Stunt Includes the World Television Premiere of
"Letters from Iwo Jima," Hosted by Clint Eastwood;
Award Specials; Exclusive Interviews with Oscar Nominees; and More
Sponsors for Multi-Platform Campaign Include M & M's, Celebrity Cruises®,
L'Oréal Paris, Acura, and Washington Mutual
New York, New York – February 11, 2008 – AMC, the network defining the Future of Classic, announced today "LONG, LIVE, AWARDS," a month-long, multi-platform programming campaign that leverages AMC's unparalleled library of iconic films and acclaimed originals to celebrate the movie award season. The programming initiative is a centerpiece of AMC's mission to honor great film while giving network sponsors a distinctive opportunity to align themselves with Hollywood's celebrated award season both on-air and online.
As part of LONG, LIVE, AWARDS, AMC will showcase the world television premiere of Clint Eastwood's Oscar-winning film, Letters From Iwo Jima, on Saturday, February 16 at 8 PM (ET/PT). The event will be preceded by a special AMC-produced introduction from Eastwood, who directed the film. AMC will also air a mini-documentary "making of," which will air immediately following the world premiere.
In addition to this world premiere event LONG LIVE AWARDS will also feature original content all month long via the following programming elements: three specials from the original half-hour series Shootout (formerly known as Sunday Morning Shootout) hosted by entertainment industry veterans, Peter Guber and Peter Bart; And the Nominees Are, a four day programming event featuring special presentations of a variety of award winning and nominated films; the highly anticipated annual 2008 Film Independent Spirit Awards direct from LA and specially-produced Long Live Awards Vignettes that focus on the history of the red carpet and memorable moments from award shows. Online, www.amctv.com will feature special Classic Awards, content with additional programming and a chance for viewers to vote for their all-time favorite classic film moments.
"AMC's LONG, LIVE, AWARDS programming initiative is a great example of how the network provides unique opportunities for advertisers to associate with the excitement of Hollywood's most anticipated season," stated Arlene Manos, President of Rainbow national network advertising sales. "We're excited by the impressive line-up of sponsors who are participating in this expansive programming initiative. Campaigns such as LONG, LIVE, AWARDS clearly reinforce AMC's value to advertisers by creating vehicles that deliver a broad range of viewers while maximizing the network's deep library of movies."
"AMC can celebrate awards season with a breadth, depth and access to talent unavailable to other networks. From the award-winning films curated and showcased on our air to our substantive conversations with icons like Clint Eastwood, LONG LIVE AWARDS is our celebration of the best of Hollywood through the films themselves, the stars in depth and our unique understanding of what makes a classic a classic," stated Charlie Collier, EVP and General Manager of AMC.
The following information details specifics on AMC's Long, Live, Awards Programming Event:
SHOOTOUT: Award Specials
The longstanding AMC series, Shootout, will be airing three specials throughout February which will cover some of the biggest industry events throughout the month: The Sundance Film Festival, An Oscar Nominee Special and The Independent Spirit Awards. The Shootout Oscar® Nominee Special will air in primetime on February 15th and again on the morning of February 24th. The specials reiterate AMC's commitment to celebrating film and defining the future of classic.
And the Nominees Are
AMC will present a four day programming stunt featuring a variety of award winning and nominated films. Sponsored by M&M's, the network will air award-winning films including: The Godfather Part I and II, The Matrix, and Terminator 2. Movies will be wrapped with exclusive content and will air along with a special introduction from one of the films' stars. As a sponsor, M&M's will be featured in specially produced vignettes that will air on AMC, custom-made tune-ins driving to each film, and integration into several AMC billboards. The primetime airings are wrapped with exclusive content featuring evening hosts including Clint Eastwood (Letters from Iwo Jima; 2/21 at 9pm), Robert Patrick (Terminator 2; 2/22 at 8pm), Peter Bart, Robert Evans and Al Ruddy (Godfather 1 & 2; 2/24) and Peter Bart, Robert Evans and Al Ruddy (Godfather Trilogy; 2/18-2/20). Viewers can log online to amctv.com to get extended versions of these exclusive interviews.
The 2008 Film Independent Spirit Awards
AMC will air the edited re-broadcast of the 2008 Spirit Awards on Saturday, February 23rd at 10pm ET/PT. This year's show is hosted by Rainn Wilson and includes such nominees as: Angelina Jolie, Cate Blanchett, and Philip Seymour Hoffman. M&M's, L'Oréal Paris, Acura and Washington Mutual have signed on to sponsor the Spirit Awards' marketing campaign. Film Independent's Spirit Awards is a celebration honoring films made by filmmakers who embody independence and who dare to challenge the status quo. Televised in millions of homes and covered internationally by the press, the Spirit Awards has become the vanguard event in independent film, recognizing the achievements of independent filmmakers and promoting independent film to a wider audience.
Long Live Awards Vignettes
Every month, AMC celebrates a Hollywood Icon that has made a great impact on film. In February, as part of Long, Live, Awards, AMC will celebrate the soon to be icons of this year's awards season. Presented by Celebrity Cruises®, this month long vignette series will focus on this year's nominees along with some of the most memorable moments from the red carpet.
Your Classics Awards
AMC's website, www.amctv.com, will host an online survey asking viewers for their all time favorite classic film moments. Users will vote for categories including: Classic F/X, Classic Cowboys, Classic Kiss, Classic Vistas, Classic Escape Artist, Classic Real Men, Classic Heavies, Classic Hairdos, Classic Underdog, Classic Femme Fatales, and the Future of Classic Award-which looks at titles that have come out in the past year but have the potential to become a future classic. The cross-platform initiative will be promoted on air with an extensive promo campaign that drives to the website, and the winners will be revealed online at the end of February.
About AMC
AMC is a multi-platform network that celebrates classic movies and high-quality scripted series. Among the elite services reaching over 94,000,000 homes, AMC defines what it means to be a classic movie network today, creating a distinctive viewing experience that celebrates all that is enduringly cool, personal and powerfully relevant about movies. AMC's comprehensive library of popular movies strike a meaningful chord with its audience, and its critically-acclaimed slate of originals all have a cinematic quality that allow them to complement and be complemented by some of the best movies of all time. A division of Rainbow Media Entertainment Services, AMC's sister divisions include WE tv and the IFC Companies. AMC is THE FUTURE OF CLASSIC.
About Rainbow Media Holdings LLC
Rainbow Media Holdings LLC is a subsidiary of Cablevision Systems Corporation (NYSE: CVC). Rainbow Media is a leading producer of targeted, multi-platform content for global distribution, creating and managing some of the world's most compelling and dynamic entertainment brands, including AMC, IFC, WE tv, LIFESKOOL, SPORTSKOOL, and VOOM HD Networks. Through its IFC Entertainment division, Rainbow Media also owns and manages the following: IFC Films, a theatrical feature film distribution company; IFC First Take/IFC in Theaters, a day and date theatrical feature film/VOD initiative; the IFC Center in New York City; IFC Productions, a feature film production company; and IFC Entertainment, which owns and operates a film library. Rainbow Media also operates Rainbow Advertising Sales Corporation, its advertising sales division, and Rainbow Network Communications, its full service network programming origination and distribution company.