IFC, Netflix, ELLE, AMC, LACOSTE and Piaget to Serve as Premier Sponsors of the 2009 Film Independent Spirit Awards

IFC, Netflix, ELLE, AMC, LACOSTE and Piaget to Serve as Premier Sponsors of the 2009 Film Independent Spirit Awards

PRINCIPAL SPONSORS INCLUDE ACURA, HEINEKEN, GARNIER AND TOURISM AUSTRALIA

- Official Spirits to Be Provided by G. H. Mumm Champagne and Jameson Irish Whiskey -

LOS ANGELES, Feb. 4 /PRNewswire/ -- Film Independent announced today its sponsors for the 2009 Spirit Awards. Premier Sponsors for the 2009 show are IFC, Netflix, ELLE, AMC, LACOSTE, and Piaget. Principal Sponsors are Acura, Heineken, Garnier, and Tourism Australia. The official spirits of the Spirit Awards will be provided by G. H. Mumm Champagne and Jameson Irish Whiskey. Guests will enjoy Mumm Cordon Rouge champagne and Jameson specialty cocktails, including the Jameson & Ginger. Hotel Shangri-La, Casa Del Mar, and Shutters on the Beach are the Official Host Hotels. Wire Image is the Official Photographer of Film Independent. American Airlines is the Official Airline Partner of Film Independent. ON 3 Productions, the leader in customized gifting experiences backstage at the entertainment industry's most prestigious events, will once again be producing The Official Presenter Gift Lounge and Official Ceremony Gift Bags. FIJI Water is the official water of the Spirit Awards.

The 2009 Film Independent Spirit Awards will take place in a tent on the beach in Santa Monica on Saturday, February 21, 2009. As previously announced, Steve Coogan will serve as Master of Ceremonies. The show airs live beginning at 5:00pm EST and 2:00pm PST on IFC (Independent Film Channel) with an edited re-broadcast later that evening on AMC at 10:00pm EST. IFC.com will deliver up-to-the-minute news and video on the event, including articles, lists, interviews with nominees, and more. In addition, FilmIndependent.org will be streaming live interviews during the red carpet arrivals and from the press room. In addition, winner updates and photos will be added to the site throughout the course of the ceremony.

As Premier Sponsors of the 2009 show, IFC and AMC will co-sponsor a hospitality tent located outside of the entrance to the Main Awards tent. Open from 11:30am - 2:00pm PST, the tent will feature refreshments for guests and plasma screens running Spirit Award show coverage from both networks.

This year, Netflix and Film Independent joined forces to create the "Netflix FIND Your Voice Film Competition" which will award one aspiring first-time filmmaker the means, guidance and resources to make a full length, narrative film. The winner of the competition, who will be determined between now and July 2009, will receive a $150,000 cash production grant and distribution online at Netflix. For more information and to vote on the top ten entries go to Netflix.com/findyourvoice.

Premier Sponsor ELLE magazine will host celebrity presenters, winners, and industry VIPs in the ELLE Green Room - an exclusive backstage lounge where nominees can socialize in a relaxed, casual-chic atmosphere. ELLE is partnering with Garnier and Maybelline New York to offer Swarovski-encrusted gifts to celebrities and nominees, while LACOSTE will be on hand to keep VIPs cool with a sunglass and hat bar. In addition, guests in the lounge will be able to enjoy a full service espresso and coffee bar and lunch served in environmentally friendly lunchboxes courtesy of Acura.

Premier Sponsor AMC is a multi-platform network that celebrates classic movies and high-quality scripted series. AMC defines what it means to be a classic movie network today, creating a distinctive viewing experience that celebrates all that is enduringly cool, personal and powerfully relevant about movies. AMC's comprehensive library of popular movies strikes a meaningful chord with its audience, and its critically-acclaimed slate of originals all have a cinematic quality that allow them to complement and be complemented by some of the best movies of all time. AMC is The Future of Classic.

For the second year now, Premier Sponsor Piaget is bringing a little sparkle to the sand at this year's Spirit Awards, by offering a sneak preview of its newest diamond jewelry and timepiece collections, themed "Limelight Paradise. To ensure that fans around the world can be a part of the festivities, Piaget will award a dazzling diamond pendant to the lucky visitor to piaget.com who correctly guesses the Spirit Award Winners. To further demonstrate its support, Piaget is also establishing the Piaget Producer's Award in recognition of outstanding creative vision and achievement.

Relying on its authentic sports roots, Premier Sponsor LACOSTE represents today a modern lifestyle, unique and of high quality through a wide range of products for men, women, actors, and children: sports and leisure apparel, footwear, fragrances, leather goods, eyewear, watches, home textiles and belts. LACOSTE is more a style than a brand and has become a worldwide symbol of relaxed elegance. For more information, please visit www.lacoste.com.

As a Principal Partner, Acura will feature the TL performance luxury sedan on site at the show. Acura offers a full line of technologically advanced performance luxury vehicles through a network of 271 dealers within the United States. The 2009 Acura lineup features five distinctive models including the RL luxury performance sedan, the TL performance luxury sedan, the TSX sports sedan, the turbo charged RDX luxury crossover SUV and the award-winning MDX luxury sport utility vehicle. For additional information about Acura vehicles, please visit www.acura.com. For media inquiries, please visit www.acuranews.com.

As a Principal Sponsor, Heineken and Heineken Premium Light will be the exclusive beers served backstage in the Heineken Lounge and at all of the Spirit Awards bars. Heineken is excited salute the independent film industry by being the official beer of the Spirit Awards for the second year in a row.

