ELLE, Piaget, Jameson® Irish Whiskey, Audi & IFC to Serve as Premier Sponsors of the 2012 Film Independent Spirit Awards

ELLE, Piaget, Jameson® Irish Whiskey, Audi & IFC to Serve as Premier Sponsors of the 2012 Film Independent Spirit Awards

Principal Sponsors Include Stella Artois & Nokia

Premiere broadcast to air exclusively on IFC on Saturday, February 25 at 10:00 pm ET/PT

LOS ANGELES, Feb. 22, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Film Independent, the non-profit arts organization that produces the Spirit Awards and the Los Angeles Film Festival, announced its sponsors for the 2012 Film Independent Spirit Awards, which will be held in a tent at Santa Monica beach on Saturday, February 25, 2012. Returning sponsors at the Premier level include ELLE, Piaget, Jameson® Irish Whiskey, IFC, with new sponsor Audi of America joining the event. Stella Artois and new sponsor Nokia serve at the Principal level. Onitsuka Tiger is the Official Gift Bag and Staff Gear Sponsor. WireImage is the Official Photographer, American Airlines is the Official Airline Partner and PR Newswire is the Official Breaking News Service of Film Independent. On 3 Productions, the leader in customized gifting experiences backstage at the entertainment industry's most prestigious events, returns to produce the Official Presenter Gift Lounge and Official Ceremony Gift Bags. The Official Water of the Spirit Awards is FIJI Water.

As previously announced, the awards ceremony will premiere later that evening at 10:00 pm ET/PT exclusively on IFC, with actor, writer and producer Seth Rogen serving as host of the ceremony.

ELLE is a proud Premier Sponsor of the 2012 Film Independent Spirit Awards for the sixth consecutive year. ELLE continues to support the Spirit Awards and the independent filmmakers they honor. Each year the nominees redefine boundaries with their creativity, personal style, and brilliance -- the very embodiment of ELLE's brand mission.

For the fifth year now, Premier Sponsor Piaget is pleased to lend its support to independence, and to bring sparkle to the event by offering a sneak preview of its newest diamond jewelry and timepiece collections, themed "Limelight Garden Party 2." To further demonstrate its backing, Piaget is also proud to support the Piaget Producers Award in recognition of outstanding creative vision and achievement.

As a third year Premier Sponsor, Jameson® Irish Whiskey will serve the signature Jameson & Ginger specialty cocktail on the red carpet as guests arrive. Additionally, Jameson is a proud sponsor of the FIND Your Audience Filmmaker Grant, which makes it possible for filmmakers to find a broader audience for their work. As hosts of the Jameson® Backstage Lounge, Jameson will also be featured in all backstage tents at the Spirit Awards, and a bottle of Jameson will be placed on each table for attendees to enjoy during the show.

Audi is proud to support the Film Independent Spirit Awards as an inaugural Premier Partner. The brand is a committed friend to the worlds of art, culture and entertainment and is honored to be involved in recognizing some of the greatest independent talent in the film industry. Synonymous with cutting edge design and impeccable performance, the Audi lineup includes a full roster of German-engineered luxury vehicles. Audi is among the most successful luxury automotive brands in the world and in 2011 broke all-time company sales records in the U.S. For more information, visit www.audiusa.com or www.audiusanews.com.

Stella Artois is proud to be the official beer sponsor of the Film Independent Spirit Awards for the third year. Stella Artois is a long-time supporter of independent film and film festivals across the country. Guests on the red carpet and inside the Spirit Awards will have the opportunity to enjoy a Stella Artois, the best-selling Belgian beer in the world. With origins dating back to 1366, Stella Artois originally was originally brewed to celebrate the holidays, and it was named Stella (Latin for "star") for its exceptional clarity. Stella Artois should always be poured into its signature Chalice and served using the cherished Belgian Pouring Ritual to accentuate the lager's golden color, crisp flavor and refreshing finish. Visit www.stellaartois.com for more information.

Nokia, a global leader in mobile phone design, has long been committed to the global film industry and is proud to be the new principal sponsor of the 2012 Film Independent Spirit Awards. Nokia's dedication to design, independence, and creativity will be brought to life by a collection of personal interviews utilizing the Nokia Lumia 800 smartphone. These films will be released to the public on the Spirit Awards website prior to the ceremony. Additionally, Nokia has partnered with Film Independent to present the prestigious Nokia Truer Than Fiction Award, which honors a documentary filmmaker who has not yet received appropriate recognition. Nokia will be providing the Nokia Truer Than Fiction Award winner with a $25,000 unrestricted grant to further develop their career.

The Hollywood Reporter is proud to return as a media partner of the Film Independent Spirit Awards. THR will be backstage with all the winners in the THR photo and video suite getting reactions and exclusive interviews. Coverage from throughout the evening can be found at THR.com. The Hollywood Reporter is the entertainment industry's flagship news media brand. Named Entertainment Publication of the Year by the LA Press Club in 2011, THR leads the category in providing breaking news, feature stories and industry analysis to readers of its glossy print edition as well as to 10.4 million unique monthly visitors online.

