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The Hollywood Reporter today announced the five films that are competing for the coveted title “Best Movie Campaign of the year” at the 37th annual Movie Marketing Key Art Awards. The inauguration of the “Best Campaign” award signifies the inception of what will likely become one of the most significant award categories for the show. The “Best Campaign” award reflects not just the creative materials developed for marketing purposes, but also the over-all strategy devised to overcome any obstacles faced in the launching of the film.

Among those that got it right this year are “I Am Legend,” “Juno,” “No Country for Old Men,” “The Simpsons Movie” and “Transformers.”

“For the first time in the history of the Movie Marketing Key Art Awards, we’re honoring the overall campaign. I suppose it could also be called ‘the Sum of All Parts’ award,” said Bob Israel, Chairman of the Key Art Awards Advisory Board. “It’s not just for the best trailer or the best poster. It’s the whole she-bang."

Movie marketing is different from the marketing of other consumer products released by major brands in that the majority of money spent on a movie campaign is spent in the month prior to the films release. “Huge sums of money are spent on opening a film and if a campaign misses the mark, it becomes next to impossible to turn things around. This can be particularly devastating for films in wide release—so it is incumbent upon the marketing team to get it right,” said Israel.

“It feels very fitting that after all these years, the Key Arts recognize the art of opening a movie . . . especially since it gets harder to attract audiences with every passing year,” continued Israel. To determine the “Best Campaign,” the Hollywood Reporter assembled a blue ribbon panel of judges, and had the cooperation and participation from major studios. Instrumental in those efforts were Terry Curtin, CEO Intralink and Craig Murray CEO Craig Murray Productions, who worked with the various studio entities and helped to gather the distinct panel of judges to determine the five finalists. The distinguished panel of judges includes such esteemed entertainment professionals as David Fincher, Andy Fogelson, Paula Franceschi, Mark Gill, Curtis Hanson, Bob Levin, Lucia Ludovico, Bill Mechanic, Joe Nimziki, Sandy Risenbach, Tony Seineger, Kevin Smith, Bruce Vilanch and Joel Wayne.

All Key Art Award winners - spanning over 31 categories including posters, trailers, TV spots, print, outdoor, internet, home entertainment and co-branded advertising - will be announced on Friday, June 13, 2008 at the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza. Actor-comedian Jeff Garlin will act as host serving up the evening’s laughs while honoring the movie marketing industry’s finest. Tickets can be purchased online at www.keyartaward.com.

The Hollywood Reporter’s Movie Marketing Key Art Awards are sponsored by the LA Times, Weston Mason, and Menagerie Creative. Crew Creative is the Student Competition sponsor. Nielsen Research Group administered and tabulated the ballots, and will also determine the winners in each category.
Now in its 79th year, The Hollywood Reporter covers the business of the global entertainment industry via a network of media outlets. They include the print daily and weekly editions, the web site, various electronic-media offerings, and high-profile events such as the annual Key Art Awards and Women in Entertainment. The Reporter’s team of reporters and news editors number more than 60, with representatives in most of the world's major cities. The first Hollywood-based daily trade newspaper covering the entertainment industry began publishing September 3, 1930. Its founder was William R. Wilkerson, who remained publisher and Editor-in-Chief of the paper for more than 30 years.

Akamai, the leader in powering rich media, dynamic transactions and enterprise applications online, today announced the release of its inaugural “State of the Internet” report available for download at www.akamai.com/stateoftheinternet.

Beginning with the January to March 2008 time period (first quarter), Akamai will be publishing a quarterly “State of the Internet” report extrapolated from data gathered across Akamai’s global server network. This report will include data on the origins of attack traffic, network outages and de-peering events, as well as a look at broadband connectivity by geography. In addition to providing a quarterly summary, Akamai will document trends seen in this data over time.

Akamai’s report will also aggregate publicly available news and information about notable events seen throughout the quarter, including Denial of Service attacks, Web site hacks, and network events.

During the first quarter of 2008, for example, Akamai observed attack traffic originating from 125 unique countries around the world. China and the United States were the two largest attack traffic sources, accounting for some 30 percent of this traffic in total. Akamai observed attack traffic targeted at 23 unique network ports. Many of the ports that saw the highest levels of attack traffic were targeted by worms, viruses, and bots that spread across the Internet several years ago.

