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SHORTSHD
LAUNCHES ON AT&T U-VERSE TV IN THE US
THE WORLDS FIRST HD CHANNEL DEDICATED TO SHORT
MOVIES
LONDON,
UK, 20th July 2009
Shorts
International, the worlds leading short movie
entertainment company, today launched ShortsHD on AT&T
U-verseSM TV on channel 1789.
ShortsHD is a unique entertainment channel dedicated
to short movies. ShortsHD broadcasts 24-hours a day
in 30-60 minute blocks and is available on AT&T
U-verse TV as part of the HD Premium tier for an additional
$5 a month. ShortsHD is the worlds first high
definition channel dedicated to short movies.
Launching
with a collection of entertaining short movies in a
variety of genres, programming is separated into Zones
from Stars in Shorts that offers short movies
with notable stars such as Keira Knightley and Michael
Cera to Animate! featuring stop-motion and computer
generated animated shorts that push the limits of imagination.
Other Zones are Editors Pick, Real Stories, Comedy,
World Cinema, Shorts In Love, Midnight, Film School
and Best in Fest.
Viewers can enjoy the charms of the hilarious mockumentary
Tube Poker or the contemporary thriller Centigrade,
directed by and starring Stargate SG-1 actor
Colin Cunningham. Star Trek fans will be touched
by the loving tribute to the legendary sci-fi saga with
Orion Slave Girls Must Die! and discover what
the human cost was when Disney shut the doors to their
legendary feature animation department in Dream on
Silly Dreamer.
Were
thrilled to be giving short movies a home in the US.
said Carter Pilcher, Chief Executive of Shorts International.
Our annual release of the Oscar®-nominated
short films in theatres and on iTunes has shown that
shorts have a huge audience. Now they dont have
to wait for awards season!
Standard
definition channel ShortsTV is available in 1 million
homes on Numericable's cable systems in France, Belgium
and Luxembourg as well as over 7 million homes in the
UK on the Sky satellite platform.
About
ShortsHD ShortsHD
is the first high definition channel dedicated to short
movies. ShortsHD, the high definition version
of ShortsTV, is operated by Shorts International,
the worlds leading short movie entertainment company
with the largest movie catalogue devoted to short movies.
Shorts International also operates ShortsTV UK,
a pay TV channel available in the United Kingdom on
BSkyB (Channel 342) and ShortsTV France available
in France, Belgium, Luxembourg on Numericable (Channels
134 and 52). Shorts is the short movie on-demand
service available on iTunes movie stores in the US,
UK, Canada and Germany. Further information can be found
at www.shortshd.com and www.shortstv.com.
Shorts
International is headquartered in London, England with
additional offices in Paris, New York and Los Angeles
led by Carter Pilcher, Chief Executive. Shorts International
is owned by Shorts Entertainment Holdings and Liberty
Global Ventures.
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SHORTS
INTERNATIONAL RELEASE "THE OSCAR® NOMINATED
SHORT FILMS 2009" IN US AND UK iTunes STORES
LONDON,
UK, 19th February 2009 - Shorts International, the
world's leading short film entertainment company has
announced the release of "The Oscar® Nominated
Short Films 2009" in the live-action and animation
categories on iTunes stores in the US (www.iTunes.com)
and UK (www.apple.com/uk/iTunes), giving iTunes users
the opportunity to download the "Oscar® Nominated
Short Films 2009."
Showcasing diverse work in both the Live-Action and
Animation categories, this year's nominees include
UK animation duo Smith and Foulkes' hilarious This
Way Up, Irish entry New Boy directed by Steph Green
and based on a Roddy Doyle short story as well as
the Student Academy Award® Winner On The Line
directed by Reto Caffi.
"The Oscar® Nominated Shorts Films 2009"
continue to enjoy a successful run in US theatres,
where its opening weekend broke the record at New
York's IFC Center for the highest weekend gross ever
on a single screen, at $24,006."
"Even
the New York Times has noted that this year's hottest
Oscar® nominees are the live-action and animated
short films. The theatrical release has broken records
in New York, and continues to see very strong numbers
across the US. 'The Oscar® Nominated Short Films
2009' are currently on iTunes USA and UK stores. We
are thrilled to be iTunes' partner in this endeavour."
said Carter Pilcher, Chief Executive of Shorts International.
New
York Times critic A. O. Scott called 'The Oscar®-Nominated
Short Films 2009' "A perfect antidote" while
Steve "Capone" Prokopy from Ain't It Cool
News declared it an "Exceptional program".
Kelly Jane Torrance of The Washington Times emphasised
"These shorts, from the United States, Britain,
France, Japan and Russia speak to viewers of all ages
and nationalities."