HitFix is pleased to be the official sponsor of the 2012 Film Independent Spirit Awards Nominee Screener Program. HitFix (www.HitFix.com) is changing the way entertainment choices are made, promoting independent thinking for the independently great. HitFix brings the world of entertainment to fans of film, music and television by uniquely combining exceptional original editorial content with innovative technology. HitFix's impressive roster of tastemaker journalists rank among the top critics in the U.S. and feature Greg Ellwood, Drew McWeeny, Alan Sepinwall, Daniel Fienberg, Melinda Newman, Katie Hasty, Liane Bonin Starr, Kris Tapley and Guy Lodge. HitFix?s proprietary calendar, social media, mobile apps and casual games allow millions of fans to discover what's next and manage their entertainment lifestyle.

Onitsuka Tiger, the Original Japanese Sport-Fashion Brand, is proud to be a sponsor of the Film Independent Spirit Awards. The brand continually supports the arts, music, and film and is thrilled to be the official gifting bag of the 2012 Spirit Awards. Dating back to 1949, Kihachiro Onitsuka realized in his native Kobe, Japan that the country's youth needed direction and inspiration. He believed the best way to accomplish this was through sport. In 2001, ASICS America Corporation resurrected the Onitsuka Tiger brand with original models updated in today's energetic colors and fresh silhouettes. Onitsuka Tiger can be found worldwide, including New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, Seattle, Paris, Berlin, London, Milan, Tokyo, and other select cities. Visit www.onitsukatiger.com for more insight on the brand and its products.

Intel Corporation and Toshiba America Information Systems, Inc., Digital Products Division are proud to sponsor the 2012 Film Independent Spirit Awards Arrivals Show on Yahoo! As sponsors, Intel and Toshiba will showcase its newest technologies during the online Arrivals Show in the form of Toshiba's award winning Ultrabook(TM)--the Portege Z830 featuring 2nd Generation Intel® Core processors. The Ultrabook will serve as the social media bridge for viewers of the live webcast to ask questions of the various nominees and presenters walking the carpet. The livestream will be available only on Yahoo! Movies at 11:00 am PT/2:00 pm ET.

For more information on submission guidelines, voting and the history of the Spirit Awards, please visit SpiritAwards.com.

ABOUT THE FILM INDEPENDENT SPIRIT AWARDS

Now in its 27th year, the Film Independent Spirit Awards is an annual celebration honoring artist-driven films made with an economy of means by filmmakers who embody independence and originality. The Spirit Awards recognizes the achievements of American independent filmmakers and promotes the finest independent films of the year to a wider audience.

Awards are given in the following categories: Best Feature, Best First Feature, Best First Screenplay, Best Director, Best Screenplay, John Cassavetes Award (given to the best feature made for a budget under $500,000), Best Male Lead, Best Female Lead, Best Supporting Male, Best Supporting Female, Best Cinematography, Best International Film, Best Documentary, and the Robert Altman Award. The Filmmaker Grants include the Piaget Producers Award, Audi Someone to Watch Award, Nokia Truer Than Fiction Award and Jameson FIND Your Audience Award.

The Film Independent Spirit Awards are sponsored by Premier Sponsors ELLE, Piaget, Jameson® Irish Whiskey, Audi of America and IFC, and Principal Sponsors Stella Artois and Nokia. Onitsuka Tiger is the Official Gift Bag and Staff Gear Sponsor. WireImage is the Official Photographer, American Airlines is the Official Airline Partner and PR Newswire is the Official Breaking News Service of Film Independent.

ABOUT FILM INDEPENDENT

Film Independent is a non-profit arts 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 an audience for their projects, and works to diversify the film industry. Film Independent's Board of Directors, filmmakers, staff, and constituents, is comprised of an inclusive community of individuals across ability, age, ethnicity, gender, race, and sexual orientation. Anyone passionate about film can become a member, whether you are a filmmaker, industry professional, or a film lover.

Film Independent produces the Spirit Awards, the annual celebration honoring artist-driven films and recognizing the finest achievements of American independent filmmakers. Film Independent also produces the Los Angeles Film Festival, showcasing the best of American and international cinema and the Film Independent at LACMA Film Series, a year-round, weekly program that offers unique cinematic experiences for the Los Angeles creative community and the general public.

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's Artist Development program offers free Labs for selected writers, directors, producers and documentary filmmakers and presents year-round networking opportunities. Project Involve is Film Independent's signature program dedicated to fostering the careers of talented filmmakers from communities traditionally underrepresented in the film industry.

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

SOURCE Film Independent

Film Independent

CONTACT: Elise Freimuth of Film Independent, +1-310-432-1287, efreimuth@filmindependent.org or Gina Lang of Ginsberg/Libby, +1-323-645-6800, gina.lang@ginsberglibby.com

Web Site: http://www.filmindependent.org

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