Press Release: Unique, Creative, First of its Kind Contest - Who Wants to be an Executive Producer?

Feel free to pass this information along!
*************************************
How Do You Fund an Independent Film? One Essay at a time...

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Elizabeth Alraune
Phone: 818-584-1965
Email: info @ nominatedthemovie.com
Twitter: @JoLoPe

Fremont, CA, May 30, 2009

Dan Pavlik is a video producer by day, script writer by night, and lately, mostly a fundraiser. He spends the bulk of his time working to secure funds for his critically acclaimed comedy script, Nominated. He recently held an auction, and is currently running two other promotions - one with wine, the other with coffee. A couple of days ago he unveiled an essay contest with the prize being the title of Executive Producer on his film. All of this is a means to an end, which is raising $200,000.00 to cover the movie’s budget.

The script, which Pavlik co-wrote with writing partner David Baptist of Pleasanton, was selected by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences as being in the top 5 percent of 5,262 amateur scripts submitted to their 2008 Nicholl Fellowship for Screenwriting. The comedy was also selected as a semi-finalist in the 2009 Cinestory Screenwriting Awards, the winner of which will be announced later this year.

Bolstering Pavlik’s confidence in his material, many well-known actors have also expressed interest in the script, including Carl Lumbly of the TV show Alias. Carl recently signed on to play a supporting role in the movie. Other actors who have read the script include Willie Aames, Mariel Hemingway, and Brian Copeland of KGO Radio. Pavlik is also actively pursuing Dan Aykroyd to play a role.

So, with all this support, you’d think funding would be a slam dunk, right? Not the case. With a tough economic climate and a barren credit market, Pavlik has turned to what he calls “micro-funding” opportunities. He started a campaign called the “Coffee Challenge” which asks supporters to give up one Starbucks beverage and donate that money to the Nominated cause, and even enrolled his daughter, Sophia, to aid in the effort creating a video that can currently be seen on YouTube. Additionally, a local wine bar, Vida y Vino, is running a promotion all summer which donates a 25% of the proceeds from their “Director’s Cut Wine Flight” to the project.

To make a film independent of studio support and funding (especially in this environment) Pavlik is "encouraged" to be creative. He just unveiled his latest endeavor, which he hopes will go “viral” on the internet. It’s called The Executive Producer Essay Contest, and it gives contestants fifty words or less to explain why they should be the movie’s Executive Producer. There is one catch; each essay must include five words supplied by Pavlik: vindictive, superficial, validation, sleazeball, and gravy. That, and a $25 entrance fee, is all it takes to be in the running for the on-screen credit as Executive Producer. Along with the title, the winner also receives IMDB.com credit, one not easily come by.

The project is slated to shoot in the fall of this year, in locations spread around the Bay Area, as well as in Arnold, California. Pavlik and his team are furiously casting actors, securing locations, and aligning resources, all while promoting his film and essay contest on places like Twitter, Facebook, and Craigslist.

Movie Site:
http://www.nominatedthemovie.com
Essay Contest:
http://www.nominatedthemovie.com/exec_prod.htm
Coffee Challenge:
http://www.nominatedthemovie.com/coffee.htmm
Twitter page:
http://twitter.com/nominated

Contact Information:
Elizabeth Alraune
818-584-1965
Email: info @ nominatedthemovie.com
Twitter.com/JoLoPe

###