Entries Sought for 9th Annual PlanetOut Short Movie Awards

Entries Sought for 9th Annual PlanetOut Short Movie Awards

Winner to be Announced at Sundance Film Festival

SAN FRANCISCO, Sept. 21 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- PlanetOut Inc. (NASDAQ:LGBT), the leading media and entertainment company exclusively focused on the gay and lesbian market, is seeking entries for the 9th Annual PlanetOut Short Movie Awards (POSMA) 2008, sponsored by Scion in association with the Miami Gay and Lesbian Film Festival (MGLFF).

The PlanetOut Short Movie Awards, the largest online awards honoring film and video shorts by, about, and of interest to LGBT audiences, is an acclaimed international platform for top gay and lesbian filmmakers. Noted winners include Angela Robinson ("D.E.B.S.," "Herbie Fully Loaded," and "The L Word"); Jamie Babbitt ("But I'm a Cheerleader!," "Ugly Betty," "Alias," "Malcolm in the Middle," "Gilmore Girls," and "Nip/Tuck"); and Q. Allan Brocka ("Eating Out," "Boy Culture," and "Rick and Steve the Happiest Gay Couple in all the World").

Deadline for entries is Dec. 7, 2007 and information may be found on PlanetOut.com and Gay.com: http://www.planetout.com/entertainment/shortmovieawards and http://www.gay.com/entertainment/shortmovieawards.

Up to 20 finalists will be selected from all eligible submissions. Judging will be based on an equally weighted criteria consisting of the following: cleverness and originality; quality of writing, acting, and production values; innovative use of the medium; relevance of subject matter; and entertainment value.

Winners will be announced in January 2008 at PlanetOut's annual event during the Sundance Film Festival, and the Grand Prize Winner and four runners-up will be screened at a special ceremony and program in Miami as part of the Miami Gay & Lesbian Film Festival on Sunday, April 27, 2008. The Grand Prize winner will receive a $10,000 cash prize and will be exhibited on PlanetOut.com and Gay.com, along with the runners up, who will each receive cash prizes ranging from $1,500 to $500.

"In addition to being recognized as one of the largest and most prestigious online filmmaking competitions anywhere, the PlanetOut Short Movie Awards produce luminaries," said Jenny Stewart, manager, entertainment programming, PlanetOut Inc., and one of the judges. "The Miami Gay & Lesbian Film Festival is an ideal place to show off these filmmakers and actors. The festival gives these budding filmmakers exposure and an opportunity for professionals and audiences to view and celebrate their work. We're also extremely grateful for Scion's continued sponsorship."

Carol Coombes, festival director, MGLFF, and one of the judges, said, "The PlanetOut Short Movie Awards have profiled and platformed an impressive roster of talented and emerging LGBT filmmakers over the years. This status has been made possible through PlanetOut's marketing muscle and the continued and generous cash support of our sponsor Scion.

"It is extremely gratifying to know that a number of POSMA winning directors are now making names for themselves as feature filmmakers. The generous cash awards reward talent, and nurture and enable a whole new generation of gifted short filmmakers to continue practicing their craft," Coombes added.

Judges will consist of film and TV executives from companies such as Bravo, Logo, and Sony Pictures Classics, and representatives from PlanetOut Inc. and MGLFF.

"Sponsoring the PlanetOut Short Movie Awards is an exciting way for Scion to continue its support of the creative community," said Jack Hollis, Scion corporate manager. "Scion is proud to encourage the great filmmakers involved in this event for the fourth consecutive year."

Hundreds of entries have been submitted over the past eight years, including submissions from Oscar and Emmy award-winning actors and filmmakers. Select entries have been featured in numerous DVDs including the Picture This! Entertainment DVD release "The First Annual PlanetOut Short Movie Awards Highlights" and on Sundance Channel and Logo.

The final date to submit entries to the PlanetOut Short Movie Awards is Dec. 7, 2007, for a $25 entry fee. An official submission form and detailed guidelines are available online at http://www.mglff.com/ or by contacting the Miami Gay & Lesbian Film Festival, 1521 Alton Road, #147, Miami Beach, FL 33139, by phone at (305) 534-9924, by fax at (305) 535-2377, or by e-mail at kareem@mglff.com. Additional rules and regulations are available online at http://movieawards.planetout.com/ and http://movieawards.gay.com/.

About PlanetOut Inc.

PlanetOut Inc. is the leading global media and entertainment company exclusively serving the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community.

PlanetOut's digital media brands include Gay.com, PlanetOut.com, Advocate.com, Out.com, OutTraveler.com and HIVPlusMag.com. PlanetOut print media brands include The Advocate, Out, The Out Traveler and HIVPlus, as well as SpecPub, Inc. titles. Transaction services brands include e-commerce Web sites Kleptomaniac.com and BuyGay.com, travel and events marketer RSVP Vacations and book publisher Alyson Publications.

PlanetOut, based in San Francisco with additional offices in New York, Los Angeles and Minneapolis, offers Global 1000 and local advertisers access to what it believes to be the most extensive multi-channel, multi-platform network of gay and lesbian people in the world. For more information, please visit http://www.planetoutinc.com/.

About the Miami Gay & Lesbian Film Festival

Entering into its 10th season, the Festival presents films and videos of all genres, lengths and formats, including dramatic, documentary and experimental works, by, about and of interest to the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community. With a strong international showing, it places special emphasis on works by U.S. Hispanic, Latin American and Spanish filmmakers. The upcoming 10th Annual Miami Gay & Lesbian Film Festival (April 25th -- May 4th 2008), hosted in the heart of fashionable South Beach, will continue its line-up of World, U.S. and South Florida premieres, with a diverse group of 40-plus programs over ten days. Directors attending the Festival will be joined by actors, distributors, critics and other special guests from around the world for a full schedule of screenings and panels, as well as social events at an array of Miami's hottest hotels, cafes, clubs and lounges.

About Scion

Scion, from Toyota Motor Sales (TMS), U.S.A., Inc., was developed with a new generation of youthful buyers in mind. Scion's mission is to provide distinctive products, the opportunity to personalize, and an innovative, consumer-driven process at the retail level. The Scion brand features three ground-breaking models. The xD is an urban subcompact five-door, featuring a muscular stance and accentuated wheel flares. The xB, an urban utility vehicle, combines remarkable interior space with iconic styling. And the tC sports coupe surprises the buyer with the convenience of a hatchback and the luxury of a standard all-glass panorama moonroof, complementing the usual wide array of features on all Scions. For more information, visit http://www.scion.com/.

First Call Analyst:
FCMN Contact:

Source: PlanetOut Inc.

CONTACT: Joe LaCavera of PlanetOut Inc., +1-415-834-6334,
joe.lacavera@planetoutinc.com

Web site:

http://www.planetoutinc.com/
http://movieawards.planetout.com/
http://www.scion.com/

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