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Contact: Eric Sloss
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Steeltown Entertainment Project Pays Tribute Co-Founder Ellen Weiss Kander During its Short Film Competition Final, May 11

Pittsburgh, PA - May 2, 2013 - Steeltown Entertainment Project will pay tribute to its co-founder, the late Ellen Weiss Kander in a world premiere short film during Steeltown Film Factory's final winner announcement on Saturday, May 11 at Carnegie Mellon University's Phillip Chosky Theater. The event begins at 11 a.m. with doors opening at 10:30 a.m. Tickets are $10 for general admission and $5 for students. Tickets will be available at the door.

"It is fitting to pay tribute to Ellen with a film and an award in her honor at the Steeltown Film Factory. This competition is one of the many successful and innovative initiatives she started for the Steeltown Entertainment Project," said Carl Kurlander, President and CEO of the Steeltown Entertainment Project. "Because of her, the Film Factory has been a driving force connecting top Hollywood film and television writers, actors, and executives with Pittsburgh's emerging talent and original voices in this region."

The three Film Factory finalists will have their scripts performed by CMU drama students and another all-star panel of judges including Steeltown co-founder and writer/producer Maxine Lapiduss ("Roseanne", "Ellen") and her writer/producer sister Sally Lapiduss, ("Mad About You", "Hannah Montana"), "Somewhere" producer Youree Henley whose new film "Bling Ring" written and directed by Sofia Coppola and starring Emma Watson premieres at Cannes next week, and Michael Killen, owner of Animal, a leading visual effects and media company in Pittsburgh which also produced the film "Blood Brother" which won the Grand Jury Prize and Audience Award at Sundance.   

The finalists (and their films) are listed in alphabetical order: deaf-interpreter Heather Gray ("Life After Deaf"), CMU faculty member and playwright Dennis Schebetta ("My Date With Adam"), and Point Park graduate and graphic artist Glenn Syska ("The Sketch").  (Their scripts can be read at www.steeltownfilmfactory.org)   They will win either a portion or the entire $30,000 prize and one will be awarded the 2^nd Annual Ellen Weiss Kander Award.

The tribute film features Steeltown co-founder Maxine Lapiduss and longtime Steeltown advisers, Rob Marshall, director ("Pirates of the Caribbean", "Chicago" and the upcoming "Into The Woods" with Meryl Streep and Johnny Depp); Eric Gold, entertainment industry manager for Jim Carrey and many other A-list actors; and actor David Conrad, ("Ghost Whisperer") discussing Ellen's remarkable and inspiring leadership role in helping Pittsburgh create a vibrant and sustainable entertainment industry.   

"Ellen was magnetic, she had the ability to pull people together from all types of sectors to build the foundation for Pittsburgh's thriving entertainment industry as we know it today," Kurlander said.

Now in its fourth year, the Steeltown Film Factory competition successfully connects top Hollywood film and television professionals with local, emerging talent. The Film Factory has mentored more than 1,300 aspiring filmmakers through workshops and panels with Hollywood professionals; inspired local writers to submit over 660 short scripts to the competition; facilitated production of at least eight short films by local talent, some of which have been picked up for distribution, screened at national film festivals and at Lionsgate and purchased by major production companies; and engaged over 125 industry professionals in Los Angeles, New York City, and Pittsburgh as Film Factory advisers.

As a direct result of this engagement these professionals have pitched more than 20 projects for production in Pittsburgh, six of which have been produced or are currently in pre-production.  On May 11, when the 2nd Annual Ellen Weiss Kander Award will be announced, Steeltown Film Factory will have given away $120,000 to promising filmmakers in Pittsburgh. 

For more information about the Steeltown Entertainment Project and the Film Factory competition, visit steeltownfilmfactory.org. Steeltown Entertainment Project's mission is to build a thriving, sustainable entertainment industry in the Pittsburgh region. The Film Factory is one of many programs initiated by the Steeltown Entertainment Project, others include educating youth, discovering talent, building connections with industry professionals and investing in media projects.