Theatrical
releases are also expanding to Mexico, Canada and
the UK. Winners for the 81st Academy Awards® will
be announced on February 22nd.
For more information on The Oscar®-Nominated
Short Films 2009 visit www.shortsinternational.com.
For
more information on the U.S. East Coast release,
please contact:
Donna Daniels
+1 347 254 7054
ddaniels@ddanielspr.net
U.S.
West Coast release
Marina Bailey
+1 323 650 3627
marina@marinabailey.com.
For
more information on the UK release, please
contact:
Mark Buchanan
+44 (0) 207 012 1579
m.buchanan@shortsinternational.com.
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SHORTS
BRINGS THE WORLDS HOTTEST SHORT FILMS TO THE ITUNES
STORE IN CANADA
Matthew Modine, Josh Raskin, Linkin Parks Joe
Hahn, James Barriscale, Ed Roe and Martin McDonagh among
Directors.
Stars include Kris Marshall, David Strathairn, Lena
Headey, John Cleese, Michael Cera,
Tim McInnery, John Lennon, Henry Rollins, Ian Hart,
Dita Von Teese and Miranda Richardson.
Toronto, June 10, 2008 - Academy Award winners and nominees,
BAFTA winners, leading rock bands and the biggest celebrities
star in the Shorts International short film catalogue,
which is now available for download and rental as part
of the launch of films on the iTunes Store in Canada.
SIX SHOOTER, the 2005 Academy Award winner by renowned
filmmaker Martin McDonagh, and the Academy Award-nominated
Canadian short I Met The Walrus, directed by Josh Raskin
are just a few of the high quality SHORT FILMS now released
by Shorts International on iTunes and are available
for purchase to download at $1.99 or for rental at $0.99.
This release marks the launch of SHORTS rentals
and downloads, a collection of short films showcasing
brilliant performances by Academy Award winners and
nominees, International festival winners, high quality
CGI animation by Blur Studios as well as cinematic gems
from international independent filmmakers. Featured
within the SHORTS collection are the worlds
largest collection of Academy Award winners and nominees,
films from the American Film Institute (AFI) starring
such screen legends as Mel Gibson, as well
as comedies, musicals, thrillers, dramas, and the highest
quality animations.
SHORTS are the worlds hottest films
and theyre perfect on the worlds coolest
viewing device the iPod. They are fantastic entertainment,
said Carter Pilcher, CEO of Shorts International.
You will laugh, cry and be amazed at the sheer brilliance
of these movie gems.
SHORTS latest release features:
I MET THE WALRUS: 2008 Oscar NOMINEE FOR
BEST ANIMATED SHORT FILM. In 1969, fourteen-years-old
Jerry Levitan snuck into John Lennons hotel room
with his tape recorder and persuaded him to do an interview
where John Lennons message of giving peace
a chance is still relevant today.
Directed by Josh Raskin.
THE SEED: tells the story of Sung, portrayed
by Will Yun Lee (Die Another Day), a homeless veteran
losing his mind on the banks of the L.A. River. Pursued
by unseen forces, fighting unseen foes, Sung is ostensibly
just another lunatic. But as his invisible
war continues under bridges and in tunnels, the viewer
is taken deeper into his nightmareinto a nightmare
of conspiracy, cloaking and the government's unseen
war. Sung struggles to fight through what is visible
to him, yet invisible to the world around him. Produced
and directed by Linkin Park DJ Joseph Hahn, whose directorial
credits include such award-winning videos as Linkin
Parks In The End (2002s VMA
Video of the Year winner) and Somewhere
I Belong (2003s VMA Best Rock Video
winner), as well as music clips for Xzibit, Story Of
The Year and Alkaline Trio, makes his first foray into
directing short films with THE SEED. Musically, THE
SEED features two untitled original compositions by
Hahn as well as a track (There They Go)
from Fort Minor, the side project fronted by Linkin
Parks Mike Shinoda.
SIX SHOOTER: On a train journey home through
rural Ireland, a man (BRENDAN GLEESON) whose wife has
just died that morning encounters a strange and possibly
psychotic young oddball. His outlandish words and actions
set in motion a chain of events that lead to a dark
and dangerous end. Directed by Martin McDonagh, winner
of the Academy Award for Best Short Film, 2006.
FRESHENING UP: Who's having a fling with
whom? Starring GRETCHEN MOL (The Notorious Bettie Page)
& ADRIAN GRENIER (Entourage, The Devil Wears Prada)
in a sleek drama with a twist. When a young couple goes
to a hip downtown lounge, your imagination will fill
in the blanks. Shocking and explicit.
