HBO & The New York International Latino Film Festival Announce 5th Annual Call For Entry for the HBO/NYILFF Short Film Competition

HBO & The New York International Latino Film Festival Announce 5th Annual Call For Entry for the HBO/NYILFF Short Film Competition

- Deadline for HBO-funded competition is April 25, 2008 -

NEW YORK, April 7, 2008 /PRNewswire/ HBO and The New York International Latino Film Festival (NYILFF) today announced the 5th annual open call for entry for the HBO/NYILFF Short Film Competition. Jointly created in 2004, the competition seeks to foster films by Latino filmmakers and/or about the Latino experience.

One winner will be chosen from among applicants to receive $15,000 in funding from HBO to produce and direct a short film based on an original script entry. The completed short will be presented on screen this summer at the 2008 New York International Film Festival, July 22-27, and considered for broadcast on any of HBO's programming services.

"For the past five years we've seen the enormous talent that the Latino film community has to offer," said Lucinda Martinez-Desir, vice president, Market Development at HBO. "We look forward to reading more great stories from gifted filmmakers, and to spotlighting one special talent in partnership with the NYILFF."

"Since its commencement, the HBO/NYILFF Short Film Competition has been one of our most successful opportunities for filmmakers," said Calixto Chinchilla, founder and co-executive director, NYILFF. "It has introduced us to some of the most talented up-and-coming Latino writer/director, and enabled us to pair those emerging filmmakers with the award-winning creative team at HBO."

The HBO/NYILFF Short Film Competition is open to U.S. and international entrants 18 years and older. Only original scripts will be accepted and must be written in English by a person of Latino descent or focus on the Latino experience, and entrant must hold all rights to material. The screenplay cannot be more than twelve (12) pages long and final film cannot exceed a maximum running time of five (5) minutes. Submitted screenplay or work produced from it must not have had previous cable, broadcast or internet exhibition, won awards at any other festival or been previously submitted to the HBO/NYILFF Short Film Competition under its current or any former title.

Each entry must be accompanied by one (1) completed submission form, $10.00 fee, filmmaker bio and photo, a director's reel or last film produced (DVD NTSC only), and one (1) executed HBO/NYILFF Short Film Competition release form. There is no limit to the number of entries that can be submitted (see rules for more specifics). Entries must be postmarked by April 25, 2008 and mailed to HBO/NYILFF SHORT FILM COMPETITION, c/o The New York International Latino Film Festival, 419 Lafayette Street, 3rd Floor, New York, N.Y. 10003.

Applicants will be notified if their screenplay has been selected by May 19, 2008. For official rules, regulations and submission forms, log on to www.NYLatinoFilm.com.

Last year, filmmaker Freddy Vargas received the $15,000 grant from HBO to produce and direct a short based on his original script "Hispaniola." The film, an endearing story of two boys from different worlds -- one Haitian, the other Dominican -- who develop a strong bond through baseball, garnered praise at the NYILFF.

Home Box Office, Inc. is the premium television programming subsidiary of Time Warner Inc., providing two 24-hour pay television services -- HBO and Cinemax -- to over 40 million U.S. subscribers. The services offer the most popular subscription video on demand products, HBO On Demand and Cinemax On Demand, as well as HBO on Broadband, HD feeds, and multiplex channels. Internationally, HBO's branded television networks, along with the subscription video on demand products HBO On Demand and HBO Mobile, bring HBO services to over 50 countries. HBO programming is sold into over 150 countries worldwide.

Launched in 1999, the New York International Latino Film Festival (NYILFF) is now the premier Urban Latino film event in the country. The NYILFF's mission is to showcase the works of the hottest emerging Latino filmmaking talent in the U.S. and Latin America, offer expansive images of the Latino experience, and celebrate the diversity and spirit of the Latino community. Programming includes the flagship film festival in NYC, new music and art showcases, family and community events, scholarships for aspiring filmmakers, and a nationally recognized short film competition in partnership with HBO. The NYILFF is the only film event to have had the endorsement of Mayor Michael Bloomberg's NYC Latin Media and Entertainment Commission since its formation in 2003.

HBO is the presenting sponsor of the New York International Latino Film Festival.

Source: HBO and NY International Latino Film Festival

CONTACT: Jennifer Abreu of NYILFF, +1-212-323-0257,
press@nylatinofilm.com; or Jeff Cusson of HBO, +1-212-512-1343,
jeff.cusson@hbo.com

Web site:

http://www.nylatinofilm.com/
http://www.hbo.com/

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