A number of major network “events” occurred during the first quarter that impacted millions of Internet users. At the end of January, undersea cable cuts in the Mediterranean Sea severed Internet connectivity between the Middle East and Europe, drastically slowing communications. De-peering events between major networks impacted Internet communications for selected Internet users in the United States and Europe for a two-week period. A routing change by a telecommunications provider spread across the Internet resulting in a popular Internet video sharing site to go offline for several hours.

Akamai also observed that, from a global perspective, South Korea had the highest measured levels of “high broadband” (>5 Mbps) connectivity. In the United States, Delaware topped the list, with over 60 percent of connections to Akamai occurring at 5 Mbps or greater. At the other end of the bandwidth spectrum, Rwanda and the Solomon Islands topped the list of slowest countries, with 95 percent or more of the connections to Akamai from both countries occurring at below 256 Kbps. In the United States, Washington State and Virginia turned in the highest percentages of sub-256 Kbps connections. However, in contrast to the international measurements, these states only saw 21 and 18 percent of connections below 256 Kbps respectively.

“Akamai is in a unique position to provide an in-depth look at the current state of the Internet and illuminate emerging trends,” said Brad Rinklin, vice president of marketing, Akamai. “Our hope is that this report will serve as a key indicator on important developments with the Internet, and provide guidance to companies launching initiatives that leverage the Internet as a primary delivery mechanism.”

Akamai is planning to release its second quarter “State of the Internet” report in August.

Akamai provides market-leading managed services for powering rich media, dynamic transactions, and enterprise applications online. Having pioneered the content delivery market one decade ago, Akamai's services have been adopted by the world's most recognized brands across diverse industries. The alternative to centralized Web infrastructure, Akamai's global network of tens of thousands of distributed servers provides the scale, reliability, insight and performance for businesses to succeed online. An S&P 500 and NASDAQ 100 company, Akamai has transformed the Internet into a more viable place to inform, entertain, interact, and collaborate. To experience The Akamai Difference, visit www.akamai.com.

Cobb Theatres, one of the most respected names in entertainment, is celebrating the launch of the definitive movie going experience with the opening of its first CINÉBISTRO at Dolphin Mall. CINÉBISTRO, which debuts May 30th, will offer movie-goers the finest cinema experience combined with innovative cuisine. Cinebistro also features an exceptional assortment of wines and premium cocktails enhanced by cutting edge ambiance.

CINÉBISTRO is designed for anyone 21 and over who has a passion for movies and a palate for great food, in an environment unlike anything they have ever experienced. Each CINÉBISTRO features an upscale, yet inviting and comfortable atmosphere in which to dine while watching a major motion picture.

These unique venues are built specifically with the discriminating movie-going and gourmet-dining customer in mind; each of the unique screening rooms is appointed with the latest digital cinema technology and sound quality the industry has to offer, as well as being outfitted with ultra-luxurious high-back leather rocking chairs and handmade cocktail tables. Seating is individually chosen and reserved online by a concierge and guests will “walk the red carpet” from the time they are valet-parked to the time they leave.

A true “night out experience,” Cobb’s CinéBistro offers movie aficionados an upscale, stylish setting that allows for interaction before and after each showing.

“The Dolphin Mall entertains 1.6 million guests per month, making it the ideal choice to launch this innovative concept,” said Cobb Theatres COO, Jeremy Welman. “The sophisticated, contemporary, adults-only atmosphere presented by CINÉBISTRO is perfect for South Florida’s chic set looking for a place to mingle, enjoy great food and drink, and watch a great film.”

Located within Dolphin Mall at 11401 Northwest 12th Street in Miami, Cobb Theatre’s CINÉBISTRO has been designed by renowned Zyscovich Architects and will feature five designated theatres that accommodate between 60 to 100 people. CINÉBISTRO will also feature a dining room seating 60 and an additional 24 on its private patio. The dining room features a sleek “black box” concept – a highly flexible performance space named for its black, box-like appearance with primary focus on the stage -- highlighted by custom murals, and enchanting gold Philippe Starck designed chairs and bar stools.

Cobb has partnered with 4 diamond award-winning chef Alan Lake to develop a menu to delight movie-goers. Originally from Chicago, Lake has recently worked in Japan, Dublin and Zurich and was a force behind Chicago’s East Bank Club and the Sunset Marquis in Los Angeles. Chef Lake also was the opening chef at Delray Beach’s renowned Sundy House and was the 3 time winner of the Professional Chef’s Competition at the Delray Beach Garlic Festival.

