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BookExpo America (BEA) has today announced its line up of authors who will be participating in the popular Author Breakfast and Saturday Luncheon program. BEA’s speaker program is a convention highlight and brings attention to new books by accomplished writers from many fields of endeavor. "As always, I am in awe of the exceptional array of talent and personalities we are fortunate enough to feature on our stage at BEA,” notes Lance Fensterman, Vice President and Show Manager for BEA. "We're very lucky to be able to showcase these writers at our convention and to provide a forum where they may speak their minds."

The other speakers who will be participating in BEA’s special events programming are Sherman Alexie, Judy Blume, Eoin Colfer, Andre Dubus, Philippa Gregory, John Hodgman, Dennis Lehane, and Azar Nafisi. In addition, special Introductory Remarks will be made at the Children’s Breakfast on Friday, May 30 by Jon Scieszka, the National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature. As previously announced, Thomas Friedman will be BEA’s Conference Keynote speaker and Lewis Black will perform exclusively for BEA’s annual fundraising event to benefit the American Booksellers’ Foundation for Free Expression (ABFFE) and the Association of American Publishers’ Get Caught Reading campaign. BEA will take place in Los Angeles at the Los Angeles Convention Center, May 30 - June 1, 2008.

Tickets for BEA’s ’08 Special Events will be available for purchase through the BEA website beginning Wednesday, March 5th. The line up of speakers and events includes:

FRIDAY, May 30, 2008

8:00AM – 9:30AM CHILDREN’S BOOK & AUTHOR BREAKFAST (Concourse Hall)

Presented in cooperation with the Children's Booksellers and Publishers Committee [A cooperative committee of the American Booksellers Association (ABA), Association of Booksellers for Children (ABC), and the Children's Book Council (CBC)] this opening-day breakfast will feature Sherman Alexie, author of The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian (Little, Brown Books for Young Readers); Judy Blume, author of Going, Going, Gone! with the Pain and the Great One (Delacorte Press Books for Young Readers); and Neil Gaiman, author of The Graveyard Book (HarperCollins). Eoin Colfer, author of Artemis Fowl: The Time Paradox (Hyperion Books for Children/Disney Book Group) will be the Master of Ceremonies. Introductory Remarks by Jon Scieszka, National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature. General Admission: $15. Breakfast Admission: $35.

SATURDAY, May 31, 2008

8:00AM – 9:30AM SATURDAY BOOK & AUTHOR BREAKFAST (Concourse Hall)

Saturday morning will feature Magic Johnson, author of Magic Moves: 32 Lessons on How to Be an All-Star in Business (Crown Business), Philippa Gregory, author of The Other Queen (Touchstone/Simon&Schuster), and Andre Dubus III, author of The Garden of Last Days: A Novel (W.W. Norton). Alec Baldwin, author of A Promise To Ourselves: A Journey Through Divorce and Fatherhood (St. Martin’s Press) will be the Master of Ceremonies. General Admission: $15. Breakfast Admission: $35.

12PM – 2PM SATURDAY BOOK & AUTHOR LUNCHEON (Concourse Hall)

This year's lunch will, once again, focus on political and social issues and will feature Richard Engel, author of War Journal (Simon&Schuster), Markos Moulitsas Zuniga, author of Taking on the System: Rules for Radical Change in a Digital Era (Celebra), Jon Krakauer, author of The Hero (Doubleday), and Michael Moore, author of an as yet untitled work (Grand Central). Christopher Buckley, author of Supreme Courtship: A Novel (Twelve) will be the Master of Ceremonies. Admission $50.

4PM – 5PM THE HEARD WORD: BEA’S AUDIOBOOK & AUTHOR TEA (Room 403)

Come hear Robert Crais, author of an Untitled Elvis Cole Novel (Brilliance Audio), T. Jefferson Parker, author of LA Outlaws (Brilliance Audio), and Michael Connelly, author of The Brass Verdict (Hachette Audio) talk about their recent and upcoming audiobooks and the experience of hearing their works translated into audiobook format. Hosted by the Audio Publishers Association. Admission $20.

