First Winner of Chrysler Million Dollar Film Festival Begins Production This Week in Virginia

LOS ANGELES--Oct. 1, 20034, 2003--

Hypnotic is the Producer of Director Jeff Wadlow's Feature Film Debut, "Living The Lie"

Filmmaker Jeff Wadlow, winner of the 2002 Chrysler Million Dollar Film Festival, began production this week on his feature film directorial debut, "Living The Lie." Based on Wadlow's Chrysler Million Dollar Film Festival winning entry, the film will be shot in Richmond, VA, and is being produced by Hypnotic, in partnership with the Chrysler brand, and distributed by Universal Pictures.

Noted casting director Fern Champion ("Beverly Hills, 90210", "The Mask"), often credited with discovering Cameron Diaz, has assisted Wadlow and writing/producing partner Beau Bauman in searching for breakout talent to join the cast. Actors already on-set and ready to begin shooting their scenes include Julian Morris (Royal Shakespeare Company, "Young Arthur," upcoming "WhirlyGirl"), Lindy Booth ("Dawn of the Dead") and Jared Padalecki ("The Gilmore Girls," soon to be released "New York Minute," upcoming "Flight of the Phoenix" with Dennis Quaid). Hypnotic plans to premiere the feature release in the spring of 2004.

"The start of production -- whether it's for a new car or a new film -- is always an exciting moment for any project," said Bonita Stewart, Director of Chrysler Brand Communications, DaimlerChrysler. "That is doubly true in the case of "Living The Lie because Jeff Wadlow's film will also include our all-new Chrysler PT Cruiser Convertible, which goes into production next year."

"I'm grateful for the overwhelmingly positive response during the pre-production and casting of "Living The Lie," including the generosity of companies like Panavision, Technicolor, Efilm, Kodak and Avid," said director Jeff Wadlow. "I am thrilled to see everything coming together and I can't wait to get back on-set."

"Living The Lie" is a psychological thriller that focuses on a group of precocious boarding school seniors who spend their free time playing a mysterious game of lies. When a savvy transfer student falls head over heels for the group's beautiful and enigmatic leader, he readily accepts her invitation to join their secret society. Once the stakes are raised and the lies become personal, the worlds of fiction and reality come crashing together with disastrous ramifications. Ultimately a morality tale, "Living The Lie" is a modern day retelling of "the boy who cried wolf" that proves nobody believes a liar...even when he's telling the truth.

"Jeff Wadlow tapped all his creativity, talent and energy to win the 2002 Chrysler Million Dollar Film Festival, then really dedicated himself to perfecting his screenplay and getting everything ready for production," said Doug Liman, co-chairman, Hypnotic, and director of "The Bourne Identity," "Swingers," "Go!" and the upcoming "Mr. and Mrs. Smith." "Now he's entering the fun part, where vision begins to meet realization, and we are confident the project will be a big hit."

A large portion of "Living The Lie" will be shot at the picturesque University of Richmond campus. The film, which has greatly benefited from the Virginia Film Commission's assistance and generosity, will be shot in 22 days, then wrap on November 3.

The 2003 installment of the Chrysler Million Dollar Film Festival program began in January with the submission of over 700 short films. Twenty-five filmmakers were selected to participate in an online competition during which consumers had an opportunity to view and rate the films. From this round, ten filmmakers traveled to New York City for the Extreme Filmmaking Competition, during which they had to cast, shoot, edit and premiere a five-minute Chrysler branded short film in only 10 days. Five finalists were then chosen to develop a feature film package including a five-minute scene featuring either the Chrysler Pacifica or the all-new Chrysler Crossfire sports coupe. In early September in Toronto, Andrew Mudge was announced as the winner of the 2003 competition and awarded a $1,000,000 production deal courtesy of Chrysler, Hypnotic and Universal Pictures. He plans to begin production on his film, "The P.T. Johansen Field Guide To North American Monsters," in mid 2004.

Hypnotic launched the Chrysler Million Dollar Film Festival in 2001 in association with the Chrysler brand and Universal Pictures.

About Hypnotic

Hypnotic is a New York and Los Angeles-based branded entertainment company with a proven track record in traditional television and film development, entertainment marketing, and the distribution of short films and animations. The Company is leading the industry in developing brand-based content and marketing programs for the world's most innovative advertisers. Hypnotic 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.

Visit DaimlerChrysler's Media Services web site at www.media.daimlerchrysler.com.

Visit the Chrysler Million Dollar Film Festival's web site at www.chrysler.com/filmfest.