Principal Sponsor Garnier, who has partnered with ELLE magazine, will provide VIP guests with the latest Garnier Nutritioniste skincare products, and new Garnier Fructis Wonder Waves hair care products, in the ELLE green room. Guests will also take away gifts from Garnier and sister company Maybelline New York.

As a new principal sponsor, Tourism Australia, invites guests to "Come Walkabout." The national tourist board's special new campaign, conceived by indie fave Baz Luhrmann, states that, "Sometimes you need to lose yourself, to find yourself." In Australia, they call this going "walkabout." Guests will be invited to do their own Aussie walkabout on site where they can share a bevvie or two with the friendly Aussies at an Outback pub, pet a live Kangaroo and lounge around with the new crew in town from Australia's newest trans-pacific airline, V Australia. Part of the Virgin Blue group, V Australia will be promoting their new services to Sydney and Brisbane from Los Angeles with exclusive offers and two business class tickets to Sydney up for grabs - both on site and at Australia.com.

Pernod Ricard USA is proud to serve Spirit Awards guests the official spirits G. H. Mumm Champagne and Jameson Irish Whiskey. As the second largest premium spirits and wine company in the U.S., and the largest subsidiary of Paris, France-based Pernod Ricard SA, Pernod Ricard USA's leading brands include such prestigious spirits as ABSOLUT, The Glenlivet Single Malt Scotch Whisky, Chivas Regal Scotch Whisky, Wild Turkey Bourbon, Seagrams Extra Dry Gin, Beefeater Gin, Plymouth Gin, Martell Cognac, Malibu Flavored Rum, Kahlua Liqueur, Hiram Walker Liqueurs, Pernod and Ricard; such superior wines as Jacob's Creek and Brancott Estate; and such exquisite champagnes and sparkling wines as Perrier-Jouet Champagne, and Mumm Napa Sparkling Wines. Pernod Ricard USA urges all adults to consume its products responsibly and has an active campaign to promote responsible drinking. For more information on this, please visit: www.acceptresponsibility.org.

FIJI Water is the official water of the 2009 Independent Spirit Awards and has been nominated to hydrate the best and the brightest of the film industry. FIJI Water, a natural artesian water bottled at the source in Viti Levu (Fiji islands), is the #1 premium bottled water in the United States known for its refreshing taste and soft mouth feel. A product of one of the last virgin ecosystems on the planet, FIJI Water will be served in its pristine form all throughout the awards - from the tables during the ceremony, to the bars in the main tent and backstage. We're proud to support Film Independent and their recognition of this year's nominees.

For more information about this year's Spirit Awards, go to SpiritAwards.com.

ABOUT FILM INDEPENDENT'S SPIRIT AWARDS

Film Independent's Spirit Awards is a celebration honoring films made by filmmakers who embody independence and who dare to challenge the status quo. Televised in millions of homes and covered internationally by the press, Film Independent's Spirit Awards has become the vanguard event in independent film, recognizing the achievements of independent filmmakers and promoting independent film to a wider audience.

Awards are given in the following categories: Best Feature, Best First Feature, John Cassavetes Award (given to the best feature made for a budget under $500,000), Best Director, Best Screenplay, Best First Screenplay, Best Male Lead, Best Female Lead, Best Supporting Male, Best Supporting Female, Best Cinematography, Best Foreign Film, Best Documentary, and the Robert Altman Award (given to one film's director, casting director, and its ensemble cast).

Last year's major category winners were Fox Searchlight Pictures' Juno, which won Best Feature, Best Female Lead (Ellen Page), and Best First Screenplay (Diablo Cody), The Savages, which won Best Male Lead (Philip Seymour Hoffman), and Best Screenplay (Tamara Jenkins), and Once which won Best Foreign Film; and Miramax Films' The Diving Bell and the Butterfly, which won Best Director (Julian Schnabel), and Best Cinematography (Janusz Kaminski), and The Lookout, which won Best First Feature. August Evening received the John Cassavetes Award for the Best Feature made for under $500,000.

ABOUT FILM INDEPENDENT

Film Independent is a non-profit membership organization that champions independent film and supports a community of artists who embody diversity, innovation, and uniqueness of vision. Film Independent helps filmmakers make their movies, builds the audience for their projects, and works to diversify the film industry. Anyone passionate about film can become a member, whether you are a filmmaker, film industry leader, or a film lover.

With over 250 annual screenings and events, Film Independent provides access to a network of like-minded artists who are driving creativity in the film industry. Film Independent also offers free Filmmaker Labs for selected writers, directors, and producers; provides cut-rate services for filmmakers; and presents year-round networking opportunities. Film Independent's mentorship and job placement program, Project:Involve, pairs emerging culturally-diverse filmmakers with film industry professionals.

Film Independent produces the Los Angeles Film Festival, celebrating the best of American and international cinema, and the Spirit Awards, a celebration honoring films and filmmakers that embody independence and dare to challenge the status quo.

For more information or to become a member, visit FilmIndependent.org

Source: Film Independent

CONTACT: Elise Freimuth of Film Independent, +1-310-432-1287,
EFreimuth@FilmIndependent.org; or Shari Mesulam of mPRm Public Relations,
+1-323-933-3399, SMesulam@mprm.com, for Film Independent

Web Site: http://filmindependent.org/

-------
Profile: intent