Gary McCollum to Lead Cox Virginia

COX COMMUNICATIONS MCCOLLUM

Gary T. McCollum, new Senior Vice President/GM of Cox Virginia. (PRNewsFoto/Cox Communications) CHESAPEAKE, VA UNITED STATES

18 Feb 2010 12:00 Africa/Lagos

Gary McCollum to Lead Cox Virginia

~Janet Barnard, Former Northern Virginia SVP, Takes Reins in Cox Kansas/Arkansas ~

CHESAPEAKE, Va., Feb. 18 /PRNewswire/ — Cox Communications has announced that Gary McCollum has been elevated to the newly created role of Senior Vice President and General Manager of Cox Communications Virginia. Mr. McCollum previously served as Senior Vice President and General Manager of Cox’s Southern Virginia operations.

(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20100218/PH56554 )

Jill Campbell, Cox Senior Vice President Eastern Operations, said, “During Gary’s 20 year career with Cox, he has demonstrated the ability to grow and maintain customers in intensely competitive environments. Gary’s attention to customer satisfaction and his past leadership experience in Roanoke, Northern Virginia and Hampton Roads make him particularly well suited to this position.”

Mr. McCollum will continue to be based in Cox’s Hampton Roads office; however, he will now oversee the company’s operations in Northern Virginia and Roanoke as well as in Hampton Roads. Cox Virginia’s combined operation has the ability to offer telephone, cable television and high speed internet service to more than 1 million homes and employs approximately 2,800 employees. Cox Virginia is the second largest regional operation in the Cox family.

“Cox has a long and celebrated history in the Commonwealth of Virginia. We have great products, a state of the art network and a true commitment to each of the Virginia communities we serve. But even more than that, we have a dedicated team of employees who daily strive to meet our customers’ growing and changing needs. In my new role, I look forward to strengthening Cox’s presence in Virginia as a major employer, community supporter, and important contributor to the Commonwealth’s economy,” said Mr. McCollum.

Before joining Cox, Mr. McCollum, native of Richmond, Virginia and graduate of James Madison University, served eight years on active duty as a military intelligence officer for the U.S. Army. Mr. McCollum is currently a Major in the U.S. Army Reserves. During his active duty military career, he served with the elite U.S. Army Rangers.

Also, Mr. McCollum is engaged in numerous community and industry-related activities. His community involvement includes, but is not limited to, memberships with the following organizations: Virginia Cable Telecommunications Association; Norfolk State University Board of Visitors (Vice Rector); Hampton Roads Chamber of Commerce; Hampton Roads Partnership and the Boys and Girls’ Clubs of the Virginia Peninsula.

Finally, Cox’s Northern Virginia operations were previously led by Janet Barnard who recently was selected as Senior Vice President and General Manager for Cox’s Arkansas/Kansas operation. She will begin this role effective February 22. During her tenure in Northern Virginia, Mrs. Barnard led her team to improved customer experience scores, increased network reliability, a reduction in field transactions and the fastest growth for a large market for Cox Business.

“Janet’s more than 22 years of operational expertise, demonstrated leadership experience, knowledge of the business and understanding of the competitive landscape will be key assets as we continue to grow our business and retain our customers in Kansas and Arkansas,” Campbell said.

For more information, contact Felicia Blow at (757) 222-8432 or Felicia.Blow@cox.com.

About Cox Communications:

Cox Communications is a broadband communications and entertainment company, providing advanced digital video, Internet, telephone and wireless services over its own nationwide IP network. The third-largest U.S. cable TV company, Cox serves 6.2 million residences and businesses. Cox Business is a facilities-based provider of voice, video and data solutions for commercial customers and Cox Media is a full-service provider of national and local cable spot and new media advertising. Cox is known for pioneering efforts in cable telephone and commercial services, industry-leading customer care and its outstanding workplaces. For six years, Cox has been recognized as the top operator for women by Women in Cable Telecommunication; for four years, Cox has ranked among DiversityInc’s Top 50 Companies for Diversity; and the company holds a perfect score in the Human Rights Campaign’s Corporate Equality Index. More information about Cox Communications, a wholly owned subsidiary of Cox Enterprises, is available at www.cox.com and www.coxmedia.com.

Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20100218/PH56554
AP Archive: http://photoarchive.ap.org/
AP PhotoExpress Network: PRN3
PRN Photo Desk, photodesk@prnewswire.com
Source: Cox Communications

CONTACT: Felicia Blow APR of Cox Communications, +1-757-222-8432,
felicia.blow@cox.com; or Leigh Woisard of Cox Communications, +1-757-222-8496,
leigh.woisard@cox.com

Web Site: http://www.cox.com/hr

Supple Magazine from Rotterdam to Berlin

Supple Magazine from Rotterdam to Berlin

The Publisher of Supple magazine returned from the International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR) and has gone to the 60th Berlinale in Germany. The complete reports of the last IFFR and 60th Berlinale will be published next weekend. Supple magazine will also cover the Babylon International workshops. The offline edition of Supple magazine with a special cover story on Angelina Jolie at the 62nd Cannes Film Festival is now available. You can purchase copies by e-mailing the publisher@supplemagazine.org and international distributors can contact the publisher.

At the recent IFFR, Paz Fábrega’s Agua fría de mar (Cold Water of the Sea) was one of the winners of the three VPRO Tiger Awards, followed by Anocha Suwichakornpong’s Mundane History (Jao nok krajok) and Pedro Gonzalez-Rubio’s Alamar (To the Sea). Anocha Suwichakornpong also won the prestigious Prince Claus Fund Film Grant for her CineMart project By the Time It Gets Dark .Each prize is worth €15,000.

New Technology Enables Direct Film Sales to iPhone/iPod touch for Independent Filmmakers

17 Feb 2010 15:32 Africa/Lagos

New Technology Enables Direct Film Sales to iPhone/iPod touch for Independent Filmmakers

BARCELONA, Spain, Feb. 17 /PRNewswire/ — Mobile World Congress — FlickRocket, the leading online video distribution platform for small- and medium-size content owners has added support for iPhone and iPod touch devices. Video makers using FlickRocket to distribute their video can use the new feature to extend the audience they reach to the growing number of mobile video users with Apple’s popular devices.

FlickRocket enables content owners to sell their video directly from their web site under their own branding. Content owners can define the price and license scheme such as rental or download-to-own including advanced options such as secure burning to DVD or export to mobile devices.

With the addition of the iPhone or iPod touch, content owners are now able to sell their content to virtually every device capable of playing video starting from a PC ranging to portable media players, cell phones, game consoles, DVD Players and more. By choice of the content owner, the video is secured by Digital Rights Management.

“FlickRocket enables content owners to sell their content to the widest possible audience by supporting virtually every target platform and device. Customers can enjoy their purchase whenever and wherever they want. This translates into more customers, high customer satisfaction and ultimately in more content sales,” says Michael Schmidt, VP Marketing at FlickRocket.

“Using FlickRocket on our web site really made a difference in film sales. We sell language learning videos and people like to take them with them to practice in their spare time. I am sure adding support for the iPhone will be another boost in sales,” says Sunil Kumar, Owner at Language Experts, who produces and sells language training videos using FlickRocket.

Support for the iPhone, iPad and iPod touch has been added through the custom “My Movies” app, which is available at no cost in the Apple app store.

FlickRocket supports Windows, regular DVD players, portable media players, navigation systems, Windows Mobile phones, Blackberry, Android, feature phones, PlayStation and iPhone/iPod touch. Solutions for Mac OS X and Android are planned to be released in the near future. Content owners can sign up for free at http://www.flickrocket.com/.

About FlickRocket

FlickRocket is a download DVD distribution platform for integration on content owner’s web sites, provided by ACE GmbH, Germany. FlickRocket is used by small- to medium-sized content owners for distributing their content directly from their web site to a worldwide audience. FlickRocket includes a Content Delivery Network, Payment Solution, optional DRM, download-to-burn, copy protection for DVD, physical shipment option and can be completely customized to fit the design of existing web sites. More information is available at http://www.flickrocket.com/.

Contact:
Michael Schmidt
ACE GmbH, Germany
press@flickrocket.com
+49-231-976765-0

This release was issued through eReleases(TM). For more information, visit http://www.ereleases.com/.

