The 10 short films produced during the Extreme Filmmaking phase of the Chrysler Million Dollar Film Festival premiere June 11 online at www.chrysler.com/filmfest. Each Chrysler-branded film features the brand new 2004 Chrysler Pacifica sports tourer and/or the 2004 Chrysler Crossfire sports coupe. Film buffs can visit the site through August 3 and vote on their favorite film. After the votes are tallied, the most popular film will be granted the "Viewer's Choice Award" and one voter, chosen at random, will win a trip for two to Los Angeles this summer to visit the filmmakers at the Chrysler House and tour Universal Studios. During the Extreme Filmmaking Competition in New York City May 1-10, the 10 semifinalist filmmakers put their talent into overdrive in an adrenaline-fueled race against the clock. Blending speed with performance, and style with precision, each filmmaker had just 10 days to cast, shoot, edit and premiere a short film. The 10 extreme films available online and eligible for the Viewer's Choice Award include:
1. Victor Buhler (London, England) - "One Man's Castle"
2. Kevin Burke (Pittsburgh, PA) - "One Ring Circus"
3. Paul Cotter (Brighton, England) - "Last Hand Standing"
4. Ernst Gossner (Brixlegg, Austria) - "Otto and Anna"
5. Tanja Mairitsch (Vienna, Austria) - "The Fortune Teller"
6. Stephen Marro (New York City, NY) - "Delivery Boy"
7. Andrew Mudge (Sherborn, MA) - "Gabriel y Gato"
8. Scott Perry (Lafayette, LA) - "008"
9. Terry Rietta (Austin, TX) - "The Day I Became A Man"
10. Jim Stedman (San Antonio, TX) - "Charles Gillpatrick: Front Desk Clerk" Five finalists were chosen by a blue-ribbon panel of industry professionals at a standing-room-only premiere on May 10 in New York. The finalists, Victor Buhler, Paul Cotter, Tanja Mairitsch, Stephen Marro and Andrew Mudge will now advance to the next phase of the Chrysler Million Dollar Film Festival this summer in Los Angeles where they will compete for the grand prize - a $1,000,000 feature film production deal courtesy of Chrysler, Hypnotic and Universal Pictures. In the final stage, the Feature Film Competition, the five finalists will live together at the Chrysler House in Los Angeles while they each develop a feature film production package in partnership with an entertainment industry mentor. Working from offices on the Universal Studios lot, the filmmakers enjoy access to props, sets, costumes, soundstages, and other valuable production resources from the Universal Studios Operations Group. The feature film production package includes a working script, proposed cast, shooting schedule, budget, movie poster and a fully produced scene from the script. In September, the finalists travel to Toronto, where they will pitch their projects to a judging panel and the winner will be awarded the $1,000,000 production deal. The Chrysler Million Dollar Film Festival is a partnership between Chrysler, Hypnotic and Universal Pictures, and is one of the largest branded entertainment campaigns in the auto industry. About Hypnotic
Hypnotic is a New York and Los Angeles based branded entertainment company with a track record in traditional television and film development, entertainment marketing, and the distribution of short films and animations. Hypnotic says it offers its brand and agency clients a fully integrated solution, from entertainment strategy and creative development, to the production and distribution of branded content and programs. Investors include Vivendi Universal, Knowledge Universe, Dresdner Kleinwort Wasserstein and Windsor Media.