Chrysler Million Dollar Film Festival Launches 2003 Competition in Park City, Utah.

Business/Entertainment Editors

LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 8, 2003

Competition Brings Aspiring Filmmakers Together with Film Industry

Execs and Chrysler Designers for a Branded Entertainment Workshop

The Chrysler brand, in partnership with Hypnotic

and Universal Pictures, arrives in Park City, Utah, on January 17 to promote and celebrate the second annual Chrysler Million Dollar Film Festival (Chrysler MDFF). The 2003 edition of this year-long program offers emerging filmmakers the opportunity to win a $1,000,000 feature film production deal courtesy of the Chrysler brand, Hypnotic and Universal Pictures and marks one of the automotive industry's strongest commitments to filmed entertainment.

Hundreds of qualified short films were received for consideration. From these submissions, twenty-five (25) quarterfinalist filmmakers were selected to travel to Park City, Utah, where they will participate in a Branded Entertainment Workshop on January 18 and powerful networking events with Chrysler executives and film industry heavyweights from around the globe. These events kick off the development of a Chrysler-branded short film script.

"The Chrysler Million Dollar Film Festival has proven to be an excellent platform for Chrysler to reach a young, creative audience and we are thrilled to meet and educate this year's quarterfinalists in Park City," said Bonita Coleman Stewart, Director, Chrysler Marketing Communications, DaimlerChrysler. "The program not only strengthens our company's continued commitment to arts and education but gives Chrysler the opportunity to showcase our newest vehicles in a hip, nontraditional environment."

View, Vote & Win

On January 16, the Chrysler Million Dollar Film Festival launches "View, Vote & Win," a two-month online competition where consumers can view and rate the 25 quarterfinalists' films at www.chrysler.com/filmfest. At the site, film buffs can enter to win a trip for two to New York City in May 2003 for the Extreme Filmmaking Competition. The winner who travels to New York City will serve as a judge of the Extreme Filmmaking Competition phase of the program.

Filmmaking Competition

From this phase, ten (10) filmmakers will be selected to travel to New York City, where they will have ten days to cast, shoot, edit and premiere their original five-minute Chrysler-branded short films. The final round of the filmmaking competition requires the five finalists, while living in Los Angeles and being 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. The feature film competition concludes in September 2003 in Toronto, where the finalists will pitch their projects and the winner will be announced.

Chrysler Lounge in Park City, Utah

Bringing a new platform of entertainment and design to Park City, Utah, branded entertainment production company Hypnotic, opens the Chrysler Lounge on Friday, January 17 to celebrate the 2003 Chrysler Million Dollar Film Festival. This will serve as the first time the quarterfinalists are exposed to the all-new 2004 Chrysler Crossfire and Chrysler Pacifica. The Chrysler Lounge will be located at 596 Main Street and will showcase the twenty-five quarterfinalist filmmakers, the work of the 2002 Chrysler MDFF winner, Jeff Wadlow, a photo exhibition of the new Chrysler Crossfire and Pacifica and a retreat for celebrities. The venue will also play host to a series of events and musical performances, celebrating the art of filmmaking, filmmakers and the filmmaking competition. A fleet of Chrysler PT Cruisers will be available as a shuttle service for all VIP guests.

2003 Chrysler MDFF Quarterfinalists

The twenty-five (25) quarterfinalist filmmakers selected to enter the next phase of the program and participate in the branded entertainment workshop and View, Vote & Win competition, are:

1.  Tracey D'Arcy (Los Angeles, CA) - Another Life
2.  Marshall Lewy (New York, NY) - Balkanization
3.  Ernst Gossner (Los Angeles, CA) - Bar Time
4.  Patrick Downs (New York, NY) - Broken
5.  Victor Buhler (Los Angeles, CA) - Chaperone
6.  Terry Rietta (Los Angeles, CA) - Crank Calls
7.  Jeremy Passmore (Los Angeles, CA) - Crossing
8.  Yon Motskin (New York, NY) - The Cutman
9.  Vince DiMeglio (Los Angeles, CA) - Fits and Starts
10. Tanja Mairitsch (Los Angeles, CA) - Fueling the Fire
11. Cosmo Segurson (Los Angeles, CA) - The Green Sheik
12. Joseph Guerrieri (Los Angeles, CA) - The Jackalope
13. Jim Stedman (Austin, TX) - Jason and the High Cost of Electricity
14. Paul Cotter (Chicago, IL) - Jeff Farnsworth
15. Gerardo Naranjo (Los Angeles, CA) - The Last Attack of the Beast
16. Lowell Frank/Destin Cretton (San Diego, CA)
     - Longbranch: A Suburban Parable
17. Chase Palmer (New York, NY) - Neo-Noir
18. Robin Larsen (Los Angeles, CA) - Out of Habit
19. Todd (J.T.) Walker (New York, NY) - Passengers
20. Andrew Mudge (New York, NY) - The Perfect Gooseys
21. Stephen Marro (New York, NY) - The Quality of Mercy
22. Scott Perry (Los Angeles, CA) - Side Effects
23. Kevin Burke (Los Angeles, CA) - Sit and Spin
24. Daniel Milder, Josh Weinstein, John Viener (New York, NY)
     - The Support Group
25. David Rosenthal (Los Angeles, CA) - Waiting for Anna

Hypnotic developed the Chrysler Million Dollar Film Festival, which it produces in association with New York-based Arnell Group and BBDO Detroit.

About Hypnotic

Hypnotic is an entertainment production and distribution company that leverages its relationships with emerging filmmakers and leading brands to acquire, develop, produce, market and distribute independent film and television properties. 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, pay-per-view, video-on-demand and broadband channels. The company's major investor's include Vivendi Universal, Knowledge Universe, Dresdner Kleinwort Wasserstein, Windsor Media and Entertainment Media Ventures. Hypnotic maintains offices in New York and Los Angeles and is a division of Enigma Media, Inc. Hypnotic's website is www.hypnotic.com.

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.