Source: ACE GmbH

CONTACT: Michael Schmidt of ACE GmbH, Germany, press@flickrocket.com,
+49-231-976765-0

Web Site: http://www.flickrocket.com/

Oscar-Nominated for Best Film, ‘District 9’ Contains Unauthorized ‘No Animals Were Harmed'(R) End Credit

16 Feb 2010 23:00 Africa/Lagos

DIST9_TSR_1SHT_3

Oscar-Nominated for Best Film, ‘District 9’ Contains Unauthorized ‘No Animals Were Harmed'(R) End Credit

Treatment of Animals on the Film Set Was Not Monitored by American Humane Association, Owner of Trademarked ‘No Animals Were Harmed'(R) Assurance.

DENVER, Feb. 16 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — The film “District 9,” nominated for an Academy Award in the Best Picture category, carries an unauthorized “No Animals Were Harmed”® end credit. The American Humane Association, the only animal-welfare organization authorized to monitor the use of animals in U.S. filmed productions — and owner of that trademarked statement which assures the public of the safe use of animals — urges members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to show their disapproval of the film’s unauthorized use of the end credit by casting their ballots for other nominated films instead.

(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20070521/LAM095LOGO)

“American Humane has monitored the use of animals in film for the past 70 years to ensure their safety, and both the animals and the public depend on us to do that,” said Karen Rosa, vice president of American Humane’s Film & TV Unit. “We did not monitor ‘District 9.’ And the unauthorized use of that end credit on ‘District 9’ not only leaves open the questions of ‘How were the animals treated?’ and ‘Were any of them harmed or killed?’, but it’s dishonest to the public and it’s a slap in the face to the conscientious productions that have American Humane on set, meet our standards for animal safety, and have legitimately earned the right to say ‘No Animals Were Harmed.’ We encourage Academy members to cast their votes for films other than ‘District 9,’ to send the message that Hollywood cares about the safety of animals and respects intellectual property. The industry fights piracy every day and should understand that this is piracy of American Humane’s registered language.”

American Humane was contacted by Sony Pictures after the company purchased the completed film and discovered the “No Animals Were Harmed” end-credit disclaimer on it. “We informed Sony that American Humane’s Certified Animal Safety Representatives(TM) had not monitored ‘District 9’ and that it should not carry that statement,” Rosa said. “However, we were told that the film was ‘locked’ and that Sony was thus unable to remove the credit. We have subsequently reached out to Peter Jackson, co-producer of ‘District 9,’ to explain American Humane’s process for monitoring films, as well as our position regarding the unauthorized use of our disclaimer. We hope Mr. Jackson will be receptive to discussing this issue and following the proper process for keeping animals safe on the set in future productions.”

American Humane takes the accountability for the disclaimer statement very seriously and, therefore, screens films and verifies reports from the on-set monitors before awarding the disclaimer. In a subsequent instance, for Jackson’s film “The Lovely Bones,” the production added American Humane’s “No Animals Were Harmed” disclaimer to the credits. Although American Humane supervised the use of the animals in that film, the production used a registered disclaimer from the film “King Kong” instead of the authorized disclaimer that would have been available. The distributor, Paramount, was unable to correct that error and the fraudulent use of the registered credit, not only on the theatrical release, but also on the upcoming DVD release. “We are hoping that Mr. Jackson is simply unaware of the errors, rather than dismissive of our work and mission,” said Rosa.

When American Humane’s end credit is earned by a film, it signifies that American Humane was on the set, monitoring the use of animals and ensuring that the organization’s “Guidelines for the Safe Use of Animals in Filmed Media” were followed. American Humane can then attest to the treatment of the animals on set and explain to the public exactly how the animal action was safely achieved. When a production disregards this process for ensuring the safety of animals and uses an unauthorized end credit, there is no accountability and no meaning behind the words “No Animals Were Harmed” on that film. And in the case of films shot outside the U.S., as “District 9” was, there is no telling how the animals were treated, since standards for the treatment of animals vary from country to country.

“We urge the viewing public to voice their concern about ‘District 9’ and let Sony know they don’t want this to happen again,” Rosa said.