SUNDAY, June 1, 2008

8:00AM – 9:30AM SUNDAY BOOK & AUTHOR BREAKFAST (Concourse Hall)

Sunday morning will feature Ted Turner, author (with Bill Burke) of Call Me Ted (Grand Central), Azar Nafisi, author of Things I’ve Been Silent about: A Memoir of Family (Random House), and Dennis Lehane, author of The Given Day (William Morrow). John Hodgman, author of More Information Than You Require (Dutton) will be the Master of Ceremonies. General Admission: $15. Breakfast Admission: $35.

ABOUT REED EXHIBITIONS: Reed Exhibitions is the world’s leading events organizer. In 2007 Reed brought together over six million industry professionals from around the world generating billions of dollars in business. Today Reed events are held in 38 countries throughout the Americas, Europe, the Middle East and Asia Pacific, and organized by 39 fully staffed offices.

Reed organizes a wide range of events, including exhibitions, conferences, congresses and meetings. Its portfolio of over 500 events serves 47 industry sectors, including: Aerospace & aviation, automobiles, building & construction, electronics, energy, engineering, entertainment, environment, food & hospitality, gifts, healthcare, IT, jewellery, life sciences & pharmaceuticals, property, manufacturing, medical education, packaging & converting, printing & visual communication, security, sports & recreation, travel.

Working closely with professional bodies, trade associations and government departments Reed ensures that each and every event is targeted and relevant to industry needs. As a result, many Reed events are market leaders in their field.

Reed Exhibitions is part of Reed Elsevier Group plc, a FTSE-100 company and world-leading publisher and information provider. In 2006, Reed Elsevier made adjusted profit before taxation of £1,052 million on turnover of £5,398 million.

Time Warner announced consolidation of its filmed entertainment businesses, Warner Bros. Entertainment and New Line Cinema. The combination brings together New Line’s 40-year legacy as the world’s most successful and innovative independent film studio with Warner Bros.’ creative leadership and unparalleled scale and reach in global distribution and marketing.

As part of the consolidation, New Line will be operated as a unit of Warner Bros. New Line will maintain separate development, production, marketing, distribution and business affairs operations, but will closely integrate and coordinate those functions with Warner Bros. to maximize film performance and operating efficiencies, achieve significant cost savings, and improve margins.

In making the announcement, Time Warner’s President and Chief Executive Officer Jeff Bewkes said: “We are moving quickly to improve our business performance and financial returns. New Line has built a strong franchise of cutting-edge entertainment. We can enhance its value by combining it with Warner Bros. Given the trend toward fewer movie releases, New Line and Warner Bros. will now have more complementary release slates, with New Line focusing on genres that have been its strength. With the growing importance of international revenues, it makes sense for New Line to retain its international film rights and to exploit them through Warner Bros.’ global distribution infrastructure. We can also take better advantage of digital distribution platforms by combining our studios. These changes will enhance our revenue opportunities and drive dramatic cost efficiencies and higher margins at New Line.”

New Line’s Co-Chairmen and Co-CEOs Robert Shaye and Michael Lynne have elected to leave the studio, but are in discussions about possible future business relationships with the company.

Mr. Bewkes said: “Bob and Michael have a unique partnership that is noteworthy not only for its stability and longevity, but for its record of innovation and success. They have guided New Line’s growth from a privately held art film distributor to the world’s leading independent film studio that is home to some of the most popular films in entertainment history, including The Lord of the Rings trilogy, The Mask, Austin Powers, Blade, Rush Hour, Elf, Wedding Crashers and Hairspray. We thank Bob and Michael for their enduring contributions to Time Warner and look forward to a continuing working relationship with them.”

Mr. Shaye and Mr. Lynne said: “New Line has been our respective life’s work as well as our second family. While we’re sad to be leaving, we’re enormously proud to have overseen its extraordinary growth and worked with so many dedicated and talented colleagues. New Line represents innovation, creativity, and independent success. We hope that the company can continue to be a leader in creating entertainment that resonates around the world. We will now focus our efforts on exploring new entrepreneurial opportunities.”

Time Warner is a leading media and entertainment company, whose businesses include interactive services, cable systems, filmed entertainment, television networks and publishing.

