Lifetime Movie Network, The Hollywood Reporter, New York Women in Film & Television, The Paley Center for Media, The William Morris Agency and Women In Film Los Angeles Announce Winners of 2008 Every Woman's Filmmaker Competition

Lifetime Movie Network, The Hollywood Reporter, New York Women in Film & Television, The Paley Center for Media, The William Morris Agency and Women In Film Los Angeles Announce Winners of 2008 Every Woman's Filmmaker Competition

DISTINGUISHED LIST OF JUDGES INCLUDES KAREN ARIKIAN, ANNE CHAISSON, DEBRA MARTIN CHASE, JANE FLEMING, ELIZABETH GUIDER, GALE ANNE HURD, NINA JACOBSON, TERRY LAWLER, PENNY MARSHALL, PAT MITCHELL, GAYLE NACHLIS, HARRIET NOVET AND ROSIE PEREZ

NEW YORK, Oct. 16 /PRNewswire/ -- A veritable "who's who" of top women in Hollywood -- Karen Arikian, Anne Chaisson, Debra Martin Chase, Jane Fleming, Elizabeth Guider, Gale Anne Hurd, Nina Jacobson, Terry Lawler, Penny Marshall, Pat Mitchell, Gayle Nachlis, Harriet Novet and Rosie Perez -- have selected the winners for the 2008 Every Woman's Filmmaker Competition, designed to identify and nurture the next generation of women filmmakers.

(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20080804/NYM123LOGO )

The impressive panel of Hollywood women awarded Negin Farsad ("Hot Bread Kitchen") from New York City with top honors in the Every Woman's Filmmaker Competition. Farsad's three-minute short film is about the nonprofit company of the same name headed by Jessamyn Waldman, a social entrepreneur. Waldman hires immigrant women to bake bread from their native recipes to sell on the competitive market -- giving them a real chance at launching new lives.

The judges also selected Melissa Kosar ("The Doll Hospital") from Orange County, California, for second place. Honorable mentions were given to Nicole Nietz, Elizabeth Thompson and Kiara Jones.

Said Louise Henry Bryson, Executive Vice President/General Manager, Lifetime Movie Network: "While 86 women have been elected to Congress and 48 have gone into space -- no woman has ever won a Best Director Oscar. Along with The Hollywood Reporter, New York Women in Film & Television, The Paley Center for Media, the William Morris Agency and Women IN Film Los Angeles, Lifetime Movie Network is working to change those statistics by offering the next generation of female filmmakers the chance to be discovered. We want to thank our extraordinary panel of judges for lending their time and talent to help these exceptional filmmakers make their Hollywood dreams a reality."

The winning short films will air on Lifetime Movie Network. Farsad and Kosar will also receive $5,000 and $2,500, respectively, and their films will premiere on Saturday, October 18, at the Hamptons International Film Festival. The winners will also receive a trip to the The Hollywood Reporter Women in Entertainment Breakfast on December 5.

In addition, the LMN.tv audience will select a winner as their favorite film. Voting begins Monday, October 20, on LMN.tv.

Now in its second year, Lifetime Networks' Every Woman's Filmmaker Competition drew entries from more than 300 aspiring female filmmakers. Previous winners are currently pursuing careers in the entertainment industry.

In 2007, women comprised only 15 percent of all directors, executive producers, producers, writers, cinematographers and editors working on the top 250 domestic grossing films.*

2008 Every Woman's Filmmaker Competition Judges
-- Karen Arikian -- Executive Director, Hamptons International Film
Festival
-- Anne Chaisson, Co-Chair Advisory Board, Director of Strategic
Development, Hamptons International Film Festival
-- Debra Martin Chase - - Producer ("Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants,"
"Princess Diaries")
-- Jane Fleming -- President, Women IN Film Los Angeles
-- Elizabeth Guider -- Editor, The Hollywood Reporter
-- Gale Anne Hurd - Producer ("Terminator", "Aliens")
-- Nina Jacobson - Producer, Color Force/DreamWorks
-- Terry Lawler -- Executive Director, NYWIFT
-- Penny Marshall - Actress, Director, Producer
-- Pat Michell -- President and CEO, The Paley Center for Media
-- Gayle Nachlis -- Executive Director, Women IN Film & Television
-- Harriet Novet -- Regional VP, Public Affairs, Time Warner Cable
-- Rosie Perez -- Actress, Director, Producer