American Humane encourages filmmakers to work with the organization and for distributors to verify the legitimacy of the “No Animals Were Harmed” credit before approving and finalizing any film prints for theatrical release or DVD distribution. Viewers, too, should always look for the “No Animals Were Harmed” end credit and logo. They can check American Humane’s website, www.americanhumane.org/film to see what rating was assigned to films, based on their use of animals, and to find out how the animal action was achieved on films that American Humane monitored.

About American Humane

Founded in 1877, the American Humane Association is the only national organization dedicated to protecting both children and animals. Through a network of child and animal protection agencies and individuals, American Humane develops policies, legislation, curricula and training programs to protect children and animals from abuse, neglect and exploitation. The nonprofit organization, headquartered in Denver, raises awareness about The Link® between violence to people and violence to animals, as well as the benefits derived from the human-animal bond. American Humane’s office in Los Angeles is the authority behind the “No Animals Were Harmed”® end-credit disclaimer on film and TV productions, and American Humane’s office in Washington, D.C., is an advocate for child and animal protection at the federal and state levels. The American Humane® Certified farm animal program is the nation’s original independent certification and labeling program for humanely raised food. American Humane meets the strong, comprehensive standards of the Better Business Bureau’s Wise Giving Alliance, has been awarded the Independent Charities of America’s “Best in America” Seal of Approval, has met the stringent standards for financial efficiency and accountability required by the American Institute of Philanthropy to qualify as a Top-Rated Charity, and has received a 3-star rating from Charity Navigator, America’s premier independent charity evaluator. Visit www.americanhumane.org to learn more.
Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20070521/LAM095LOGO
http://photoarchive.ap.org/
PRN Photo Desk photodesk@prnewswire.com

Source: American Humane Association

CONTACT: Heather Black of the American Humane Association,
+1-720-873-6771, heatherb@americanhumane.org

Web Site: http://www.americanhumane.org/

Scarlett Johansson, Angelina Jolie and Beyonce Knowles on Playboy’s Sexiest Celebrities List

12 Feb 2010 15:00 Africa/Lagos

Playboy Unveils its Annual Sexiest Celebrities List

scarlett-johansson-louis-vuitt

Beyonce, Scarlett Johansson and Angelina Jolie Among the Honored Starlets

angelina-jolie-sexy-picture

CHICAGO, Feb. 12 /PRNewswire/ — Playboy is bringing sexy back with its annual Sexiest Celebrities list. The magazine is once again revealing its picks for hottest celebs on earth in its annual March Sex and Music issue (on newsstands and online at www.playboydigital .com Friday, February 12, with additional photos available at www.playboy. com/celebs).

SCARLETT JOHANSSON 2

The honor roll includes 26 actresses, reality TV stars, musicians and models – including Beyonce, Scarlett Johansson and Angelina Jolie – in a sexy 6-page pictorial.

Sexy_Beyonce_Knowles_326

The following celebrities are included on Playboy’s Sexiest Celebrities list (not ranked, but in order of appearance):

Camilla Belle (actress)
Aubrey O’Day (singer)
Kim Kardashian (model, reality TV star)
Bar Refaeli (model)
Scarlett Johansson (actress)
Christina Hendricks (actress)
Katy Perry (singer)
Tara Reid (actress)
Beyonce (singer)
Alina Puscau (model)
Olivia Wilde (actress)
Nicole Scherzinger (singer)
Holly Madison (model, reality TV star)
Sasha Grey (model, actress)
Angelina Jolie (actress)
Joanna Krupa (model, reality TV star)
Karissa Shannon (model, Miss July 2009)
Kristina Shannon (model, Miss August 2009)
Crystal Harris (model, Miss December 2009)
Anna Paquin (actress)
Alicia Keys (singer, actress)
Carmen Electra (model, actress)
Megan Fox (actress)
Jessica Alba (actress)
Lisa Rinna (actress)
Ida Ljungqvist (model, 2008 Playmate of the Year)

Source: Playboy Enterprises, Inc.