MySpace, the world’s most popular social network, today announced the launch of ‘Special Delivery’ (http://www.myspace.com/specialdelivery), an outrageous, non-scripted hidden-camera reality show in association with Avalon TV and its executive producers Jason Irwin and Garth Holsinger. The launch of ‘Special Delivery’ marks MySpace’s second co-development project and the second original web show created specifically for MySpaceTV (http://www.myspacetv.com).

“By working with talented producers to tailor-make a property for the MySpace audience, ‘Special Delivery’ is an exciting step in our burgeoning relationship with Hollywood,” said Cristian Cussen, Director of Marketing and Content for MySpaceTV. “With the success of programs like ‘Prom Queen,’ ‘quarterlife,’ and ‘Roommates,’ we’ve learned our users have a major appetite for premium content, and ‘Special Delivery’ feeds that demand in a very funny way.”

The official ‘Special Delivery’ MySpace profile (http://www.myspace.com/specialdelivery) will house all show episodes, on-demand archives, and other interactive content. Users will also be able to friend the profile, receive regular updates from the show and share episodes with friends using blogs, bulletins and adding videos to their profiles. MySpaceTV will unveil two different ‘Special Delivery’ episodes per week.

“Would you do a birthday dance for my dog?” and “Will you help me propose to the love of my life?” are just two of the eighteen crazy situations which ‘Special Delivery’ puts unsuspecting delivery men and women in. Shot at multiple specially–rigged locations in the Las Vegas area, ‘Special Delivery’ will leave viewers speechless when they watch the unbelievable lengths people go to when a tip is involved.

“Both Avalon Television and our executive producers, Jason Irwin and Garth Holsinger, have thoroughly enjoyed working with MySpace on ‘Special Delivery,’" said David Martin, President of Avalon TV. “The team at MySpace has empowered us with a great deal of creative freedom and we hope that in ‘Special Delivery’ we have produced an original comedy series whose sense of outrageous fun will be enjoyed by the entire MySpace community.”

Cinequest is excited to announce that Golden Globe® and Screen Actors Guild nominated actor Michael Keaton will receive Cinequest’s Maverick Spirit Award. Keaton was chosen for this honor because his work is that of a true Maverick, going against the grain of typecasting and true to the spirit of Cinequest which champions Mavericks of filmmaking. Past recipients of the Maverick Spirit Award have included Oscar® winners Sir Ben Kingsley, Kevin Spacey; Golden Globe® winner Sir Ian McKellen; and Emmy® winner William H. Macy to name a few. “I am honored to be in the same company as previous Maverick Spirit Award winners such as Sir Ben, Kevin Spacey, Ian McKellen and Bill Macy,” said Keaton.

Keaton will receive the award following a moderated conversation with producer and actress Jennifer Siebel. This event will take place at the California Theatre, 345 South First Street, in downtown San Jose on Saturday, March 1, at 5:00 p.m. Cinequest’s 18th festival will take place February 27 through March 9 in San Jose, CA. Nearly 80,000 are expected to attend the 12-day celebration of over 150 films from around the globe. In addition to its annual film festival, Cinequest Distribution films have reached a global audience through a unique utilization of DVD distribution and Internet delivery technologies.

After dabbling in the arena of stand up comedy, Michael Keaton found his true calling as an actor. His quirky sense of humor in Night Shift (1982), Mr. Mom (1983) and Tim Burton’s horror-comedy Beetlejuice (1988) catapulted his film career. However, Keaton’s encounter with Burton did not end with Beetlejuice (National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Actor) when the eclectic director cast him as the millionaire crime-fighter “Batman” / “Bruce Wayne.” Despite the initial protest from fans unable to see a comedic actor personify the beloved comic strip character, Tim Burton’s intuition paid off when Keaton seamlessly portrayed the dark and obsessive personality of the caped crusader opposite Jack Nicholson’s “The Joker.” Unwilling to cave into the pressure of what is comfortable; Michael Keaton continually discovers and explores new depths of acting via the various films in which he stars such as his unforgettable roles in Clean and Sober (National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Actor) and Live from Baghdad. Recently Keaton directed his first feature film Merry Gentleman which is poised for distribution, and as an actor, completed the Fox comedy The Post Grad Survival Guide starring Zac Gilford and Carol Burnett.

