Sponsors Include: Tourism Australia, Scion, Entertainment Weekly, eMusic and Focus Features as Exclusive Sponsors of the National Traveling Film Fest
New York, NY – July 23, 2007 – IFC announced that Tourism Australia, Scion, Entertainment Weekly, eMusic, and Focus Features have each signed on as exclusive sponsors to the network's first ever traveling independent film tour. The state-of-the-art, multimedia festival, is open to the public at no cost and features uncut indie films within a high-tech outdoor mini-entertainment complex. The national tour, which kicked off on June 10th in Philadelphia, will also be traveling to Atlanta, Miami, Memphis, Denver, San Francisco, Seattle, Detroit, Boston, and Washington, DC. As part of the event, sponsors will receive prominent on-site signage as well as inclusion in both pre-show promotions and IFC on-air spots.
The IFC Free Film Fest adds a new dimension to the network's mission to make indie films more accessible to movie-goers across the country and seek new ways to expand the audience for independent filmmakers. IFC's 'tv,uncut' mantra will ring true with uncut screenings of each of the three films including the Coen Brothers cult hit, Raising Arizona; the family-friendly fairy tale classic The Princess Bride; as well as the unconventionally humorous Napoleon Dynamite. All films will be shown on a 40' x 20' inflatable air screen constructed specifically by IFC for the tour. The films will begin at dusk, following a variety of pre-show activities, including musical entertainment. Additional information may be found at: https://www.ifc.com/static/sections/freefilmfest/.
"By partnering with Tourism Australia, Scion, Entertainment Weekly, eMusic and Focus Features for our Free Film Fest, we are creating a unique opportunity for our sponsors to reach consumers through innovative and non-traditional avenues," said Evan Shapiro, Executive Vice President and General Manager for IFC. "Each of these brands offers an exciting new element to the tour, and helps us achieve our mission of bringing great, uncut, independent films out of the theater and under the stars – for film fans of all ages."
Below is a breakdown of the sponsorships packages:
Tourism Australia
- Tourism Australia will be the exclusive destination travel partner of the IFC Film Tour
- A Tourism Australia Tent will be set up at each market with information and brochures
- Pior to the featured films. IFC will air a traditional Tourism Australia 30-second spot as well as the winning travel log from the Tourism Australia and Media Lab Contest
- Tourism Australia will be integrated into the promo spots to air in local Comcast markets and IFC will create customized promos to air on the IFC network
- Prominent on-site presence, including logo inclusion on outbound media, grass roots & viral marketing (when available)
Scion
- Scion is the exclusive sponsor of the Media Lab Lounge and the Official Online sponsor of the IFC Free Film Fest
- Prominent on-site presence, including logo inclusion on outbound media, grass roots & viral marketing (when available)
- A Scion promotion spot will air on the screen before the featured films in each venue
Entertainment Weekly
- As part of the partnership, IFC will produce and incorporate a trivia interstitial with questions and answers provided by Entertainment Weekly. These will run in the pre-show entertainment nightly in each market on tour
- IFC will create EW integrated promotional spots to run on IFC TV
- Banners with EW logo will be on-site at each market of the tour
- IFC will include EW in Comcast integrated promotional spots to run from June 24th to September 14th
eMusic
- As part of the partnership, IFC will distribute free branded download cards in all 10 markets of the tour. Download cards are valid for 25 free songs at emusic.com
- IFC will run eMusic integrated tour promo spots on-air from mid July to mid September highlighting sponsorship of the Free Film Fest
- On-site staff will be wearing eMusic t-shirts and handing out branded cards to festival attendees before the feature film begins
- IFC will integrate eMusic into the video pre-show which will run on-screen before the feature film in each market
- eMusic will provide IFC music for use during the festival.
Focus Features
- As a sponsor, IFC will run the trailer for Focus Features' new release Talk to Me, starring Don Cheadle. The trailer will run during the pre-show of the first four markets
The national tour will also travel to: Atlanta, 7/17 – 7/19; Miami, 7/24 – 7/26; Memphis, 7/31 – 8/2; Denver, 8/7 – 8/9; San Francisco, 8/14 – 16; Seattle, 8/21 – 8/23; Detroit, 8/28 – 8/30; Boston, 9/4 – 9/6; and Washington, DC, 9/12 – 9/14. The IFC Free Film Fest is produced by IFC and the michael alan group.
About IFC:
The Independent Film Channel (IFC) is the first and most widely distributed network dedicated to independent film 24 hours a day, uncut, uncensored and commercial free. The network is part of IFC Companies — the only brand to operate in every area of independent film to include television, production, financing, distribution, digital, on-demand and exhibition. IFC Companies uses its unique cross-platform position to broaden the audience of independent film and to provide independent filmmakers with a strong voice. IFC Companies is a division of Rainbow Media Holdings, LLC.