the case against Morelli isn’t airtight. Add to the mix her meddling family, a potentially homicidal boxer, witnesses who keep dying and the problem of all those flying sparks when she finds Morelli himself…well, suddenly Stephanie’s new job isn’t nearly as easy as she thought.

Starring Katherine Heigl, ONE FOR THE MONEY is a fresh, funny action-comedy directed by Julie Anne Robinson and also starring Jason O’Mara, Daniel Sunjata, John Leguiziamo, Debbie Reynolds and Debra Monk.  Lionsgate and Lakeshore Entertainment present a Lakeshore Entertainment Lionsgate Wendy Finerman production in association with Sidney Kimmel Entertainment Abishag Productions. Directed by Julie Anne Robinson.  Screenplay by Stacy Sherman & Karen Ray and Liz Brixius.  Based on the novel by Janet Evanovich.

Like ONE FOR THE MONEY on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/oneforthemoneymovie?sk=info 

Website: http://oneforthemoneyfilm.com/

ONE FOR THE MONEY hits theaters January 27th