BY ANDRE SOARES, LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, USA (CINEMA MINIMA)

PRESS RELEASE

AFI FEST 2008 PRESENTED BY AUDI ANNOUNCES

GROUNDBREAKING AFI DIGIFEST SHOWCASE NOVEMBER 6 & 7

Two-Day Event Showcases the Future of
Real World Digital Entertainment

Must-see prototypes from ABC Digital, EarthEcho International, HBO Lab, PBS Online, Von Dutch and More

AFI Digital Content Lab’s 10th Anniversary Celebrates a Decade of Innovation, Excellence and Audience Engagement

HOLLYWOOD (October 27, 2008) – AFI FEST 2008 presented by AUDI today announced AFI DigiFest (formerly AFI Digital Content Festival) will take place at the Mann Chinese 6 Theatre in Hollywood on November 6 and 7.

The two-day public event will showcase the best new digital developments and interactive content within the film, television, games, broadband and mobile entertainment worlds.

For the last decade, the AFI Digital Content Lab has worked with the finest minds in the entertainment, technology and business strategy sectors to incubate more than 80 cutting-edge digital media prototypes, including interactive elements for ABC’s Emmy-award winning CELEBRITY MOLE and a cross-platform video viewer/game environment for Cartoon Network, as well as deployed digital solutions for PBS’ NOW and ITVS’ FILMOCRACY project.

The 2008 AFI DigiFest showcase continues this tradition of real world digital innovation, with never-before-seen prototypes that give a glimpse into the varied and ever-changing media landscape.

“Ten years is a lifetime in Internet years and the AFI Digital Content Lab has truly matured during this period,” said AFI Digital Content Lab Director Suzanne Stefanac. “With more than 90 completed prototypes under our belts and relationships with hundreds of working professionals, the Lab looks forward to continuing to help the entertainment industry invent tomorrow’s solutions — today.”

Day One of AFI DigiFest will feature five groundbreaking digital entertainment prototypes presented by ABC Digital, Von Dutch, PBS Online NEWSHOUR, HBOlab and EarthEcho International.

Day Two will feature presentations by top digital entertainment creators. These showcases include the 2008 Emmy-award winning HEROES 360 EXPERIENCE, based on the hit NBC series Heroes; AFRO SAMURAI, a video console game that builds on the success of the print manga and televised anime series of the same name; part television series and part alternate reality game THE TRUTH ABOUT MARIKA; AFRICA DIARY, a documentary that was shot entirely on a cell phone camera; YEAR ZERO, a revolutionary marketing and creative effort by 42 Entertainment in support of a recent album release by Nine Inch Nails; LOLA MONTES, a refurbished release of Max Ophuls’ 1955 film, replete with CGI-recreated missing scenes; and EXPEDITION 360 from Jason Lewis, which will share the digital tools he carried with him as he walked, swum, bicycled, kayaked and pedaled around the world.

AFI DigiFest is produced by the AFI Digital Content Lab, which this year celebrates its 10th anniversary. This collaborative production workshop pairs television and content companies with technology and design innovators to prototype next-generation interactive applications.

Digital Entertainment Prototypes at AFI DigiFest on Thursday, November 6 include:

• The ABC VIEWING PARTY is instant messaging, online message boards, and Super Bowl parties rolled into one integrated web-based environment. It’s a new way for fans to express themselves and to connect to other fans while watching live TV. ABC.com and the AFI Digital Content Lab team conceived a prototype that illustrates how GREY’S ANATOMY fans might host lively online viewing parties during airing episodes.

• VON DUTCH ARTIST-IN-RESIDENCY (AIR) ONLINE is a program that embraces more than fifty artists across a wide spectrum of disciplines—music, theater, photography, filmmaking, animation and more. Von Dutch wanted to find an easy online solution for sharing ideas, resources and feedback with one another and the world. The AFI Digital Content Lab team identified a suite of solutions that promise just that.

• THE FACT PROJECT initiated by PBS Online NewsHour acknowledges that a democracy is only as robust as the informed decisions of its citizenry with an online application that provides viewers with tools for researching and reporting back on the veracity of political statements made by candidates for President and Congress. The NewsHour editorial team will monitor the reports and plan to air the best examples on THE NEWSHOUR WITH JIM LEHRER.

• HOOKING UP is the latest production from HBOlab, which teamed with the AFI Digital Content Lab to explore how online narrative series might integrate cross-media promotions to build both intrigue and audience. The series will reach its climax shortly after the team’s AFI DigiFest presentation.

• WARPED ROADIE is the brainchild of Jacques Cousteau’s grandchildren and, in keeping with the ocean explorer’s legacy, the organization works to inform and spark action among youthful audiences. Working with the Warped Tour, a music and extreme sport festival that last year attracted more than 750,000 fans, EarthEcho and the AFI Digital Content Lab prototyped a contest that teaches and encourages action. The innovative contest also encourages attendees to use their mobile phones to play the games and view messages from the bands.