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Contact: Eric Sloss
es@shiftcollaborative.com
412.480.7246
Steeltown Film Factory Announces Competition Finalists
12 writers and their scripts will compete on March 23, 2013

Pittsburgh, Pa., March 12, 2013 -- The Steeltown Entertainment Project is proud to announce the 2013 Film Factory competition finalists. This year, 12 scripts have been chosen from a record 256 entries. The writers will pitch their short film ideas to a panel of entertainment industry professionals during FILM FACTORY: The Writer's Pitch, to be held at 11 a.m. on March 23 at the University of Pittsburgh's Frick Fine Arts Building. Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for students. Now in its fourth year, the competition successfully connects top Hollywood film and television professionals with local, emerging talent.

"This year's entries are outstanding and highlight the wealth of talent here in Pittsburgh," Carl Kurlander, Steeltown Entertainment Project's President and CEO, said. "The Film Factory Competition proves that our region has what it takes to be a player in creating world-class entertainment. We are excited that previous Film Factory finalists have had their films screened at national festivals, picked up for distribution, and bought by a major Hollywood studio. And the competition continues to grow at a rapid pace and provide aspiring filmmakers with an unparalleled opportunity to showcase their skills."

The finalists (and their films) are in alphabetical order: Randy Baumann (Tire Stem Sushi), Brandon Clemens (Meet-Cute), Laci Corridor (Two Thousand Bridges), Jarrett Fisher-Forester (The Escapist), Kevin Fuller (Cruelty Towards Animals), Heather Gray (Life After Deaf), Bruce Johnson (Fish), Samuel Krebs (Couriers), Dennis Schebetta (My Date With Adam), Glenn Syska (The Sketch), Cameron Roeback (The Greater Image), and Dan Wilkerson (Secondhand Start).

Panelists from Los Angeles, New York and Pittsburgh, including Pittsburgh Northside native, Rusty Cundieff, director, writer and actor for various movies and television programs including Comedy Central's Chappelle's Show and as director of the horror anthology Tales from the Hood and Movie 43, Asher Garfinkel, founder of Readers Unlimited, one of Hollywood's leading reader services, and University of Pittsburgh graduate, Douglas Crise, Oscar nominated for his editing work on the film Babel and editor of the much-anticipated new film Spring Breakers, will review each of the finalist's 12-page scripts. Each finalist will have a chance to re-write their scripts given notes by the panel and then five will be selected to move on to a semi-final round in April. The winning writers, to be chosen this May, will be awarded a trip to Hollywood to meet with Steeltown advisers, along with up to $30,000 to film the movie in Pittsburgh.

The Steeltown Film Factory is a nationally recognized screenwriting/filmmaking competition that strives to locate and connect emerging talent with top industry professionals - many of whom have direct ties to Pittsburgh. Entrants of the Film Factory get the unique opportunity to have their scripts read by experts in the entertainment field and have unprecedented access to these judges. Previous panelists include Good Will Hunting producer Chris Moore, Two and a Half Men director Jamie Widdoes, and 300 producer Bernie Goldmann. Steeltown advisers have not just come back, but have helped drive projects to the region, such as the film Promised Land Moore produced, a talk show Widdoes produced for the Steeltown/WQED Media Incubator, and an upcoming Incubator project Cundieff is doing with students from Hazelwood's Center of Life.

For more information about the Steeltown Entertainment Project and the Film Factory competition, visit steeltownfilmfactory.org. Steeltown Entertainment Project's mission is to build a thriving, sustainable entertainment industry in the Pittsburgh region. The Film Factory is one of many programs initiated by the Steeltown Entertainment Project, others include educating youth, discovering talent, building connections with industry professionals and investing in media projects.

Note to Editors: Full bios and high-resolution photographs of the finalists are available.

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A Carnegie Mellon alumnus and current student are among the three finalists for the second annual Steeltown Film Factory competition, which will award $30,000 to the winner to help create his or her short film.

The competition, which attracted 125 screenplays, will culminate with School of Drama students performing stage readings of the three scripts during "Script to Screen: The Final Pitch" at 11 a.m., Saturday, April 30 at the Helen Wayne Rauh Studio Theatre in Carnegie Mellon's Purnell Center. The readings will be judged by "Ghost Whisperer" executive director and Donora, Pa., native Kim Moses, television producer Ian Sander and casting director Nancy Mosser.

