TOM ROTHMAN, CHAIRMAN AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER OF FOX FILMED ENTERTAINMENT TO RECEIVE INDUSTRY TRIBUTE AT IFP’S 21^st ANNUAL GOTHAM INDEPENDENT FILM AWARDS™

Monday, November 28^that Cipriani Wall Street

http://gotham.ifp.org

New York, NY (August 1, 2011) – The Independent Filmmaker Project (IFP), the nation’s oldest and largest organization of independent filmmakers, announced today that Tom Rothman, chairman and CEO of Fox Filmed Entertainment, will be presented with the 21st annual Industry Tribute at the 21^st Annual Gotham Independent Film Awards^™ on Monday, November 28^th at Cipriani Wall Street, in New York City.

Signaling the official kick-off for the film awards season, the Gotham Independent Film Awards^™ is one of the leading awards for independent film. Anchoring the evening’s seven competitive awards for Best Feature, Best Documentary, Breakthrough Director, Breakthrough Actor, Best Ensemble Performance, Best Film Not Playing at a Theater Near You and the new Audience Award are four tributes to film community icons, including the Industry Tribute, as well as a director, actor and an actress to be announced.

Each year, the Industry Tribute is awarded to a career veteran who has significantly influenced the motion picture business. Tom Rothman’s extensive experience in all facets of the film industry makes him the ideal recipient of this award. Mr. Rothman, in addition to overseeing some of the biggest blockbusters in motion picture history, has long been a steadfast supporter of independent cinema. In 1994, Mr. Rothman founded Fox Searchlight Pictures, which is one of the most successful producers and distributors of specialized fare in the industry, and continues to receive consistent and unwavering backing from its parent studio. Before Searchlight, Mr. Rothman began his film career in New York City at Samuel Goldwyn Films, where he served as President at then one of the most respected independent houses in the business.

Mr. Rothman is one of the longest tenured studio heads in the modern Hollywood era. During Mr. Rothman’s 17 years at Fox, the Studio has released such enduring films as “Black Swan,” “Cast Away,” “Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World,” “Walk the Line,” “The Devil Wears Prada,” “Water for Elephants,” “The Simpsons Movie,” the “X-Men” and “Ice Age” film series,  “Juno,” “Sideways,” “127 Hours,” “Little Miss Sunshine,” “Moulin Rouge,” and the two top grossing movies of all time: “Titanic” and “Avatar.”  Also during this period, Fox films were nominated for over 100 Academy Awards, winning three Best Picture awards, including “Slumdog Millionaire” in 2008; and Fox films have grossed more than $42 billion at the worldwide box office.

“We are truly honored to dedicate our Industry Tribute to Tom Rothman, who has made an indelible impact in the film community. Through his work, he has supported the spirit of independent film and given these voices the means to reach audiences, irrespective of the budget size of their work,” said Joana Vicente, Executive Director of the IFP.   “This year’s tribute embodies an astonishing breadth of work that we are proud to celebrate.”

Throughout his career, he has championed the work of many of the greatest filmmakers of the era, from supporting the early films of then emerging talents like Jim Jarmusch, Ang Lee, Kenneth Branagh, Anthony Minghella, Spike Lee, Danny Boyle, Baz Luhrmann and Bryan Singer to backing hugely ambitious undertakings by giants like James Cameron, Steven Spielberg, Robert Zemeckis, Ridley Scott and Peter Weir, among numerous others.

Rothman also currently writes and hosts a series on the Fox Movie Channel entitled Fox Legacy, giving history and commentary on classic films from the Fox library, which has received favorable notices in many publications, including The New York Times.

This year’s Gotham Awards tribute recipients join a prestigious group of previous honorees including: James Schamus, Bob & Harvey Weinstein, Mayor Michael Bloomberg, Sheila Nevins , David Linde, Jonathan Sehring  and film critic Roger Ebert; actors Robert Duval, Stanley Tucci, Natalie Portman, Javier Bardem, Pénelope Cruz and Kate Winslet; filmmakers Mira Nair, Gus Van Sant, Spike Lee and Martin Scorsese.

Nominees for the 21^st Anniversary Gotham Independent Film Awards^™ will be announced on October 20^th and winners will be honored at a star-studded ceremony at Cipriani Wall Street on November 28^th.  The submission deadline for this year’s Gotham Independent Film Awards is September 16th.

The Premier Sponsors of the 21st Annual Gotham Awards^™ are Royal Bank of Canada (RBC) and The New York Times, Presenting Sponsor euphoria Calvin Klein and Calvin Klein Collection, Official Sponsors Heineken USA, Russian Standard Vodka and Andaz Wall Street.  Additionally, the awards will be promoted nationally in an eight-page special advertising section in The New York Times on November 18th, 2011.

About Independent Filmmaker Project (IFP)

The Independent Filmmaker Project (IFP) is one of the nation’s oldest and largest not-for-profit advocacy organizations 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 has championed early work by pioneering, independent filmmakers, including Charles Burnett, Edward Burns, Jim Jarmusch, Barbara Kopple, Michael Moore, Mira Nair and Kevin Smith.

IFP represents a network of 10,000 filmmakers in New York City and around the world. 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 an Independent Film Week, The Gotham Awards, Filmmaking Labs and Seminars, and a range of programs to promote racial, ethnic, religious, ideological, gender and sexual diversity. IFP, often in collaboration with other cultural institutions, builds audiences by hosting premieres and special screenings.  The IFP fosters the development of 300 feature and documentary films each year. Recently, the organization licensed the popular Festival Genius software platform through which IFP now reaches over 200,000 film fans worldwide.

For more information: www.ifp.org

About the Gotham Independent Film Awards™

The Gotham Independent Film Awards, selected by distinguished juries and presented in New York City, the home of independent film, are the first honors of the film awards season. This public showcase honors the filmmaking community, expands the audience for independent films, and supports the work that IFP does behind the scenes throughout the year to bring such films to fruition.

For information on attending: http://gotham.ifp.org

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For additional information contact:

Marian Koltai-Levine – [email protected] – 212.373.6130

Freida Orange – [email protected] – 212.373.0114