Presentations to be unveiled at AFI DigiFest on Friday, November 7 include:

• Heroes 360 Experience, presented by AFI Conservatory alum Jesse Alexander. Co-executive producer, writer, and interactive guru for the NBC hit series HEROES, Jesse Alexander will present the Emmy award-winning online experience, which is a rich meld of extended webisodes, a graphic novel, inspired email threads, mobile tie-ins, related blogs and more. Jesse will explain how he balanced all these responsibilities while still keeping superb storytelling at the center.

• Afro Samurai, presented by David Robinson. Scheduled for early 2009 release, Afro Samurai is a video console game that builds on the success of the print manga and televised anime series of the same name. Just as in the broadly distributed animated television series, the character will be voiced by Samuel L. Jackson.

• The Truth About Marika, presented by Christopher Sandberg. The Truth About Marika signals a sea change in how interactive storylines might evolve. Dubbed "participation drama" by its makers, the project is part television series and part alternate reality game. The mysterious narrative gradually unfolded via Swedish public television, radio, chat boards, mobile phones, online games, and even billboards, with viewers actively influencing the plot and the conclusion.

• Africa Diary, presented by L.M. Kit Carson, producer. Longtime filmmaker and producer L.M. Kit Carson boasts a history of breakthrough productions that include PARIS, TEXAS; THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE 2; BOTTLE ROCKET; MIAMI VICE; and RUNNING ON EMPTY, but he comes to the AFI Digital Content Lab returning to his roots as a documentary journalist. Using a Nokia N93 cell phone camera, Carson recently embarked on a remarkable adventure, adapting his award-winning writing and imaging experience to robustly record digital diary entries for AFRICA DIARY. The resulting production combines truth and heart in a newsworthy package that is set to air on the Sundance Channel throughout 2009.

• Expedition 360, presented by Jason Lewis. Jason Lewis participated in one of the earliest AFI digital prototype projects. In 1998, he was four years into a self-propelled circumnavigation of the globe and was poised to begin pedaling his way across the Pacific. The audience at the July 1999 premiere of the AFI prototype were wowed by the live satellite video exchange with Jason aboard his tiny craft. He recently returned, having successfully walked, bicycled, kayaked, swum and pedaled his way around the world, while inviting school children to participate in his adventure. Jason will share his tales of adventure with emphasis on the digital tools he used to stay in touch with his fans.

• Lola Montes, presented by Tom Burton. When film director Max Ophuls shot LOLA MONTES in 1955, he chose a very daring format. Shot largely as a series of flashbacks about the life and loves of the 19th century courtesan of Ludwig I and Franz Liszt, the segments bear a striking resemblance to the short narratives that make up today’s broadband episodic series. Against his will, the producers cut the film in a strictly chronological order, tossing many scenes the director believed to be integral to the storyline. Tom Burton of Technicolor decided to not only re-cut the film according to the director’s wishes, but to restore missing scenes using cutting-edge CGI technologies and artistry.

• Gone Gitmo, presented by Nonny de la Peña. Residing within the Second Life 3D virtual universe, Gone Gitmo is a re-creation of Guantánamo Bay Detention Center in Cuba. The project guides visitors through the intimidating events experienced by newcomers to the much-debated prison.

AFI DigiFest will run November 6-7, 2008. Tickets are on sale now. To order, visit www.afi.com or call 1.866.AFI.FEST. The Mann Chinese 6 Theatre is located at 6801 Hollywood Blvd, Hollywood.

About AFI FEST
AFI is a national institute providing leadership in screen education and the recognition and celebration of excellence in the art of film, television and digital media. Celebrating its 22nd year as a program of the American Film Institute, AFI FEST 2008 presented by Audi will take place October 30-November 9. Kicking off the awards season each year, AFI FEST offers a crucial avenue of exposure to the entertainment community, while providing appreciative audiences with a festive atmosphere and the very best of world film, right in the center of the film capital of the world.

AFI FEST 2008 presented by Audi is supported in part by the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors through the Los Angeles County Arts Commission, the Department of Cultural Affairs, City of Los Angeles and the Hollywood Sign Trust. AFI FEST is made possible in part by a grant from the Academy Foundation of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. AFI FEST is proud to continue its collaborative partnership with the Skirball Cultural Center.

AFI FEST 2008 presented by Audi is sponsored in part by American Airlines,

ArcLight Hollywood, RR Donnelley, Farmers Insurance, Samsung, Absolut Vodka, Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel, LA.com, and Stella Artois. The Los Angeles Times is the Festival’s Presenting Media Partner.