2011 Vail Film Festival Announces Official Sponsors

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact:

Alycia Cavadi, Momentum Media PR

Alycia@momentummediapr.com

(617) 875-5553

2011 VAIL FILM FESTIVAL ANNOUNCES OFFICIAL SPONSORS

Presenting Sponsor Cadillac to Launch “Short Series” In-Vehicle Entertainment

Vail, CO., March 21, 2011 – The Vail Film Festival, in partnership with the Colorado Film Institute, is pleased to welcome Cadillac as presenting sponsor of the 2011 Festival. Hitting the slopes from March 31st – April 3rd, 2011 at America’s top-rated ski resort in Vail, Colorado, this year’s festival will showcase 67 films from around the world, and honor celebrity tribute award recipients Kate Bosworth, Michael Imperioli, and Josh Lucas for their outstanding work in film.

Throughout the festival weekend, pass holders will enjoy film screenings, red carpet

ceremonies and parties, panel discussions, entrance into the festival’s hospitality lounge, live music featuring Grammy-winning musicians from Los Angeles’s famed Hotel Café, and the annual awards ceremony recognizing leaders in the film industry on Saturday, April 2nd.

New to this year’s program is the “Cadillac Short Series,” the only Festival “venue” in which the public will be invited to view festival programming from the comfort of a 2011 Cadillac Escalade, a 2011 CTS Wagon, and a 2011 SRX, in the middle of Solaris Plaza. The Cadillac Short Series will feature short films screened on the vehicles’ deluxe interior entertainment systems throughout the 2011 Festival weekend.

The beautiful new Sebastian hotel in Vail Village will serve not only as the official hotel for the 2011 Vail Film Festival, but as one of the main screening venues and the festival’s hub. The Sebastian will host the hospitality lounge, the Opening and Closing Night parties, and provide attendees with a base camp for all festival activities thanks to its central location in Vail Village. Offering more than just a visit to the movies, Cinebistro, Vail’s premiere dining and theater experience in the Solaris complex will be another main screening venue for the Festival, and will offer pass holders the height of luxury and comfort during their festival experience, complete with leather seats and premium cocktails.

Version:1.0 StartHTML:0000000149 EndHTML:0000001296 StartFragment:0000000199 EndFragment:0000001262 StartSelection:0000000199 EndSelection:0000001262 In partnership with Olympus Imaging America Inc. <http://www.olympusamerica.com/> , the 2011 Vail Film Festival is also pleased to welcome back the 48 Hour film contest to the festival’s program. The Olympus PEN Your Short 48 Hour Film Contest will kick off on Thursday, March 31, 2011 at 11:00AM MT, followed by a period of 48 hours where registered filmmakers will be asked to create a short film using the new Olympus PEN® camera. All short films must be submitted by Saturday, April 2, 2011 at 10:59AM MT. Films submitted by this deadline will be screened on Saturday afternoon in the Cadillac Screening Room at Cinebistro. The contest winner will be announced during the Saturday evening Awards Ceremony. The winning team will receive $5,000, Olympus PEN Equipment, VIP Passes to the 2012 Festival, and a private meeting with a Hollywood film producer.

In partnership with premier sponsor EpicMix, a $10,000 cash prize will be awarded to Bobby Willis of Minneapolis, MN during the 2011 Vail Film Festival closing night award ceremony for his winning 30-second EpicMix commercial. The commercial was submitted to The Vail Film Festival’s EpicMix Ad Contest in February, and out of the top ten finalists, received the greatest number of YouTube “likes,” which determined the winner.

Headlining the weekend’s festivities will be a filmmaker reception presented by Stella Artois, Ketel One vodka’s Friday night concert at the Sebastian Hotel featuring live music from Hotel Café artists, and Zacapa Rum’s closing night party at the Sebastian for all festival VIPs and attendees.

Two valuable partners for the festival this season will be “Official Broadcast Partner” Plum TV, and “Official Magazine Partner” Denver Magazine, who will be covering the ins and outs of where to be and who to see during the four days of festivities.

The Vail Film Festival has also launched a new feature on its website, designed by Metafoundry, allowing pass holders to create their own custom festival schedule, as well as rate and comment in real time on films they have seen. Pass holders who visit http://vailff.slated.com/2011/films during their visit to the hospitality lounge at the Sebastian hotel will be entered to win a 2011 Vail Film Festival VIP Gift Bag.

Additional sponsors supporting the 2011 Vail Film Festival include:

Colorado Mountain Express

Colorado Office of Film, Television, and Media

Gorilla Film Production Software

InkTip

Justin’s

KNFO/NRC Mountain Broadcasting

Kulae

Momentum Media PR

Pop Chips

SAG Indie

Showbiz Software

Slifer, Smith, and Frampton Real Estate

Solaris

Town of Vail

Tru02

Vail Performing Arts Academy

Vail Resorts

Vail Daily

Westside Cafe

The 2011 Vail Film Festival is proud to donate 5% of the overall ticket sales to the American Red Cross for earthquake and tsunami recovery efforts in Japan, and an additional 5% to official charity sponsor Angelight Films, a 501(c) (3) non-profit production company that gives chronically ill children the opportunity to express themselves in their own short film.

For complete film listings and screening times, event schedule, FAQs and to order tickets please visit: www.vailfilmfest.com.

About Vail Film Festival

The Vail Film Festival promotes independent filmmaking, with a special focus on new and innovative filmmakers. Besides screening some of the year’s top films from around the globe, the festival will also feature workshops, seminars, industry panel discussions and special events with award-winning actors, writers and directors. A special awards ceremony, family festivities, ski and snowboarding events, VIP parties and live music will round out this four-day event. The Vail Film Festival is produced by the Vail Film Institute, a non-profit arts organization that is dedicated to fostering independent cinema and creative filmmaking. Festival passes incorporate a combination of movies, filmmaker panels, galas and music, with deep discounts on skiing for festival pass holders. For tickets and additional information, visit www.vailfilmfest.com or call (866) 476-1092.

About Cadillac

Cadillac has been a leading luxury auto brand since 1902. In recent years, Cadillac has engineered a historic renaissance led by artful engineering and advanced technology. More information on Cadillac can be found at media.cadillac.com.

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