Beginner Filmmaker Wins Amazon Theater/Tribeca Film Festival Short-Film Competition with His Second Film Jack Paccione, Jr.
Took Second Place in Inaugural Competition Last July with His First-Ever Film Returns to Win Grand Prize with New Film; Amazon.com Customers Determined the Winner; Founding Partner American Express Provides $50,000 Grand Prize
NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov. 3, 2005-- Amazon.com, Inc. (Nasdaq:AMZN), American Express and Tribeca Film
Festival founders Robert De Niro, Jane Rosenthal, and Craig Hatkoff,
today announced that Jack Paccione, Jr. is the grand-prize winner of
the second Amazon Theater/Tribeca Film Festival Short-Film Competition
for "Duel at Red Table," an action/comedy/horror film crafted around
the ancient sport of table tennis. Last July, Paccione came in second
place in the inaugural Amazon/Tribeca short-film competition with his
first-ever film, "Misfortune Cookie."
Today, Paccione received $50,000 from American Express to fund his
next film project. The budget for "Duel at Red Table" was $400. "If
you had asked me in June what the greatest ride in the world was I
would have said Great Adventures Kingda Kah. That answer's changed
now." Paccione encourages viewers to "Please have a good time watching
'Duel'! There are too many movies out there that bring us back to
reality when they should be taking us away from it."
The finalists and their families gathered in New York City today
for the film presentation and award ceremony. Actor, writer, director
and photographer, Matthew Modine; award-winning actor and filmmaker
John Polson; renowned author Clara Bingham; and NBC journalist Perri
Peltz were among the guests in attendance.
Jane Rosenthal, co-founder, Tribeca Productions and Film Festival
along with Kathy Savitt, Amazon.com vice president of Strategic
Communications, Content and Initiatives commended each filmmaker for
their creativity, commitment to filmmaking and for participating in
the competition. Nancy Smith, vice-president of marketing for American
Express, presented the award.
"Amazon created this short-film program with the goal of
discovering the next great filmmaker," said Savitt. "The fact that
Paccione's films were among the highest rated among thousands of films
not once, but twice, is a true testament to his talent as well as his
appeal to Amazon customers."
"As an organization that strives to enable creative endeavors, and
as the Festival's founding sponsor, American Express is thrilled to be
part of this short film competition -- another avenue for the
filmmaking community to share its voice, and reach new audiences,"
said Smith.
The finalists were determined by Amazon.com customers, who
submitted thousands of ratings and viewed hundreds of hours of film
footage between August 26 and September 23. On October 4, the five
finalist films with the highest ratings were featured on the
Amazon.com welcome page over a period of four weeks. Again, Amazon.com
customers rated the five finalists to determine the overall winner of
the Amazon Theater/Tribeca Film Festival Short-Film Competition.
Other finalist films included:
"Battaglia," directed and produced by Owen Smith, screenplay by
Jeff Rose: A loving tribute to writer Jeff Rose's grandfather and
other Americans in the 88th Infantry Division who fought bravely for
their country during World War II. Concept, pre-production,
photography and post-production all took place within two weeks.
"Coming Home," written, directed and produced by Greg Benson:
Inspired by Woody Allen, Spike Jonze and Monty Python, this comedy was
based on a dream and shot in one evening with a budget of $10. No one
expects to come home to this.
"Meter Maids," written, directed and produced by Joseph Garner: A
comedy set in the cutthroat world of parking enforcement officers,
this film was inspired by its creator's massive accumulation of
parking tickets throughout his life, and his belief that parking
tickets are a threat to society. Message to viewers: learn from past
mistakes.
"Richter's Agenda," directed by Paul Matusheski: A suspenseful
thriller influenced by the work of Alfred Hitchcock, in which a
college student is terrorized by a sadistic computer hacker when she
accepts a seemingly innocent instant message. This film was written,
produced and edited in 24 hours.
Macromedia Flash is the exclusive video format for the Amazon
Theater/Tribeca Film Festival Short-Film Competition.
Delta Air Lines is the official airline for the Amazon
Theater/Tribeca Film Festival Short-Film Competition.
About Tribeca Film Festival
The Tribeca Film Festival was founded by Robert De Niro, Jane
Rosenthal and Craig Hatkoff to celebrate New York City as a major
filmmaking capital. Tribeca Cinemas, located at 54 Varick Street, was
acquired by the Festival founders in 2003 and serves as a year-round
venue for the Festival and its related activities.
The 2005 Festival, presented by American Express, took place from
April 19th to May 1st in various locations throughout lower Manhattan.
The 2005 Festival featured special events, outdoor concerts and
screenings, a street fair, and panel discussions with noted
filmmakers.
About Amazon.com
Amazon.com, Inc., a Fortune 500 company based in Seattle, opened
on the World Wide Web in July 1995 and today offers Earth's Biggest
Selection. Amazon.com seeks to be Earth's most customer-centric
company, where customers can find and discover anything they might
want to buy online, and endeavors to offer its customers the lowest
possible prices. Amazon.com and other sellers offer millions of unique
new, refurbished and used items in categories such as beauty, health
and personal care, jewelry and watches, gourmet food, sports and
outdoors, apparel and accessories, books, music, DVDs, electronics and
office, toys and baby, and home and garden.
Amazon.com and its affiliates operate seven retail Web sites:
www.amazon.com, www.amazon.co.uk, www.amazon.de, www.amazon.fr,
www.amazon.co.jp, www.amazon.ca, and www.joyo.com.
As used herein, "Amazon.com," "we," "our" and similar terms
include Amazon.com, Inc., and its subsidiaries, unless the context
indicates otherwise.
Forward Looking Statement
This announcement contains forward-looking statements within the
meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E
of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Actual results may differ
significantly from management's expectations. These forward-looking
statements involve risks and uncertainties that include, among others,
risks related to potential future losses, significant amount of
indebtedness, competition, management of growth, potential
fluctuations in operating results, international expansion, outcomes
of legal proceedings and claims, fulfillment center optimization,
seasonality, commercial agreements, acquisitions, and strategic
transactions, foreign exchange rates, system interruption, consumer
trends, inventory, limited operating history, government regulation
and taxation, fraud, and new business areas. More information about
factors that potentially could affect Amazon.com's financial results
is included in Amazon.com's filings with the Securities and Exchange
Commission, including its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year
ended December 31, 2004, and all subsequent filings.
About American Express
American Express has been the Founding Sponsor of the Festival
since its inception in 2002. Part of a multi-year relationship, the
sponsorship demonstrates American Express' dedication to the goals of
the Festival and the revitalization of lower Manhattan.
CONTACT: Amazon.com
Media Relations, 206-266-7180
or
Rubenstein Communications
Tammie Rosen, 212-843-8008
SOURCE: Amazon.com
