FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

The New York Times and Emerging Pictures Present The indieWIRE “Undiscovered Gems” Series in Association With The California Film Institute

Jem Cohen’s Chain Opens Late April

Prize-Winning Filmmaker in a Theatrical Release and Sundance Channel Broadcast

New York, New York, April 19, 2006– The New York Times and Emerging Pictures, the New York-based digital cinema network, will for the first time present “indieWIRE: Undiscovered Gems” as an eight-month-long film series.  Based on indieWIRE’s annual list of the top 15 films from major festivals around the world that have yet to find a theatrical distributor, the series is being presented in association with the California Film Institute.  The series kicks off in late April with Jem Cohen’s acclaimed feature Chain. (Full list of films at:  http://www.indiewire.com/gems/)

With support from Sundance Channel, an audience prize competition will provide the winning filmmaker a cash award of $50,000, theatrical release in New York, Los Angeles and at least five other U.S. cities during 2007, as well as an exclusive broadcast on Sundance Channel.

Using Emerging’s digital technology, the partnership will bring one film per month from indieWIRE’s annual list to theaters* in a minimum of 11 cities, including New York City, Tucson, AZ; San Rafael, CA; Wilmington, DE; Ft. Lauderdale and Lake Worth, FL; Martha’s Vineyard, MA; Lincoln NE; Buffalo, NY; Tulsa, OK; and Scranton, PA. 

The one-film-a-month series begins in late April, 2006 and continues through November, 2006, with individual screening dates varying by venue.  The winner will be determined by audience balloting at each venue and announced in December, 2006, at awards presentations in New York City and at the California Film Institute’s Christopher B. Smith Rafael Film Center in San Rafael, California.

Now in its ninth year and put together by indieWIRE’s editors and contributing writers, the annual list of “Undiscovered Gems” is a roster of extraordinary films which despite their quality have not received U.S. distribution.  In 2004, the California Film Institute presented the first theatrical exhibition of indieWIRE’s “Top Undistributed Films,” providing audiences the opportunity to experience the films beyond the festival circuit.

Chain has appeared at many film festivals, including Berlin, Edinburgh, Vancouver, Vienna, Woodstock, and Melbourne.  Director Cohen was the recipient of the 2005 Independent Spirit Award’s “Someone to Watch” Award.  The film addresses the issue of cultural homogenization in the world:  as regional character disappears, it has become increasingly difficult to know where you are.  Malls, theme parks, hotels and corporate centers worldwide are merged into a contemporary “superlandscape” which shapes the lives of two women caught within it.  One is a corporate executive, the other a young drifter.

“With so many hurdles facing quality independent, foreign language and documentary filmmakers in securing theatrical distribution, we are thrilled to partner with The New York Times, Emerging Pictures and Sundance Channel on this growing showcase of new films.  We hope this partnership and the series gives these films the support they deserve,” says Eugene Hernandez, Editor-in-Chief of indieWIRE. 

“The New York Times is delighted to be part of this important effort to bring original independent films to audiences across the country,” said Alyse Myers, senior vice president, chief marketing officer for The New York Times Media Group.  “Our collaboration on the ‘Undiscovered Gems’ Series reconfirms The Times’s longstanding commitment to film, including celebrating talent and supporting emerging filmmakers.”

Ira Deutchman, co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of Emerging Pictures, says, “We are proud to once again partner with indieWIRE and The New York Times to bring high caliber cinema to audiences across the country.  And, we’re especially excited to be able to expand on our successful 2005 syndication of the Undiscovered Gems as a festival by transforming it into an eight-month screening competition whose winning filmmaker will receive a $50,000 advance against sale to Sundance Channel and Emerging’s own prize of a major market theatrical distribution deal.” 

Sundance Channel Executive Vice President, Programming and Marketing, Laura Michalchyshyn said “The Undiscovered Gems program dovetails very neatly with one of Sundance Channel key goals and that is to provide alternative distribution platforms for films that would not otherwise be seen, we are therefore very pleased to be a part of this series."

