FILM LIFE LAUNCHES THE ABFF STAR PROJECT

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 17, 2009

CONTACT:
Ghana O. Wilson
Ghana@thefilmlife.com
646-375-2144 ext. 5

FILM LIFE LAUNCHES THE STAR PROJECT

Acting Competition is Sponsored by VIBE Magazine

New York, NY (BlackNews.com) - Film Life, Inc. announced today the launch of the American Black Film Festival (ABFF) Star Project, an international acting competition for multicultural artists. "We wanted to foster the discovery of emerging actors in the same way we have been at the forefront in nurturing and identifying the best and brightest independent filmmakers of color," said Jeff Friday, CEO of Film Life, Inc., and founder of ABFF. "We are very excited to be partnering with VIBE, and are looking forward to what promises to be an interesting competition," Friday added.

"Vibe is one of the country's leading urban brands and provides Film Life with valuable access to an amazing influencer audience of the undiscovered, as well as pop culture icons. We are delighted to have them as a media partner," said Dolly R. Turner, VP Sponsorship, Marketing and Strategic Partnerships.

The goal of The Star Project is to encourage serious pursuit of the craft of acting by providing a platform to spotlight talented yet undiscovered actors and support their career advancement. Entrants are required to submit a videotape performance of a monologue of their choice. The submission will be judged by a panel of talent agents and managers led by casting agent Winsome Sinclair, whose credits include Inside Man, Black Snake Moan, Best Man and Fast and the Furious 2, directed by John Singleton. Two winners, one male and one female, will receive an all-expense-paid trip to the ABFF, held June 24-27 in Miami, and will be acknowledged at the ABFF Independent Film Awards.

"As a casting director I both admire and respect the actor/actress and their craft; discovering and launching new talent is the best part of what I get to do," said Winsome Sinclair, president of Winsome Sinclair & Associates. "I am very excited about being a part of the ABFF Star Project and I look forward to discovering the next star along with the ABFF team," she added.

"VIBE magazine is proud to sponsor the newly created Star Project with Film Life," said Olivia Scott-Perkins, Associate Publisher of Marketing for VIBE. "As the definitive voice of urban culture, we want to help provide a platform for the next wave of hot, new talents to showcase their skills and take the film industry by storm."

Submissions are being accepted through March 27, 2009, and submission forms, contest guidelines and rules are available at www.abff.com or by calling 646-375-2144, ext 1.

Founded in 1997, the American Black Film Festival is an industry retreat and competitive marketplace for films by and about people of color. The festival's mission is to facilitate distribution opportunities for quality films and introduce the top echelon of emerging artists to the industry at large. Since its inception, the ABFF has premiered over 500 films, positioning it as the leading film festival for Black and urban content. The ABFF is a property of Film Life, Inc., a New York-based event marketing, production and distribution company founded in 2002 by Jeff Friday.

Corporate support for the 13th annual festival includes Founding & Premier Sponsor: Home Box Office, Inc.; Official Sponsor: Allstate; Supporting Sponsors: Nielsen Media Research, Nickelodeon and Miami Beach Visitor & Convention Authority; Industry Partners: Writer's Guild of America West, Film Florida, One Village Entertainment, Miami-Dade County Film & Entertainment Office; Media Partners: Essence, Vibe, Black Enterprise, Uptown, Upscale, Heart & Soul, Precious Times, Automotive Rhythms, Monarch and Black Noir.

With more than 8 million monthly readers worldwide, VIBE is a major influence on global music, life and style. The award-winning publication is the nation's leader in covering entertainment, fashion, politics and culture for a multicultural audience in print and online. VIBE's innovation, journalistic integrity, brand equity, and overall swagger make it the No. 1 reference choice among male and female trendsetters in small and large cities in the U.S. and abroad.

VIBE Media Group, an affiliate of the Wicks Group of Companies, LLC, is a leading music lifestyle media company that publishes VIBE magazine and produces myriad other VIBE branded properties including VIBE.com, V Hollywood, VIBE Yardfest, and VIBE Books, which published The New York Times bestseller Tupac Shakur. VIBE magazine was founded in 1993 by multitalented music mogul Quincy Jones.