The menu features items such as Crab Salad with Mango, Avocado, Grilled Asparagus and Hearts of Palm or Yellowtail Snapper a la Margarita sautéed with Tequila and Lime. A variety of Latin themed Tapas are also available.

CINÉBISTRO’s Miami location is the first in a national roll-out. A Tampa location is scheduled to open later this summer, followed by the Town Brookhaven project in the Buckhead section of Atlanta, and Daytona Live! located at the Daytona International Speedway.

Guests can reserve seats through CINÉBISTRO’s Web site at www.cobbcinebistro.com. Admission includes complimentary valet parking.

Thought Equity Motion, the world's largest supplier of online content licensing and management services, and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios (MGM) have formed an agreement which will provide producers and media professionals around the world digital access to stock footage from MGM's film and television library.

The agreement calls for Thought Equity to be the official licensing agent for stock footage from select films in the MGM library.

"With the ever-increasing demand for high quality footage from new media and traditional entertainment professionals, it's the perfect time for us to be entering the stock footage business given the breadth and depth of the MGM library," said Jim Packer, co-President, MGM Worldwide Television. "Thought Equity offers superior technology platforms and innovative strategies that will create new revenue streams for our operation. They are reshaping the industry with applications that get producers what they want, when they want it."

"Our goal is to provide producers access to footage created by the most talented production crews in the world," said Kevin Schaff, founder and CEO of Thought Equity Motion. "Every shot in the MGM collection is unique, there's nothing exactly like it anywhere. This is the first time this collection is available for licensing, and we're providing access in high definition and 2K scan formats. With the addition of the MGM collection, ThoughtEquity.com represents the majority of the licensable content in Hollywood and is the preferred destination for feature film and television producers around the world."

MGM joins Thought Equity's client list, which also includes Paramount Pictures, Sony Pictures, HBO, NBC News and National Geographic, among others.

The MGM library contains images from over 4,000 films and over 10,000 hours of television programs. Offering MGM's legendary entertainment library bolsters Thought Equity Motion’s position as the sole destination for high-production value entertainment content. For additional information on the MGM collection, please visit www.ThoughtEquity.com/MGM.

Thought Equity Motion is the world leader in providing access to high quality film, video and music content. The company’s forward-thinking approach to digital video has produced an array of products and services to meet the exploding demand of new media. Widely recognized for its expertise in licensing rights, Thought Equity Motion is the licensing agent for renowned media companies including Paramount Pictures, MGM, NBC News, HBO, National Geographic, Sony Pictures, the NCAA and hundreds of others. With offices located around the world, Thought Equity Motion offers the broadest, deepest content collection available. This vast collection, combined with leading-edge technology, makes Thought Equity Motion the preferred destination for multimedia professionals. For more information, go to www.thoughtequity.com.

The Visitor has become the year's breakout independent film hit, and has received some of the best reviews of any film released this year.

Tom McCarthy's The Visitor, starring Richard Jenkins, was produced by Groundswell Productions and Participant Media, and was released by Overture Films. The Visitor has grossed more than $4.5 million in its seven weeks of limited release, and due to its success, it has recently expanded to 270 theaters. Despite the modest number of theaters, this past weekend - for the second weekend in a row - The Visitor has been placed among the top ten films at the national box office, according to Rentrak. It's the first specialty film since awards season to make it into the top ten.

Since it first opened in New York and Los Angeles on April 11th, the film has actually seen a weekly increase in many theaters around the country; last weekend, it did either the same business or better in 59 of the 224 theaters where it was playing.

This remarkable hold is largely due to a highly enthusiastic word-of-mouth surrounding the film, which was carefully nurtured with an extremely robust pre-release screening program that kicked-off at last fall's Toronto Film Festival, and was followed by several other festival screenings such as, Sundance, South by Southwest and Miami, as well as screenings for special interest groups.

The Visitor's movie trailer and social action campaign site for the film, www.TakePart.com/TheVisitor, focuses on the film's issues of hardship and abuse faced by immigrants and detainees in the U.S. since 9/11. Groups involved in this campaign include such non-governmental organizations as the ACLU, Active Voice, Amnesty International, Detention Watch Network and others.