Directed by Jim Mol.
CALL REGISTER: A hilarious and familiar
story of two friends (MARTIN FREEMAN and JAMES LANCE)
divided by the affections of a woman. The film encapsulates
the jealousies and insecurities of friends chasing the
same romance.
Directed by Ed Roe.
ONE DAY: Owen's (TIM MCINNERY) routine
is the same
day after day
until today. He's
off on one big romantic adventure with Cherie (TANYA
FRANKS)
A story about embracing life in the moment,
about taking a leap into the unknown -- even if it's
just for a little while.
Directed by James Barriscale.
THE SHOVEL: An award-winning short film
starring DAVID STRATHAIRN and TIM GUINEE. When Paul
Mullin discovers his neighbor digging a hole in the
middle of the night, he writes it off as simply a bizarre
encounter. Until the neighbor... and his cheating wife...
disappear. Worried he calls on the local sheriff to
help unearth the truth.
Directed by Nick Childs.
NO VERBAL RESPONSE: Dr. Megan Pillay (LENA
HEADEY) is on-call for 24 hours when a young man, Martin
is admitted from a road traffic accident. She is determined
to save him, but her colleagues are not so sure.
Directed by Helena Smith.
THE AMAZING TROUSERS: A hilarious and
zany period drama starring KRIS MARSHALL, ALICE EVE
AND DAVID BAMBER. The Amazing Trousers tells the tale
of a mild bank clerk who enters into a Faustian pact
with a sinister tailor, agreeing to trade his legs after
one year in return for enjoying glorious success. The
success is brought on by a pair of red trousers... the
amazing red trousers.
Directed by William Felix Clark.
GOPHER BROKE: 2005 Oscar nominee for best
Animation A hungry gopher hatches a clever plan
to get a quick snack, but discovers that even the best
laid plans can udderly awry. And no matter how hungry
he may be there is no such thing as a free lunch.
A hilarious delightful romp for the whole family by
Blur Studio. Directed by Jeff Fowler.
I THINK I THOUGHT / TO KILL AN AMERICAN: This
double feature presentation by Actor / Director MATTHEW
MODINE (Weeds, Birdy, Full Metal Jacket, Married to
the Mob.) In I THINK I THOUGHT, Joe's life threatens
to come apart when he begins thinking at home AND work.
Luckily, he discovers THINKERS ANONYMOUS before it's
too late! In TO KILL AN AMERICAN... There are people
in the world that don't like
Americans. There are people in the world that want to
kill Americans. This film is designed to help those
would be killers identify an American. So they know
exactly what an American is. Directed by Matthew Modine.
These short films run from 10 to 35 minutes in length
and can be purchased and rented on the iTunes Store
in Canada www.apple.com/ca/itunes
About Shorts International Ltd.
Shorts International Ltd. is the worlds leading
short film company with the largest and most diverse
film catalogue devoted to short films. More than half
of the catalogues individual films have been nominated
for or received international film awards, including
the Cannes, Edinburgh, Clermont Ferrand and Sundance
film festivals. Shorts International operates ShortsTV,
ShortsTV France and ShortsTV Corto short
film channels created for distribution to mobile television,
cable television and satellite networks. Shorts
International are providers of short films to the US,
UK and CANADA iTunes Stores. Their SHORTS are
available for download and are regularly updated with
new releases. Further information can be found at www.shortsinternational.com
and www.shortstv.fr. The company is headquartered in
London, England with additional offices in Paris, Munich,
New York and San Diego led by Carter Pilcher, CEO.
For more information about Shorts International Ltd.,
please contact:
Linda Olszewski
linda@shortsinternational.com
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CHELLOMEDIA
ACQUIRES STAKE IN SHORT FILM COMPANY SHORTS INTERNATIONAL
London 15th February
2008
Chellomedia, the European content division of Liberty
Global, Inc., announced today the acquisition of a 25%
interest in Shorts International Ltd, through its subsidiary
LGI Ventures BV which specialises in taking minority
investments. Shorts International, based in London,
is the creator of ShortsTV, the television channel which
is distributed on cable in France, Belgium and Luxembourg
reaching 3.2 million households so far, on several mobile
phone platforms and via the internet on Joost. The channel
provides high quality award winning short films, cinema,
and animation films, which are particularly attractive
to todays video generation. More than half of
the catalogues individual films have been nominated
for or received international film awards, including
the Cannes, Edinburgh, Clermont Ferrand and Sundance
film festivals. The Shorts formula includes programming
of 5-30 minute shorts by indie film directors
and from leading animation studios, music producers,
and well known directors and actors including Alfred
Hitchcock, Ewan McGregor, Julie Walters, Ray Winston,
John Cleese and Mel Gibson. Further launches in European
territories are expected to follow later this year.