“As the owner of a nonprofit cinema, we are fortunate that we can often provide a venue for undistributed films at the Smith Rafael Film Center,” notes Mark Fiskin, Founder-Executive Director of the California Film Institute. “The evolution of indieWIRE’s Undiscovered Gems beyond the Bay Area (including a theatrical and broadcast distribution prize) represents an exciting opportunity for filmmakers to find and nurture a nationwide audience for their work. Our ongoing commitment to Undiscovered Gems reinforces our mission to support filmmakers by helping those unique voices find an outlet and an audience.”

* Participating theaters as of this date are:  Cinema Village (New York City), The Loft (Tucson), Christopher B. Smith Rafael Film Center (San Rafael), Theatre N at Nemours (Wilmington), Cinema Paradiso (Ft. Lauderdale), The Duncan Theatre at Stage West (Lake Worth), Island Theatre (Martha’s Vineyard), Mary Riepma Ross Media Arts Center (Lincoln), Market Arcade Film and Arts Center (Buffalo), Circle Cinema (Tulsa), Scranton Cultural Center (Scranton).  All theaters are either fulltime or affiliate venues in the Emerging Cinemas consortium of digital projection theaters.

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About indieWIRE

Now in its eleventh year, indieWIRE is the leading source of news and information for the independent film community, offering comprehensive coverage of independent, documentary and foreign language films, including industry news, film festival reports, filmmaker interviews, and movie reviews. Its website (http://www.indiewire.com) includes special reports from high-profile film festivals, filmmaker and industry blogs, as well as resources and tools for emerging and established filmmakers. Awarded the Webby for best film site, indieWIRE was lauded as a "must read" by Variety, branded the "online heartbeat of the world's independent film community" by Forbes, and dubbed "best indie crossroads" by Roger Ebert.

About The New York Times

The New York Times Company (NYSE: NYT), a leading media company with 2005 revenues of $3.4 billion, includes The New York Times, the International Herald Tribune, The Boston Globe, 15 other daily newspapers, nine network-affiliated television stations, two New York City radio stations and 35 Web sites, including NYTimes.com, Boston.com and About.com.  The Company’s core purpose is to enhance society by creating, collecting and distributing high-quality news, information and entertainment.

About Emerging Pictures

Emerging Pictures was founded in 2002 by Barry Rebo, Giovanni Cozzi and Ira Deutchman to create a new theatrical distribution network for independent, international and documentary films through the use of digital technology. Emerging has grown into a distribution, marketing and exhibition company through its network of theaters, Emerging Cinemas, which bring first-run arthouse cinema to cities and communities that would otherwise not usually have access to such films.  Additionally, Emerging Cinemas continues to build on its programs that syndicate specially curated film festivals around the country. These festivals are curated by some of the most prestigious film organizations in the country including the Full Frame Documentary Film Festival, the Latinbeat Film Festival with the Film Society of Lincoln Center, and the indieWIRE Undiscovered Gems festival.

About Sundance Channel

Under the creative direction of Robert Redford, Sundance Channel is he television destination for independent-minded viewers seeking something different.  Bold, uncompromising and irreverent, Sundance Channel offers audiences a diverse and engaging selection of films, documentaries, and original programs, all uncut and commercial free.  Launched in 1996, Sundance Channel is a venture of NBC Universal, Showtime Networks, Inc., and Robert Redford.  Sundance Channel operates independently of the non-profit Sundance Institute and the Sundance Film Festival, but shares the overall Sundance mission of encouraging artistic freedom of expression.  Sundance Channel’s website address is www.sundancechannel.com.

About The California Film Institute

The California Film Institute is a nonprofit organization that celebrates and promotes film by presenting the annual Mill Valley Film Festival, exhibiting film year-round at the Christopher B. Smith Rafael Film Center, and building the next generation of filmmakers and audiences through CFS Outreach.  The California Film Institute is an internationally respected arts organization that brings classic and cutting-edge multi-cultural programming and guest artists to the communities of the greater Bay Area.  Please visit us at:  www.cafilm.org.

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