Among the various initiatives included in the social action campaign is the opportunity for lawyers to receive special training in the representation of detainees, as Participant and the National Legal Sanctuary for Community Involvement will be sponsoring workshops around the country beginning this June.

For information regarding this and other social action initiatives, go to www.Takepart.com/TheVisitor.

About the film:

In a world of six billion people, it only takes one to change your life.

The film is actor and filmmaker Tom McCarthy's follow-up to his award winning directorial debut The Station Agent. Richard Jenkins (Six Feet Under) stars as Walter, a disillusioned Connecticut economics professor who goes to New York City to attend a conference and discovers Tarek (Haaz Sleiman) and Zainab (Danai Gurira), a young immigrant couple, living in his apartment. Reluctantly, he allows them--victims of a real estate scam--to stay with him, and a friendship between the two men begins to blossom, revitalizing Walter's faltering spirit.

After Tarek is arrested as an undocumented citizen and held for deportation, Walter finds himself compelled to help his new friend with a passion he thought he had long ago lost. And when Tarek's beautiful mother Mouna (Hiam Abbass) arrives unexpectedly in search of her son, the professor's personal commitment develops into an unlikely romance.

Participant Media is the leading provider of entertainment that inspires and compels social change. It is a Los Angeles-based production company that focuses on socially relevant, commercially viable feature films and documentaries. Participant Media is headed by CEO Jim Berk and President Ricky Strauss and was founded in 2004 by philanthropist Jeff Skoll, who serves as Chairman.

Participant's 2008 releases include Brett Morgen's Chicago 10, Tom McCarthy's The Visitor, Errol Morris' Standard Operating Procedure, which was awarded the coveted Silver Bear Grand Jury Prize at the 2008 Berlin International Film Festival, and Jennifer Grausman and Mark Becker's Pressure Cooker. Recent films include Louise Hogarth's Angels in the Dust, Jonathan Demme's Jimmy Carter Man From Plains, Ted Braun's Darfur Now, Marc Forster's The Kite Runner, Mike Nichols' Charlie Wilson's War, George Clooney's Good Night and Good Luck, Stephen Gaghan's Syriana, Niki Caro's North Country and Davis Guggenheim's Academy Award®-winning An Inconvenient Truth, one of the highest grossing documentaries in history. For information, visit www.participantmedia.com.

TakePart.com is a social action network™ where you connect actions to entertainment to make change. Powered by Participant Media, TakePart.com is where users inspire, connect, and act to change the world. Join TakePart today: http://www.takepart.com.

Filming is underway on Ninja Assassin, being directed by James McTeigue (V for Vendetta) from a screenplay by Matthew Sand and J. Michael Straczynski. Joel Silver, Grant Hill, Larry Wachowski and Andy Wachowski are producing, with Thomas Tull, Jon Jashni and William Fay serving as executive producers.

Ninja Assassin stars Korean pop star Rain (Speed Racer) as the central character, Raizo; Naomie Harris (Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End) as Europol researcher Mika Coretti; Ben Miles (V for Vendetta) as Europol Agent Ryan Maslow; legendary martial arts performer Sho Kosugi (Revenge of the Ninja) as the ruthless leader of the Ozunu Clan; and Rick Yune (Die Another Day) as Raizo’s rival, Takeshi.

Principal photography is taking place at Babelsberg Studios and on location in various parts of Berlin.

Ninja Assassin follows Raizo (Rain), one of the deadliest assassins in the world. Taken from the streets as a child, he was transformed into a trained killer by the Ozunu Clan, a secret society whose very existence is considered a myth. But haunted by the merciless execution of his friend by the Clan, Raizo breaks free from them…and vanishes. Now he waits, preparing to exact his revenge.

In Berlin, Europol agent Mika Coretti (Naomie Harris) has stumbled upon a money trail linking several political murders to an underground network of untraceable assassins from the Far East. Defying the orders of her superior, Ryan Maslow (Ben Miles), Mika digs into top secret agency files to learn the truth behind the murders. Her investigation makes her a target, and the Ozunu Clan sends a team of killers, led by the lethal Takeshi (Rick Yune), to silence her forever. Raizo saves Mika from her attackers, but he knows that the Clan will not rest until they are both eliminated. Now, entangled in a deadly game of cat and mouse through the streets of Europe, Raizo and Mika must trust one another if they hope to survive…and finally bring down the elusive Ozunu Clan.

