Chrysler Million Dollar Film Festival Brings Million Dollar Filmmaking Competition to Santa Barbara International Film Festival

    SANTA BARBARA, Calif.--(ENTERTAINMENT WIRE)--March 1, 2002--The Chrysler Million Dollar Film Festival, a year-long event that gives filmmakers the opportunity to compete for a $1,000,000 feature film production deal courtesy of the Chrysler brand, Hypnotic and Universal Pictures, arrives in Santa Barbara this week, poised to identify Hollywood's next great emerging filmmaker.
    During the Santa Barbara International Film Festival, the Chrysler Million Dollar Film Festival will sponsor "A Salute to Anjelica Houston," on Friday, March 1, 5:30 p.m. and a symposium, "It Starts With The Script," on Saturday, March 2, 11:00 a.m. Both will be at the historic Arlington Theatre. The Chrysler Million Dollar Film Festival will also be providing local radio stations with hundreds of tickets to individual screenings for giveaway to lucky winners.
    Chrysler vehicles will be on display within the theatre's courtyard, including a customized Chrysler PT Cruiser featuring artwork from Alanis Morissette's new album "Under Rug Swept." The vehicle was painted specifically for her acoustic performance that helped kick off the competition at the Chrysler Lodge in Park City, UT, at the same time as the Sundance Film Festival.
    The Chrysler Million Dollar Film Festival will also host a Filmmaker Lounge at the Hotel Santa Barbara for the duration of the festival, where VIPs, filmmakers, producers and invited guests can relax and learn more about the competition.
    February 28 was the deadline for film submissions to the Chrysler Million Dollar Film Festival. Submissions were generated from the Chrysler brand's Web site www.Chrysler.com, where Hypnotic is now identifying 25 filmmakers to participate in an online screening competition called "View, Vote and Win." Beginning March 14, consumers can view and rate the 25 films screening at www.Chrysler.com. During that phase of the competition, those who view and vote are eligible to win daily prizes.
    Later in the year, 10 semi-finalists will be selected from the list of 25 to participate in an Extreme Filmmaking Competition at the same time as the Cannes Film Festival, which is scheduled for May 15-26. Set against the French Riviera at the same time as the most prestigious film festival in the world, these 10 semi-finalist filmmakers must script, cast, shoot, and edit a five minute short film that will co-star a Chrysler vehicle. The films will be premiered and judged by a Blue Ribbon panel of judges at Cannes.
    Following Santa Barbara, the Chrysler Million Dollar Film Festival heads to the South by Southwest Film Festival in Austin, TX in March, followed by stops at the country's top film festivals throughout the year. For more information and to vote for a short film, visit www.Chrysler.com.
    The Chrysler Million Dollar Film Festival, a multi-year partnership with entertainment company Hypnotic, kicked off January 11, 2002 in Park City, UT at the same time as the Sundance Film Festival.
    Hypnotic is an entertainment and marketing services company that leverages its relationships with emerging filmmakers to acquire, develop, produce and distribute independent films, episodic content and television properties, as well as commercials, sponsored productions and events for advertisers and brands looking to target the 18-34 year-old demographic. The company has developed relationships with thousands of emerging filmmakers and manages one of the world's largest libraries of short films and animations, which it distributes to domestic and international television, movie theaters, airlines, hotels, pay-per-view, and broadband channels. The company's major investors include Vivendi Universal, Knowledge Universe, Dresdner Kleinwort Wasserstein, Windsor Media and Entertainment Media Ventures.