Three Top Hollywood Film Producers Meet For Steel Town Film Factory's "The Producer's Pitch"

JOHN DELLAVERSON (Lionsgate Producer, Executive Producer of Tyler Perry's DIARY OF A MAD BLACK WOMAN, VICE-CHAIRMAN FILM FINANCE, INC.)
BERNIE GOLDMANN (300, LAND OF THE DEAD, SNOW WHITE with Julia Roberts),
CHRIS MOORE (THE ADJUSTMENT BUREAU, AMERICAN PIE, GOOD WILL HUNTING, THE PEOPLE SPEAK) to speak at March 26 Producer Panel with 6 Film Factory Finalists

(Media interviews can be arranged through Film Factory producer Lisa Smith)

PITTSBURGH, PA 03/15/11 - Those interested in film and Pittsburgh will have the rare opportunity to hear from three of Hollywood's top film producers at "The Producer's Pitch" as part of THE SECOND ANNUAL STEELTOWN FILM FACTORY. "300" producer Bernie Goldmann, Lionsgate's John Dellaverson, and "The Adjustment Bureau" producer Chris Moore will bring their formidable expertise on producing movies, talking about taking projects from development to screen, for a very special panel discussion at Point Park University, beginning at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday March 26th. The top 6 semi-finalists in this year's Film Factory will also get to present their projects to these producers who will choose the next three to move forward to the final round at Carnegie Mellon on April 30th.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Jamie Widdoes, director of "Two and a Half Men", Lauren Elmer of Sony Classics Acquistions, Readers Unlimited president Asher Garfinkel to talk about the art of pitching and selling projects to Hollywood

PITTSBURGH, 02/09/11 - Some of the top players from the film and television business with Pittsburgh roots have helped judge over 125 submissions and have selected the ten quarter-finalists who will get to present their script ideas at a special entertainment industry panel on "pitching in Hollywood" at the University of Pittsburgh as part of THE SECOND ANNUAL STEELTOWN FILM FACTORY.

"Two and a Half Men" director
and "Animal House" co-star gives
advice to Film Factory participants

Pittsburgh-inspired Scripts due Dec. 31st Connects Emerging Talent with Top Producers, Directors, Writers Giving Back to Their Hometown

December 14, 2010, PITTSBURGH, PA - For those who've dreamed of making their own movie, December 31, 2010 is the deadline for their 12 page Pittsburgh-inspired scripts which will be read by Hollywood pros with SWPA roots and the best of which, will be awarded $30,000 and professional guidance in making their films. This is all part of the Steeltown Entertainment Project's FILM FACTORY, a yearlong filmmaking competition and unique mentorship program that connects top entertainment industry professionals with Pittsburgh roots to local emerging talent. Finalists selected from by a prestigious panel of judges will have the opportunity to "pitch" their scripts, take a "producer's" meeting, and watch staged readings of their scripts through a series of public workshops at the University of Pittsburgh, Point Park, and Carnegie Mellon University, respectively, in front of panels involving top producers, directors, screenwriters and other film professionals. The Film Factory gives aspiring filmmakers in this region's growing film industry the rare opportunity to network with and receive feedback from Hollywood insiders. The Film Factory is part of Steeltown's overall efforts to help develop a thriving entertainment industry in Western Pennsylvania through, among other activities, re-connecting expatriates with a track record of success in film, television, and new media with their hometown.

Students & Aspiring Filmmakers Invited to Submit Screenplays, Learn From Pros

October 26, 2010, Pittsburgh, PA -The second annual Steeltown FILM FACTORY is launching a nationwide search for aspiring screenwriters and filmmakers with the goal to have at least one talented new artist develop his or her screenplay into a fully-produced short film in Pittsburgh. The incentive: $30,000 of production prize money and many other in-kind resources. This year's Kick-Off Event, entitled, "So, You Want To Make A Movie?," will take place Saturday, November 6, 2010 at 10:30 AM at the Pittsburgh Filmmakers Melwood Screening Room, 477 Melwood Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15213. The panel includes producers/writers/directors Donora native Kim Moses and Ian Sander (GHOST WHISPERER, PROFILER, 31 Emmy nominations and 6 Emmy awards), and Mt. Lebanon screenwriter Joe Batteer (WINDTALKERS, BLOWN AWAY),. The event is free to the public; however, the organizers anticipate a full house and recommend that seats be reserved in advance by registering on www.SteeltownFilmFactory.org, by emailing info@steeltown.org, or by calling 412-622-1325.