LOS ANGELES (January 3, 2011) The SAG Foundation together with Film Independent, the non-profit arts organization that produces the Los Angeles Film Festival and the Spirit Awards, today announced an expanded partnership for the 2012 Film Independent Spirit Awards Screening Series in association with Independent Filmmaker Project, and the NYIT Auditorium on Broadway. Under this agreement, the four organizations will come together to host the 2012 New York theatrical screenings Film Independent Spirit Award-nominated films.

The exclusive, members-only theatrical screening series will be held at the NYIT Auditorium on Broadway, an event space at New York Institute of Technology, in New York City from January 9 to February 10. This marks the 25th consecutive year that IFP members have voted to help determine the winners of the Independent Spirit Awards and the third consecutive year the SAG Foundation has teamed up with Film Independent.

“We are thrilled to be working with these incredible organizations in support of the Spirit Awards,” said Jill Seltzer, Executive Director, SAG Foundation. “This partnership maintains the Foundation’s commitment to actors, and celebrates this year’s achievements in independent film.” This expands on the existing relationship between Film Independent and the SAG Foundation, which previously centered around the SAG Foundation’s Actors Center hosting press screenings for the Los Angeles Film Festival.

“We think it’s important that the voting members of Film Independent and IFP receive as many opportunities as possible to view the Spirit Award-nominated films, especially on the big screen,” said Sean Mc Manus, Senior Director, Film Independent.  “Thanks to the generous support of the SAG Foundation and the NYIT Auditorium on Broadway, as an official Host Theater for the 2012 Film Independent Spirit Awards, our New York-based members and the members of IFP will get just that.”

“For 25 years, the members of IFP and Film Independent have voted to determine the winners of the Independent Spirit Awards.  Now more than ever, these votes, are vital in helping bring diverse independent voices to the mainstream,” said Joana Vicente, Executive Director, Independent Filmmaker Project (IFP).

“NYIT is honored to host these world-class events, especially because we are a global university,” said NYIT President Edward Guiliano. “This is an ideal partnership, since our campus is located at the world’s most important intersection of business and the arts.”

ABOUT THE FILM INDEPENDENT SPIRIT AWARDS

Now in its 27^th year, the Film Independent Spirit Awards is an annual celebration honoring artist-driven films made with an economy of means by filmmakers who embody independence and originality. The Spirit Awards recognizes the achievements of American independent filmmakers and promotes the finest independent films of the year to a wider audience.

Awards are given in the following categories: Best Feature, Best First Feature, Best First Screenplay, Best Director, Best Screenplay, John Cassavetes Award (given to the best feature made for a budget under $500,000), Best Male Lead, Best Female Lead, Best Supporting Male, Best Supporting Female, Best Cinematography, Best International Film, Best Documentary, and the Robert Altman Award.  The Filmmaker Grants include the Piaget Producers Award, Audi Someone to Watch Award, Nokia Truer Than Fiction Award and Jameson FIND Your Audience Award.

This year’s ceremony is sponsored by Premier Sponsors ELLE, Piaget, Jameson Irish Whiskey®, and Principal Sponsor Nokia.  WireImage is the Official Photographer of Film Independent, and PR Newswire is the Official Breaking News Service of Film Independent.

ABOUT INDEPENDENT FILMMAKER PROJECT

The Independent Filmmaker Project (IFP) is the nation’s oldest and largest not-for-profit advocacy organization for independent filmmakers. Since its debut at the 1979 New York Film Festival, IFP has supported the production of over 7,000 films and offered resources to more than 20,000 filmmakers, providing an opportunity for many diverse voices to be heard. IFP believes that independent films enrich the universal language of cinema, seeding the global culture with new ideas, kindling awareness, and fostering activism. The organization championed the early work of pioneering independent filmmakers Charles Burnett, Todd Haynes, Mira Nair, Michael Moore, Joel and Ethan Coen, Kevin Smith, and Todd Solondz. IFP continues to play a vital role in launching first films of many of today’s rising stars on the independent scene including Debra Granik (“Down to the Bone”), Miranda July (“Me, You and Everyone We Know”), and Ryan Fleck & Anna Boden (“Half Nelson”).

IFP represents a network of 10,000 filmmakers in New York City and around the world and fosters the development of 350 feature and documentary films each year. Through its workshops, seminars, conferences, mentorships, and Filmmaker Magazine, IFP schools its members in the art, technology, and business of independent filmmaking. The year-round program includes Independent Film Week, Envision, The Cross-Media Forum, The Gotham Awards, and the Independent Filmmaker Labs. IFP’s programs promote diverse voices in independent film by working to include racial, ethnic, religious, ideological, gender and sexual diversity. IFP, often in collaboration with other cultural institutions, builds audiences by hosting premieres and special screenings. For more information: www.ifp.org

ABOUT NYIT AUDITORIUM ON BROADWAY

A state-of-the-art event space just off Columbus Circle, the NYIT Auditorium on Broadway can accommodate a range of events, from conferences to film screenings, executive meetings to classy cocktail parties. A versatile, bi-level layout boasts a 262-seat auditorium and two reception areas including a glass-façade atrium and a lower-level concourse. For more information visit nyit.edu/aob.

For more information: nyit.edu/aob

New York Institute of Technology (NYIT) is a non-profit independent, private institution of higher education with more than 14,000 students attending campuses on Long Island and Manhattan, online, and at its global campuses. NYIT is guided by its mission to provide career-oriented professional education, offer access to opportunity to all qualified students, and support applications-oriented research that benefits the larger world. For more information, visit nyit.edu.

ABOUT SAG FOUNDATION

Founded in 1985, the Screen Actors Guild Foundation is an educational, humanitarian and philanthropic national non-profit organization. The mission of the Screen Actors Guild Foundation is to assist, educate and inspire actors toward their fullest potential in career, life and community. Our programs reflect the concerns and interests of SAG members as well as their desire to “give back” to their communities. Programs include an award winning children’s literacy The SAG Foundation is independent from SAG and relies solely on the support from grants, corporate sponsorships, bequests and individual contributions to maintain our programs and create new ones. Visit www.sagfoundation.org

For more information, please contact

SAG Foundation

Stacey Mooradian

424-288-4392

[email protected]