Chrysler Million Dollar Film Festival Selects Semifinalist Filmmakers; 10 Aspiring Filmmakers Advance to the Extreme Filmmaking Competition in New York City

    NEW YORK--March 17, 2003--The Chrysler Million Dollar Film Festival (Chrysler MDFF) is about to get extreme as it heads into the semifinalist phase of the competition in New York City.
    The year-long competition - presented by the Chrysler brand, in partnership with Hypnotic and Universal Pictures - announced its 10 semifinalist filmmakers today. The emerging filmmakers are vying for the opportunity to win a $1,000,000 feature film production deal.
    The Extreme Filmmaking phase of the Chrysler MDFF begins in May in New York City. While in New York, the semifinalist filmmakers will have 10 days to cast, shoot, edit and premiere their original five-minute Chrysler-branded short films, featuring either the 2004 Chrysler Crossfire sports coupe or Chrysler Pacifica sports tourer.
    "The Extreme Filmmaking Competition will put the filmmakers' production and directing skills to the test in a city where patience and time management are often challenged," said Bonita Stewart, Director, Chrysler Group Marketing Communications, DaimlerChrysler. "It's going to be an exciting ten days."
    Throughout the competition, the filmmakers will participate in branded entertainment discussions as well as various events celebrating independent filmmaking. At the culmination of the Extreme Filmmaking Competition in New York City the semifinalists will premiere their short films to an audience of film enthusiasts. At the premiere, a judging panel consisting of industry executives, media and esteemed filmmakers will decide which five filmmakers will advance to the Feature Film Competition.
    The Feature Film Competition requires the five finalists to live together in Los Angeles and work out of their own office on the Universal Pictures lot, while mentored by entertainment industry executives, to develop a $1,000,000 feature film package. This package includes the production of a movie scene, poster and other promotional materials relating to their project. This final competition concludes in September 2003 in Toronto, where the finalists will pitch their projects to a judging panel and the winner is announced.
    "The Chrysler MDFF marks one of the automotive industry's strongest commitments to filmed entertainment," said Stewart. "This unique film festival has proven to be an excellent platform for Chrysler to reach a young, creative audience and we are anxiously anticipating working with this talented group of filmmakers and viewing their Chrysler-branded films."

    2003 Chrysler MDFF Semifinalists

    The 10 semifinalist filmmakers, their hometowns and their Chrysler-branded scripts are:

    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) - "Future Car"
    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"

    Clips of the 10 semifinalist films are available online at www.chrysler.com/filmfest.

    About Hypnotic

    Hypnotic, a New York and Los Angeles based branded entertainment production company, leverages its relationships in Hollywood to create lucrative opportunities for both filmmakers and Fortune 500 companies alike. The Company nurtures its association with emerging filmmakers to acquire, develop, produce and distribute feature films, episodic series and television properties, commercials, sponsored productions as well as multi-tiered marketing programs for advertisers and brands. The Company's major investors include Vivendi Universal, Knowledge Universe, Dresdner Kleinwort Wasserstein, Windsor Media and Entertainment Media Ventures.

    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.