PRESS & NEWS

SHORTSHD LAUNCHES ON DISH NETWORK
Movie Network Capitalizes on Growing Consumer Trends to Continue Global Growth
CONTACT: JASON DAMATA 917-279-8706 JASON@FABRICMEDIA.NET

LONDON, UK, April 21, 2010 –
On the heels of a highly successful theatrical release for “The Oscar ® Nominated Short Films of 2010”, and distribution growth for its television networks in the U.S. and Europe, Shorts International, the world’s leading short movie entertainment company, has announced the launch of ShortsHD on Dish Network.

ShortsHD is the first and only high definition movie channel of its kind, and has experienced significant growth since launching in the U.S. only nine months ago. The network is now available to over 16 million U.S. subscribers and will derive revenues from subscriptions and advertising.

As part of Dish’s Platinum HD package (on channel 375), the movie network will offer fresh HD programming 24 hours a day drawn from its library of over three thousand short movies, which range from thought-provoking films starring widely known celebrities to Academy Award winning animated features to art house thrillers and a myriad more.

Given significant shifts in consumer behavior, and increasing demand for high-quality entertainment in short, easy to consume formats – along with the fact that short film is the only recognized movie category not widely available on U.S. television today – Shorts’ executives believe the network is reaching an un-tapped segment of the market. “At its core, ShortsHD is a next generation movie channel and movies are one of the industry’s most highly-valued entertainment products, by viewers and distributors alike.”, said Carter Pilcher, CEO of Shorts International. In today’s time-constrained culture, ShortsHD is a perfect entertainment format. The traction we are seeing in the U.S. and European markets is a good sign to all filmmakers in this genre. ShortsHD is a great complement to existing products in Dish’s HD package, and our hat is off to them for breaking new ground in entertainment with us”.

Shorts International also recently partnered with Movies OnDemand to bring the feature presentations of the Oscar ® Nominated Shorts 2010 to VOD with major operators last month and has built a steady revenue stream from e-commerce platforms such as iTunes. Outside the U.S., Shorts International operates ad-supported TV networks in the U.K, France, Belgium, Turkey and Luxembourg.

The schedule for ShortsHD consists primarily of short films categorized into 30 and 60 minute thematic “zones” covering a variety of genres, such as comedies, musicals, documentaries, thrillers, dramas and animation. The massive ShortsHD film catalog features Academy Award winners and nominees, International film festival winners and nominees, high quality CGI animation as well as cinematic gems from international independent filmmakers, among many others. The network also includes a range of short film-related programming, such as film festival news, ‘making-of’ features and film school vignettes. Every night is premiere night on ShortsHD, with a new short movie debuting at Midnight Eastern/9pm Pacific.

In its first month on Dish, the TV network will feature Academy Award nominated drama Overnight Sensation (19 April – 12/9p) starring Louise Fletcher (One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest) as a writer whose sudden literary success agitates her resentful husband (Robert Loggia - Independence Day). Chiara (21 April – 12/9p) is an Irish romantic comedy from writer/director Chris Roche that charts a romantic encounter between an Italian girl and an Irish boy. For animal lovers Hallo Panda (24 April-12/9p) is the hilarious and oddly touching tale of two tourists – one an American alcoholic, the other a Chinese Panda – whose mutual loneliness sparks a tender friendship.

All U.S. licensing and distribution for Shorts International is managed by HotHouse Media, headed by industry veterans Doug Orr and Tully Bragg.

ABOUT SHORTSHD
ShortsHD™ is the first high definition channel dedicated to short movies and is available on Dish Network (Channel 375) and AT&T U-Verse (Channel 1789). ShortsHD™ is operated by Shorts International, the world’s leading short movie entertainment company with the world’s largest movie catalogue dedicated to short movies. Shorts International also operates ShortsTV™ UK, a pay TV channel available in the United Kingdom on BSkyB (Channel 342), ShortsTV™ France available in France, Belgium, Luxembourg on Numericable (Channels 134 and 52) and in Turkey via TTNET. Shorts™ is the short movie on-demand service available on iTunes movie stores in the US, UK, Canada and Germany. The company 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. Further information can be found at www.shortstv.com.

Contacts:
Media: Jason Damata 917-279-8706 jason@fabricmedia.net
Business: Mark Buchanan +44 (0)20 7012 1579 m.buchanan@shortsinternational.com
Distribution: Tully Bragg 303-242-5860 tully@hothouse-media.com

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THE OSCAR® SHORTS PROGRAMME GROSSES $1 MILLION AT THE US BOX OFFICE
NEW YORK, US, April 2nd 2010 –
Today “The Oscar® Nominated Shorts Films 2010” crossed the $1 Million mark at the Box Office. Released annually by Shorts International and Magnolia Pictures, the program was created 5 years ago to give audiences a chance to see all 10 Animated and Live Action Oscar® Nominated Shorts in theaters nationally prior to the Academy Awards.

“The short film has gone from the occasional feature film accessory, to the main theatrical event,” said Carter Pilcher, Chief Executive of Shorts International. “Audiences for the Oscar nominated shorts jumped by 52% in the short space of a year and more than 1000% in 5 years…and this is just the beginning. For the first time ever these films are also currently available on cable systems through Movies On Demand.”

“It’s an incredible achievement on so many levels,” said Tom Quinn, SVP of Magnolia. “On average, less than 50 specialized films a year cross the $1M mark, so to see our little program blossom into a big contender is a testament to the quality of these films. It’s even more astounding considering that the marketing budget for the program has been the exact same year in and year out.”

“I’m thrilled that so many people have discovered these fantastic short films, and seeing them with an audience on the big screen surpasses any other viewing experience,” said Bill Kroyer, Governor and Chair of the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences Short Film and Feature Animation Branch.

The program is entering its seventh weekend in selected cinemas across the US. To find a theater near you, visit www.shortshd.com/theoscarshorts. It is also available through iN DEMAND to US cable audiences via Movies On Demand (MOD). This year’s program includes all the nominees as well as the Academy Award winners for best Live Action short, “The New Tenants”, and best Animated short, “Logorama”.

For information on the U.S. release, contact:
Donna Daniels 347-254-7054 (x101)/ddaniels@ddanielspr.net (East Coast) or Marina Bailey 323-650-3627/marina@marinabailey.com (West Coast).

For U.S. theatrical booking enquiries, contact Neal Block 212-924-6701 (x211)/nblock@magpictures.com
For European enquiries, contact Mark Buchanan +44 (0)20 7012 1579/m.buchanan@shortsinternational.com

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PRESS ARCHIVE

THE OSCAR® NOMINATED SHORT FILMS 2010" arrive on cable

The OSCAR® Nominated Short Films 2010 In Theatres February 2010
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