The behind-the-scenes creative team includes director of photography Karl Walter Lindenlaub, production designer Graham Grace Walker, costume designer Carlo Poggioli and editor Giancarlo Ganziano. The Wachowski brothers’ longtime stunt coordinators Chad Stahelski and David Leitch are also on board as second unit co-directors.

Ninja Assassin is a Warner Bros. Pictures presentation in association with Legendary Pictures and Dark Castle Entertainment.

Star Wars fans of all ages throughout Asia are gearing up for an event 30 years in the making at CELEBRATION JAPAN, a massive three-day Star Wars party to be held at the Makuhari Messe center from July 19 to July 21.

The festivities commemorate the 30th anniversary of the Japanese release of Star Wars in 1978, and cap off an unprecedented year of global celebrations, which began last May in Los Angeles with Celebration IV, continued in London with Celebration Europe,and now, for the first time ever, is coming to the Tokyo area with STAR WARS CELEBRATION JAPAN.


The three days of Star Wars excitement will also help usher in a new era of Star Wars entertainment that begins in August, with the theatrical release of the first-ever animated Star Wars adventure, Star Wars: The Clone Wars. Fans at CELEBRATION JAPAN will get a glimpse of exclusive moments from the groundbreaking new movie from Star Wars creator George Lucas and Lucasfilm Animation, and will also have a chance to meet the movie’s director, Dave Filoni.
Other highlights of the weekend festival, which will appeal to multiple generations of Star Wars fans and families, include:

• Appearances by many celebrities including actors Carrie Fisher (Princess Leia) and Mark Hamill (Luke Skywalker), making a rare appearance at a Star Wars fan event;
• Presentation of the acclaimed Vader Project, an art installation that filters the essence of Darth Vader, Dark Lord of the Sith, through the eyes of popular modern artists and designers – including never-before-seen Vader helmets created by well-known Japanese artists;
• An autograph hall, where fans can purchase photos to be autographed by a number of Star Wars actors and celebrities who will be in attendance;
• Spectacular photo backdrops and replica props and sets, where fans can photograph themselves as part of the Star Wars galaxy;
• Costume contests, highlighting the exceptional costuming talent of Star Wars fans in Japan;
• Special “Jedi Training” and a Star Wars “Family Area” for young fans to share the excitement with their parents and relatives;
• A floor filled with exhibitors and dealers who will be selling both new and vintage Star Wars items in every price range.
• An exclusive Star Wars CELEBRATION JAPAN store, where items can be found that aren’t available anywhere else in the galaxy!

CELEBRATION JAPAN is expected to draw thousands of fans from Japan and throughout Asia and the world, highlighting the popularity of the Star Wars movies and the influence they have had on Japanese and Asian popular culture – and the influence Asia and Japan have had on Star Wars.


“Bringing our Star Wars Celebration to Japan is enormously exciting,” said Steve Sansweet, Director of Fan Relations for Lucasfilm Ltd. “We are creating an event that has something for every member of the family, and touches on the unique spirit and enthusiasm that Japanese fans have for the Star Wars Saga.”


Tickets to STAR WARS CELEBRATION JAPAN are on sale now and can be purchased at www.celebrationjapan.jp (Japanese), or at www.celebrationjapan.com (English), where continually updated news on CELEBRATION JAPAN can also be found.

Today the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health marked the one-year anniversary of the Motion Picture Association of America’s (MPAA) pledge to address the impact of smoking in movies aimed at teen audiences by calling the MPAA’s efforts lackluster. Public Health, joined by representatives from the California Medical Association, University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) Smoke-free Movies Project, Breathe California Thumbs Up! Thumbs Down! Project, and the American Medical Association Alliance urged Hollywood to address the fact that smoking in movies is a powerful pro-tobacco influence on children.

New research released by Public Health confirms the effect smoking in movies is having on California youth between 13 and 17 years of age.
Key findings include:

• Among youth who reported seeing smoking in movies occasionally or hardly ever, only 13.5 percent started smoking. That number jumped dramatically to 21.8 percent among youth who reported seeing smoking in almost all movies.
• 37 percent of teens who said they saw frequent tobacco use by actors in movies, videos and on TV admitted that they also smoke or have tried smoking.
• Among Asian-American youth who reported seeing smoking in movies occasionally or hardly ever, 11.3 percent started smoking. However, that number jumped more than three times to 38.9 percent among those who reported seeing smoking in almost all movies.
• Among Latino youth who reported seeing smoking in movies occasionally or hardly ever, 12.6 percent started smoking. That number more than doubled to 27.3 percent among those who reported seeing smoking in almost all movies.