For his achievement in film arts, Cinequest is proud to present Michael Keaton with Cinequest’s highest honor, the Maverick Spirit Award. To obtain tickets to the Cinequest Film Festival and this event, log onto www.cinequest.org/special_events.php or call (408) 295-FEST.

Empowering the Maverick

Cinequest is a premier motion picture institute that produces:

Cinequest Film Festival, a discovery festival of Maverick films and technology forums.
Cinequest Distribution: delivering films to fans worldwide through leading Internet technologies plus DVD — while creating new marketing and business models for the Independent.
Cinequest Screenwriting Competition.
Mentoring and Education: groundbreaking programs including Camp Cinequest.

Cinequest serves Maverick artists, film lovers and students.

Cinequest Film Festival 18 will occur February 27 – March 9, 2008 www.cinequest.org

Members of the movie-going public will select their favorite movies for the IndiePix Audience Award for Nonfiction Films after watching extended segments of the nominated features over the Internet via BroadRamp’s Managed Content Delivery SystemTM beginning March 1. (www.broadramp.com)

IndiePix selected BroadRamp’s technology because it allows voters to log on to the Internet and watch the film segments instantly online before selecting their favorites. Viewers are not required to download a third-party player, a common source for viruses and other malware.

BroadRamp’s MCDS™ technology compresses and encodes multimedia content for delivery to any browser-enabled device for viewing in high definition with support for Dolby Surround Sound. While film segments for the Cinema Eye contest will not be available in high definition, future offerings will take advantage of BroadRamp’s WebHD™ technology.

“We are excited to have been chosen as the online delivery platform for the Cinema Eye Awards voting,” said Greg Nakagawa, BroadRamp Chief Executive Officer. “Independent films can now reach as broad an audience as major motion pictures through an enabling platform like BroadRamp’s MCDS.”

Voting is open to the public from March 1-10. Voters can go to the Cinema Eye Honors website (http://www.cinemaeyeawards.com/vote) to participate. After reading an explanation of the awards and instructions on how to vote, viewers can click on a link to BroadRamp in order watch extended trailers of the eight nominated films before voting for their favorites.

“IndiePix has long been a supporter of nonfiction filmmakers,” said Bob Alexander, President of IndiePix. “Their dedication to both the art and the craft necessary to the creation of their films is unparalleled. Through our partnership with BroadRamp and the use of its technologies, we will be able to deliver these films for viewing at a level that reflects the same dedication to quality.”

Nominations for the first Cinema Eye Awards for Nonfiction Filmmaking were announced Jan. 20 at the Sundance Film Festival. Film industry professionals will select winners from nominees in eight categories. The Audience Choice Prize was added as a ninth category to give the movie-going public a chance to vote.

Winners of the Cinema Eye Awards will be announced and presented March 18 during a ceremony at the Independent Film Channel Center in New York. The complete list of nominations for the Cinema Eye Awards for Nonfiction Filmmaking can be found on the Cinema Eye site at www.cinemaeyeawards.com.

Win The Battle Of Relevancy Online With Custom Content.

It's a dog eat dog world out there on the Internet. There is the capacity for an unlimited number of storefronts on the web that you'd never be able to find on main street. The fact is that there is even more competition for business online than there is in the brick-and-mortar world. This is only going to get more intense. It wasn't so long ago that many people were afraid to use credit cards online. Shopping online was a curiosity. Now, it's a given.

The battle of relevancy online is the battle of one site being more useful than another. In the growing virtual marketplace, it isn't nearly enough to just have a number of products and hope for the best. Look at Amazon.com reviews—they are core to what has made that site grow. A glowing Amazon review can do a lot for a product's sales. Web surfers use Amazon reviews as much as they use a review in the local paper, if not more. Reviews have made Amazon a relevant and trusted resource for a department store's worth of products.

Not every site can hope to have the same review structure as Amazon. A number of affiliate sites use Amazon reviews as their own content. Web surfers are getting savvy to this: they can smell an affiliate site. Why not just go to Amazon directly? The battle for relevancy, then, is to become something as trusted and vital as the major sites online. You can't necessarily wait around for people to write reviews, and the process may not even apply to your site, so a site owner needs to provide content of your own.