*Source: The Celluloid Ceiling: Behind-the-Scenes Employment of Women on the Top 250 Films of 2006 By Martha M. Lauzen, Ph.D., School of Communication, San Diego State University, Copyright (C) 2007 -- All rights reserved

About Lifetime:

LIFETIME is the leader in women's television and one of the top-rated basic cable television networks. A diverse, multi-media company, LIFETIME is committed to offering the highest quality entertainment and information programming, and advocating a wide range of issues affecting women and their families. LIFETIME Television, Lifetime Movie Network, Lifetime Real Women and Lifetime Digital (including myLifetime.com) are part of LIFETIME Entertainment Services, a 50/50 joint venture of Hearst Corporation and The Walt Disney Company.

About The Hollywood Reporter (www.hollywoodreporter.com):

Now in its 77th year, The Hollywood Reporter covers the business of the entertainment industry via a network of media outlets. They include the print daily and weekly editions, the web site, various electronic-media offerings and high-profile events such as the Key Art Awards and Women in Entertainment. The Reporter's team of reporters and news editors number more than 60, with representatives in most of the world's major cities. The Reporter is published by Nielsen Business Media which is part of The Nielsen Co., a global information and media company whose trade publications include Billboard and Adweek. The Nielsen Co. also owns the media research firm ACNielsen. The first Hollywood-based daily trade newspaper covering the entertainment industry, The Hollywood Reporter began publishing Sept. 3, 1930.

About New York Women in Film & Television (www.nywift.org):

New York Women in Film & Television (NYWIFT) is the preeminent entertainment industry association for women in New York City. Dedicated to helping women reach the highest levels of achievement in film, television and new media, and promoting equity for women in these industries, NYWIFT produces over fifty innovative programs and special events each year. NYWIFT's 1,750 members are part of a network of forty international women in film organizations, representing more than 10,000 members worldwide.

About The Paley Center for Media (www.paleycenter.org):

The Paley Center for Media, with locations in New York and Los Angeles, leads the discussion about the cultural, creative, and social significance of television, radio, and emerging platforms for the professional community and media-interested public. At the center of its She Made It initiative is a unique collection of television and radio programming created by women. This landmark collection will provide a permanent record of the vital contributions female television and radio creators and executives have made to our culture. Over 1,500 hours of programming have been collected to date, compiled both from the Paley Center's existing collection of more than 140,000 programs and from new acquisitions. The She Made It archives are available for viewing and listening at both Paley Center locations in New York and Los Angeles. Public events highlighting the work of leading women in the industry and an interactive website (www.shemadeit.org) support this valuable collection.

About Women In Film Los Angeles (www.wif.org):

Women In Film is a non-profit organization dedicated to helping women achieve their highest potential within the global entertainment, communications 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.

About William Morris Agency (www.wma.com):

Founded in 1898, William Morris Agency (WMA) is the largest and most diversified talent and literary agency in the world, with principal offices in New York, Beverly Hills, Nashville, London, Miami Beach and Shanghai. The Agency represents clients in all segments of the entertainment industry, including Motion Pictures, Television, Music and Personal Appearances, Broadway Theatre and Theatrical Touring, Book Publishing, Commercial Endorsements, Sports Marketing, Corporate Consulting, Digital Media, and Video Games.

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Source: Lifetime Networks

CONTACT: Gary Morgenstein of Lifetime Networks, +1-212-424-7162,
morgenstein@lifetimetv.com

Web Site: http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/
http://www.nywift.org/
http://www.paleycenter.org/
http://www.wif.org/
http://www.wma.com/

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