“These findings are a disturbing affirmation of the impact of smoking in youth-rated films, especially for Latinos and Asian Americans,” said Dr. Jonathan E. Fielding, MD, MPH, Public Health Director and County Health Officer. “Hollywood needs to recognize that what youth see on the big screen affects their health habits, and that the impact of smoking in movies cannot be underestimated. Eliminating tobacco use in youth-rated movies is critical in our effort to reduce the number of young people who start smoking.”


These findings are consistent with other national surveys of teen smoking behavior. A five-year study by scientists at Dartmouth released in 2001 suggests that an estimated 52 percent of tobacco use initiation is directly attributable to tobacco use in movies. The study also found that adolescents who viewed their favorite movie stars smoking on the big screen were significantly more likely to imitate their heroes and become smokers themselves. The study shows these adolescents were also significantly more likely to show a greater acceptance toward smoking than adolescents who prefer non-smoking actors.


Also released today, a report by researchers from UCSF and Breathe California of Sacramento-Emigrant Trails shows that the MPAA has failed to adequately include smoking as a factor when rating movies one year after pledging to do so. The audit of the MPAA’s tobacco-rating practices found no substantial change in the percentage of G, PG, and PG-13 films with tobacco scenes since the new ratings plan was announced. While there was a reduction in the number of tobacco incidents in PG-13 movies, the percentage of youth-rated films with smoking has not decreased.
Although there are fewer incidents of smoking in movies, MPAA has not changed their ratings to reflect on-going tobacco use that still appear in films. We are asking MPAA to adopt four policies:


1. Rating new movies that show tobacco use “R”. The only exception should be when the presentation of tobacco clearly and unambiguously reflects the dangers and consequences of tobacco use or is necessary to represent the smoking of a real historical figure;


2. Certification that there were no pay-offs for using or displaying tobacco;


3. No tobacco brand identification;


4. Strong anti-smoking ads before movies with smoking.


“It is clear that Hollywood’s attempt at dealing with this problem via the MPAA’s tobacco-rating policy announced last year has proven to be woefully inadequate,” noted Stanton Glantz, professor of medicine at UCSF. “The reality is that mainstream movies continue to deliver billions of tobacco impressions and are a strong recruiter of new teen smokers. Further delay in substantially reducing youth exposure to on-screen tobacco imagery, in full knowledge of the massive health consequences, is irresponsible and unacceptable.”


Studies show that one way to reduce the negative impact of smoking scenes in movies is to expose teens to an anti-smoking message prior to watching a movie. Based on this research, Public Health is launching a new 15-second anti-smoking trailer to run in theaters this summer. The messages in the trailer are specifically tailored to resonate with young people, using a humorous approach with reasons not to smoke in youth-oriented, relatable terms. The trailer will initially run in selected theaters throughout LA County before every movie. The trailer will also be made available to air in local communities throughout California and the nation.


“Hollywood cannot underestimate the horrific toll that smoking in movies will have on the health of an entire generation,” said Dr. Richard Frankenstein, president of the California Medical Association. “Research has shown that U.S. deaths attributable to youth exposure to on-screen tobacco will be greater than drunk driving, drug abuse, criminal violence and HIV/AIDS combined. The time is now to get smoking out of youth-rated films.”


The Department of Public Health is committed to protecting and improving the health of the nearly 10 million residents of Los Angeles County. Through a variety of programs, community partnerships and services, Public Health oversees environmental health, disease control, and community and family health. Public Health comprises more than 4,000 employees and an annual budget exceeding $750 million. To learn more about Public Health and the work we do, please visit http://www.publichealth.lacounty.gov.

Hollywood News Network announces the launch of HollywoodNews.com, a leading-edge entertainment and news site for celebrity, fashion, gossip, movie, music, TV and video enthusiasts.