Another word for relevancy is usefulness. It has been shown that the longer a person sticks around on a site, the more likely he or she will make a purchase. Even if that person doesn't make a purchase the first time to the site, the site will have left an impression. People are looking for information on a product or service as much as they are looking to make an immediate purchase. Web surfers like to be informed shoppers and the web gives them an unlimited amount of places to get this information.

This is where your site comes in. Don't make a web surfer click off your site to find information on a product—give them the information right on site. This means you should have articles available about any and all issues affecting a particular type of product or service. There can be hundreds of potential topics on one type of product, and a site may have dozens upon dozens of products available.

Not only will this type of information keep your site relevant to web surfers, it will be relevant to search engines as well. With content, these make up your target audience: search engine spiders and real people. If you provide relevant content that speaks to both, your site can compete with the giants.

Sign Here!

At Halliburton/KBR, sexual assault is just part of the workplace experience for women Like many viewers, I watched this ABC 20/20 report when it first aired in December with jaws-open, eyes-bugging horror. It told the story of two women workers for Halliburton/KBR who had been sent to Iraq. There, one, Jamie Lee Jones, a young computer tech, was gang-raped on her fourth day by coworkers after being drugged; the other, Tracy Barker, was sexually assaulted by a State Department employee. Both immediately reported their assaults, only to have KBR first lock them in isolation, then question their accusations. In the case of Jones, it even lost the medical report that documented evidence of gang rape.

Official Website: http://www.escapistthemovie.com/

Frank Perry is a lifer; in prison for the rest of his natural born days. He’s never had a problem with that: he did the crime; he’ll do the time. Until now. He receives a letter telling him that his only and much loved daughter is critically ill following an overdose. He knows that he must see her and to do that he’ll have to escape. But he can’t do it alone. A motley crew of younger associates are assembled to enact his plan: Lenny Drake, Brodie and Viv Baptista. As they prepare to break out Frank’s focus is distracted by the arrival of a young con James Lacey – a reminder of days long lost. As the new kid on the block Lacey also attracts the sadistic attention of Tony, the drug-addict brother of wing-king Rizza. Personality conflicts puts the escape in jeopardy and Frank is forced to find the energy and courage of the man he one was.

Genre: Thriller / Drama
UK release date: 11/04/2008
Starring: Brian Cox, Joseph Fiennes, Liam Cunningham
Directed by: Rupert Wyatt

Platinum Studios, an entertainment company that controls an international library of more than 3,800 comic book characters which it adapts, produces and licenses for all forms of media, will debut the 2007 Comic Book Challenge™ winner, Jorge Vega’s “Gunplay,” at Wizard World Los Angeles, March 14-16, 2008 at the Los Angeles Convention Center. The event also marks the launch of Platinum Studios’ 2008 Comic Book Challenge at www.ComicBookChallenge.com, where future Comic Book Challenge winners can find contest media and rules.

On Saturday, March 15, Vega and “Scrubs” star, Donald Faison will be on the convention floor autographing and selling copies of the preview edition of “Gunplay,” with all proceeds going to Camp Sunshine, a cause very close to the Vega family. Voted as the 2007 Agency of Distinction by United Way of Greater Portland and TD Banknorth, Camp Sunshine (www.campsunshine.org) is a year-round retreat which provides respite, support, joy and hope to children with life-threatening illnesses and their families. Camp Sunshine has been awarded top honors by Charity Navigator for four consecutive years; a distinction only shared by 5% of all charity’s rated by the leading charity evaluator.

“Vega has a true talent for storytelling and ‘Gunplay’ has been a phenomenal addition to our extensive library,” says Platinum Studios chairman and CEO, Scott Mitchell Rosenberg. “Finding raw, creative talent like his is the mission of our Comic Book Challenge and we are excited to announce the return of Comic Book Challenge in 2008 in which top talent will present concepts during the week of the annual San Diego International Comic-Con.”

“Gunplay” is the haunting tale of Abner Meeks, a Buffalo Soldier condemned to roam the Old West with a hellish curse slung at his waist - a demonic shooting iron that forces him to kill once a day or suffer soul-searing pain. His salvation lies in earning the trust of a boy he has never met; a boy with an agonizing secret of his own. The 32-page preview with backup prose by Christopher J. Priest (Black Panther, Quantum & Woody), invites readers to ride alongside Abner as he begins the transformation from ghoulish gunman to high plains folk hero.

