Filmmakers Visit Austin to Uncover Trends and Shoot Local Footage

Filmmakers Visit Austin to Uncover Trends and Shoot Local Footage

Three Filmmakers Hit Town as Part of Three-Week Cross-Country Competition

AUBURN HILLS, Mich., May 10 /PRNewswire/ -- Three young Hollywood filmmakers, Shawn Ku (36, Pretty Dead Girl), Jonathan Levine (28, Shards), and Kristina Robbins-Higgins (37, Wet Fur), will visit Austin this week to document trends for the Step Ahead with Audi A3: Personal Journeys with AFI FEST Filmmakers competition.

These three rising directors were selected by Audi of America, Inc. and AFI FEST from 60 eligible filmmakers to compete in a challenging three-week, cross-country competition to uncover emerging trends across the nation while driving all-new Audi A3s and to use their experiences to create a 15-minute short film in the hope of winning the grand prize -- a 2006 A3 and $10,000. The competition started on May 4 in Los Angeles and concludes on May 25 in New York.

Listed as one of Fade In Magazine's "Top 100 People in Hollywood to Watch," New York-native Shawn Ku plans to trace "The Mobile Class" during the Step Ahead program and demonstrate how current technology allows individuals to awake in Los Angeles, lunch in San Francisco, conduct business remotely in Austin and Miami before wrapping things up with a flight to New York. Ku will shoot in Austin on May 11 and 12 before departing for New Orleans. Outside of the Step Ahead program, Ku is busy developing his musical short, Pretty Dead Girl, into a Broadway stage play. The film made during his graduate studies at USC made an impact at Sundance and was also screened at AFI FEST 2004.

A graduate of the American Film Institute Conservatory, Jonathan Levine plans to "Click Ahead" and learn if the power of Internet dating can help him discover love on the road. This New York-native and Brown graduate believes that the car can increase his hip quotient, while ladies in Los Angeles, Austin, Washington, D.C., Boston and New York will guide him in revealing the emerging trends in their areas. Levine began shooting yesterday and will work through May 11 at some of the city's most notable clubs and live entertainment venues.

A recent mother herself, Kristina Robbins-Higgins intends to showcase "HUPPIES" (Hip Urban Parents) as they handle the challenges of daily life while still embracing active lifestyles even with new family additions. She will arrive in Austin for two days of shooting on Friday, May 13. A graduate of AFI's Directing Workshop for Women, this L.A.-based writer and director whose narrative shorts have screened at festivals across the U.S. will concentrate on family situations in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Austin, Boston, and New York.

Audi inherently believes that it's "greater to lead than follow," and to complement Audi's advanced technology, Ku, Levine, and Robbins-Higgins will use an array of state-of-the-art equipment to create their films. The filmmakers will retain the equipment used during the edit process.

All the while, Ku, Levine, and Robbins-Higgins will upload blogs to keep the public informed of their experiences. In addition, individuals are encouraged to visit http://www.audiusa.com/A3 to view behind-the-scenes footage of the journey and filmmaking process. The final films will be available online from July 5 - August 5 for public viewing. Site visitors will be encouraged to vote for their favorite film with a contest winner earning a trip to AFI FEST 2005 presented by Audi in Los Angeles this November.

A panel of talented actors including Oscar-nominated James Cromwell (The Longest Yard, I, Robot), Independent Spirit Award winner Emily Mortimer (The Pink Panther, Lovely & Amazing), Joshua Jackson (A Life in the Theatre, Aurora Borealis), as well as representatives from Audi and AFI will select the top film. The announcement will be made on August 10 during a special event in Los Angeles.

"We see these filmmakers as bringing an uncanny ability to see 'what's next' around them and illustrate emerging lifestyle trends," said Stephen Berkov, Audi's director of marketing. "We think the A3 is an ideal lens for them on this journey as this is the first time Audi will offer this car in North America. The A3 represents the creation of a new category and meets the desires of today's forward thinking consumers."

"The Step Ahead program offers these three lucky filmmakers and their teams an incredible amount of freedom to explore, experiment, experience and ultimately express themselves in a way that's creative, inventive and fun. We look forward to seeing the resulting films," states Christian Gaines, Festival Director, AFI FEST.

Complete program details about Step Ahead with Audi A3: Personal Journeys with AFI FEST Filmmakers can be found at http://www.audiusa.com/A3 . It's more than what's new, it's what's next.

About Audi

Audi of America is headquartered in Auburn Hills, Michigan, and markets performance-oriented European luxury vehicles: the A3, A4, A6, A8, and TT. For more information about additional Audi-related events and corporate news, visit http://www.audiusa.com/ .

About AFI FEST

The American Film Institute is a national institute providing leadership in screen education and the recognition and celebration of excellence in the art of film, television and digital media. Now in its 19th year, AFI FEST presented by Audi -- the AFI Los Angeles International Film Festival -- is the longest-running film festival in Los Angeles and one of the most influential film festivals in North America. Additional information about AFI is available at http://www.afi.com/ .

Source: Audi of America, Inc.

CONTACT: Audi Contacts: Holly Rocheleau, +1-248-591-5170,
holly.rocheleau@mvpcollaborative.com , for Audi of America, Inc.; or Jennifer
Cortez of Audi of America, Inc., +1-248-754-4729, jennifer.cortez@audi.com ;
AFI Contact: Alison Deknatel, +1-323-856-7896, adeknatel@AFI.com

Web site: http://www.audiusa.com/A3
http://www.audiusa.com/
http://www.afi.com/

NOTE TO EDITORS: PHOTOS/ART/INTERVIEWS AVAILABLE UPON REQUEST.

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