"Our vision provides for users to discover and share content related to entertainment and Hollywood from anywhere on the Web. HollywoodNews.com is the one-stop shop for the best entertainment and Hollywood-related content on the Web as voted on and defined by our members. We are about empowering the people in our website. We don't have editors; we have loyal visitors who discover the best of the Web and share it for everyone to see. We are the pulse of new Hollywood," Carlos de Abreu said.

HollywoodNews.com provides interactive community voting for favorite news items across the web. It works like and interactive map to the best entertainment and Hollywood content. In addition, users can promote their film, music, video, photos, TV shows or Webisodes online.

"We want not only the people who share the same intense passion for celebrities, fashion, movies, music, TV and videos, but also the public at large, up-and-coming talent, and Hollywood executives and publicists to join our community and to be able to highlight their films, music, TV shows and videos," de Abreu said.

HollywoodNews.com is everything entertainment and Hollywood.

For more information, go to www.hollywoodnews.com.

Los Angeles-based Australians in Film (AiF), the preeminent organization for expatriate Australians in the entertainment industry, is holding its fourth annual Breakthrough Awards to honor up-and-coming Australian actresses Abbie Cornish (Stop Loss) and Mia Wasikowska (In Treatment) on June 5, 2008, it was announced today by Susie Dobson, president of AiF. As part of the organization’s program to support emerging talent from Australia, Dobson also announced that AiF has established the Heath Ledger Scholarship Fund which will be presented annually to a young Australia-based actor to help them pursue their dream in Hollywood. The first Scholarship recipient to receive a financial contribution from AiF will be announced in 2009.

The Heath Ledger Scholarship is named in honor of Ledger who was an Ambassador for AiF before his untimely death in January 2008 and has the full support of the Heath Ledger family.

“Australians in Film is pleased to recognize the efforts and talents of Australia’s newest faces who are already proving they are on their way to join the ranks of the high-profile Australian talent working in Hollywood,” comments Dobson. “We are also thrilled that we will be able to assist burgeoning Australian talent launch their career in the States to become potential future recipients of a Breakthrough Award.”

The Breakthrough Awards’ exclusive invitation-only evening will again be held poolside at the Avalon Hotel in Beverly Hills and will be attended by 150 of Hollywood’s elite. The Master of Ceremonies will be Showtime Australia’s award-winning, Hollywood-based entertainment correspondent, Andrew Warne.

Each of the 2008 Breakthrough Award recipients will be presented with AiF’s Golden Boomerang award as an acknowledgment of their achievements as Australia’s brightest young talents emerging in Hollywood.

Abbie Cornish was first recognized in the U.S. for her award-winning starring role in the independent Australian film Somersault (2004) with Sam Worthington followed by Candy (2006) opposite Heath Ledger. Most recently Cornish was seen in Shekhar Kapur’s Elizabeth: the Golden Age with Cate Blanchett, Kimberly Peirce’s Stop Loss opposite Ryan Philippe and will soon be seen in Jane Campion’s upcoming Bright Star.

Mia Wasikowska first appeared in the Australian hit television series All Saints before appearing as a regular in the HBO psychotherapist drama In Treatment with Gabriel Byrne. Wasikowska will soon be seen in Edward Zwick’s Defiance alongside Daniel Craig, Liev Shreiber and Jamie Bell and is currently filming Mira Nair’s Amelia with Hilary Swank and Richard Gere.

Founded in May 2001, to celebrate and support the work of Australian film and TV makers, Los Angeles based Australians in Film has held nearly 100 screenings, premieres and special events and currently has over 500 members. Australians in Film Ambassadors include Australian Oscar-winning actors Cate Blanchett (The Aviator 2005), Nicole Kidman (The Hours, 2002), Russell Crowe (Gladiator, 2000) and Geoffrey Rush (Shine, 1996), Oscar-winning director Mel Gibson (Braveheart 1995, The Passion of the Christ, 2004) and 30 other internationally known stars and film-makers including Hugh Jackman, Fred Schepisi and Naomi Watts.

Australians in Film is proud to have the support of the Australian Government and to receive the support of Gold sponsors Avid, MacCorkindale Alonso & Holton, Tourism Australia, Qantas and Stacey Testro International. Silver sponsors are AUSFILM, Austrade, Cooronbong, Stage & Screen Travel Services and Tourism Queensland. Bronze sponsors are Loeb & Loeb, Penfolds and Rosemount Estate. AiF’s media partner is Getty Images. For further information please visit www.australiansinfilm.org.