“I am immensely proud and thankful to all who voted for ‘Gunplay’ said Vega. “Winning the Comic Book Challenge gave me a unique opportunity to work with a legend like Priest and the privilege to donate funds to a wonderful non-profit organization, Camp Sunshine. The Buffalo Solider is an iconic symbol in Black History and as a History teacher I have always been fascinated by this conflict-plagued era of America’s past. With the help of Donald Faison and Platinum Studios, the debut of ‘Gunplay’ and the chance to meet the fans will provide a truly special opportunity for my first graphic novel.”

For more information on the 2007 Winner of Platinum Studios’ Comic Book Challenge, please visit www.GunplayTheComic.com.

For Platinum Studios’ Wizard World signing schedule, please visit www.wizardworld.com/platinumboothschedule.html.

Platinum Studios (OTCBB: PDOS) is an entertainment company that controls an international library of comic book characters from all over the world, which it adapts, produces and licenses for all forms of media including print, film, online, mobile / wireless, gaming, and merchandising. Platinum Studios’ library contains more than 3,800 characters spanning a full range of genres and styles, and also includes properties such as www.DrunkDuck.com, the industry’s preeminent webcomics community. Working with leading companies in the entertainment and new media sectors, Platinum believes it is well positioned to emerge as one of the front-runners in the creation of new content across all media platforms. Platinum Studios - Comics Fueling Media EVERYWHERE!

GameFly, the leading online video game rental service, today announced the winners of their Fifth Annual Q Awards. Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare (Activision) was selected by GameFly subscribers as “Game of the Year” and also won individual honors for “Xbox 360 Game of the Year” and “PlayStation 3 Game of the Year.”

The Q Awards were created to give GameFly members, the largest and most discerning community of online video game renters, the ability to voice their opinion and to recognize publishers who create the best games.

In other categories, GameFly members recognized God of War II (SCEA) for “PlayStation 2 Game of the Year,” Ratchet and Clank: Size Matters (SCEA) for “PSP Game of the Year,” Super Mario Galaxy (Nintendo) for “Wii Game of the Year,” and The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass (Nintendo) for “Nintendo DS Game of the Year.”

“GameFly thanks all of its members for voting in the Fifth Annual Q Awards, our most successful to date, and congratulates all of the publishers who received awards,” said Sean Spector, co-founder and SVP of business development. “Our community truly appreciates the quality and hard work that goes into creating the best titles and we look forward to bringing more exciting games to our members in the coming year.”

The recipients of the GameFly Fifth Annual Q Awards are:

GAME OF THE YEAR
Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare (Activision)
BioShock (2K Games)
Halo 3 (Microsoft Game Studios)

PS3 GAME OF THE YEAR
Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare (Activision) winner
Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune (SCEA) 2nd place
Assassin’s Creed (Ubisoft) 3rd place

PS2 GAME OF THE YEAR
God of War II (SCEA) winner
Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock (Activision) 2nd place
Madden NFL ’08 (EA Sports) 3rd place

PSP GAME OF THE YEAR
Ratchet and Clank: Size Matters (SCEA) winner
Final Fantasy Tactics: War of the Lions (Square Enix) 2nd place
Castlevania: Dracula X Chronicle (Konamai) 3rd place

XBOX 360 GAME OF THE YEAR
Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare (Activision) winner
Halo 3 (Microsoft Game Studios) 2nd place
BioShock (2K Games) 3rd place

Wii GAME OF THE YEAR
Super Mario Galaxy Twilight Princess (Nintendo) winner
Resident Evil 4 (Capcom) 2nd place
Mario Party 8 (Nintendo) 3rd place

NINTENDO DS GAME OF THE YEAR
The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass (Nintendo) winner
Pokemon Diamond (Nintendo) 2nd place
Mario Party DS (Nintendo) 3rd place

The GameFly Q Awards are named for the GameQ, a GameFly subscriber’s video game wish list that members use to manage which games they want to rent and in what order. Winners of GameFly’s Fifth Annual Q Awards were voted on by GameFly subscribers from January 14 – February 11, 2008.