Shorts Internationals high quality films have
already made it a key content supplier to the iTunes
Store in the US, where its films are sold via the internet
for $1.99. For the last three years, the
Company has partnered with Magnolia Pictures in the
US to launch all of the Oscar nominated live
action and animated short films into theatres across
the US and for sale on iTunes before the
Oscar Awards ceremony.
In addition to its investment, Chellomedia will also
have a non-executive director on the board of
Shorts International.
Shane ONeill, President of Chellomedia, said:
We believe the ShortsTV channel and its content
concept has great potential internationally and
its activities complement our own media activities.
The management team has established a good
base in the US and France very rapidly. Shorts International
sits well with our investment strategy
and the portfolio of TV and media businesses which make
up LGI Ventures and were looking
forward to developing the business with the Companys
well regarded management.
Carter Pilcher, Chief Executive and Founder of Shorts
International said:
Short films are fantastic entertainment for todays
young video savvy users. And ShortsTV is a fun
and unique viewing experience thats not only a
must-see for the digitally literate, but is pulling
in
audiences across the entertainment spectrum. This is
cinema for the broadband age. The audience is underserved
by main stream TV and most traditional movie channels.
The depth and richness of material available in short
form programming is astounding and much of it has yet
to be widely broadcast and internationally distributed.
ShortsTV is a constant entertainment companion that
plays well in both linear channel environments and in
new media such as web, electronic sell through
and mobile downloads.
We are delighted with our new relationship with Chellomedia
and other Liberty Global affiliates and with their commitment
to our filmmakers, to our audience, to our business
and who will bring key expertise as we develop internationally.
About Chellomedia
Chellomedia, the European content division of Liberty
Global, Inc. is a leading international media
company & distributor of channels, content and video
services. The divisions operating companies
and business units, currently own and operate 27 branded
TV channels and run a suite of digital,
On Demand and broadband services in Europe. The aggregate
subscriber base of the channels
and its feeds reach 200 million homes. Chellomedia focuses
its TV channel business globally
through its 100% owned and operating company Chello
Zone via channels such as JimJam, the
leading international pre-school channel, Zone Reality,
Zone Horror and the Extreme Sports
Channel and regionally in Iberia through Chello Multicanal,
in the Benelux, where Chello Benelux
operates the premium sports and movie channels Sport1
& Film1, and in Chello Central Europe
where the bouquet includes Sport 1&2, the leading
childrens channel, Minimax and thematic
channels TV Paprika, TV Deko and Filmmuzeum.
About LGI Ventures
LGI Ventures is a wholly owned subsidiary of Chellomedia
and is the minority investment vehicle
for Liberty Global, specialising in emerging market
cable, content and technology businesses.
Its portfolio of businesses currently includes investments
in MGM Channel Central Europe, Cyfra +
(Poland), Dublin City Channel, CinemaNow and Jetix Poland
About Liberty Global
Liberty Global is the leading international cable operator
offering advanced video, voice and
broadband Internet services to connect its customers
to the world of entertainment,
communications and information. As of September 30,
2007, Liberty Global operated state-of-theart
broadband communications networks that served approximately
16 million customers across 17
countries principally located in Europe, Japan, Chile,
and Australia. Liberty Globals operations
also include significant media and programming businesses
such as Chellomedia in Europe.
About Shorts International
Shorts International is the worlds leading short
film company with the largest and most diverse film
catalogue devoted to short films. More than half of
the catalogues individual films have been
nominated for or received international film awards,
including the Cannes, Edinburgh, Clermont
Ferrand and Sundance film festivals. Shorts International
operates ShortsTV, ShortsTV
France and ShortsTV Corto short film channels
created for distribution to mobile television,
cable television and satellite networks. Shorts International
are providers of short films to the US
and UK iTunes Stores. Their SHORTS are available
for download and are regularly updated with
new releases. Further information can be found at www.shortsinternational.com
and www.shortstv.fr.
The company is headquartered in London, England.
For more information please contact:
LGI Ventures/Chellomedia
Bert Holtkamp
Corporate Communications Europe
Tel: +31 (0) 20 778 9447
Email: bholtkamp@lgi.com
www.chellomedia.com
For more information, please visit www.lgi.com
or contact
Helen Thomas/Charlie Palmer
Financial Dynamics
Tel: +44 20 7831 3113
Shorts International Ltd
Lucy Daniels
6-8 Luke Street
London
EC2A 4XY
UK
T +44 (0)207 012 1575
email: l.daniels@shortsinternational.com
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