CONTACT: Abi O’Donnell of Playboy Enterprises, Inc., +1-312-373-2440,
aodonnell@playboy.com

Valentine’s Day and other Movies Now Playing

Valentines-Day-Movie-Poster-2-valentines-day
Valentine’s Day Poster

Many new movies have been released and Valentine’s Day is already pulling crowds, because we are celebrating the Valentine and it is the natural romantic movie to see.

Opening This Week

The Wolfman
22 Reviews (18% Rotten)

Valentine’s Day
18 Reviews (17% Rotten)

Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief
14 Reviews (64% Fresh)

October Country
2 Reviews

Videocracy
2 Reviews

American Radical: The Trials of Norman Finkelstein
1 Review

To Die for Tano
1 Review

Order of Chaos

My Name is Khan

Barefoot to Timbuktu

Brittany Murphy’s Final Role

ANCHOR BAY ENTERTAINMENT MURPHYBrittany Murphy in her final role in the new pick-up from Anchor Bay Entertainment, Abandoned. (PRNewsFoto/Anchor Bay Entertainment) BEVERLY HILLS, CA UNITED STATES

11 Feb 2010 16:26 Africa/Lagos

Anchor Bay Entertainment Acquires Psychological Thriller Abandoned Starring Brittany Murphy in Her Final Role

Also Stars Dean Cain, Mimi Rogers and Peter Bogdanovich

Joan Collins: Legendary and Timeless Classical Beauty in New Film

6 Feb 2010 15:57 Africa/Lagos

joan_collinsJoan Collins: Legendary. Timeless. Classical. Beautiful.

NEW YORK, Feb. 6 /PRNewswire/ — Joan Collins will be returning to the silver screen in a delicious, dark independent movie entitled “Fetish,” filming this week in New York City.

Starring the legendary Joan Collins and Charles Casillo, FETISH is a dark comedy that will leave you breathless!

A fearless actress, Joan has always been a risk taker with her career.

In this movie she will be working with a fresh and talented group of new filmmakers.

Joan accepted the role recognizing that the wave of the future is entrusting your career outside of the studio system with maverick filmmakers and accepting great roles where you can find them.

The screenplay for “Fetish” was written by Charles Casillo, who is the author of the novels “The Fame Game” and “The Marilyn Diaries.”

The story revolves around an iconic actress on the skids, making a play for a comeback with a late night talk show host.

In an interview with Liz Smith, Joan has described the project as “Twilight Zone” meets “Sunset Boulevard” meets “David Letterman.”

She will be appearing opposite Charles Casillo, who also wrote and acted in the independent feature film “Let Me Die Quietly” which was met with much acclaim in last year’s film festival circuit.

“FETISH” is directed by 30 year old director Matt Pellowski, in association with his production company Red Line Studios.

“FETISH” offers a provocative storyline and meaty characters, a role that Joan can really sink her teeth into. Although a far cry from the big budgets of the “Dynasty” television series, Ms. Collins will wear fashion designs by Mark Zunino, a protege of Nolan Miller, the preeminent Hollywood trendsetter of the 1980’s.

“Fetish” will be a welcome treat for Joan Collins many fans who enjoy seeing her in stylish, dramatic roles.

Facebook: Let Me Die Quietly
Twitter: @letmediequietly
www.letmediequietly.com/fetish

Source: LMDQ LLC

CONTACT: Kelvin Dale, Executive Producer, LMDQ LLC, +1-808-280-0059,
Kelvin@letmediequietly.com

Web Site: http://www.letmediequietly.com/

Pixar’s ‘Up’ Wins the Annie for Best Feature

7 Feb 2010 06:30 Africa/Lagos

Pixar’s ‘Up’ Wins the Annie for Best Feature

Disney, DreamWorks Top List of Winners at 37th Annual Annie Awards

LOS ANGELES, Feb. 7 /PRNewswire/ — Pixar Animation Studio’s Up wins the Best Animated Feature honor at the 37th Annual Annie Awards held at UCLA’s Royce Hall on Saturday, Feb. 6. Walt Disney Animation Studios won six Annies overall including three for its feature The Princess and the Frog and three for its television production Prep and Landing. DreamWorks Animation won five Annies including Best Television Production for Children and Directing/TV for The Penguins of Madagascar, Character Animation/TV and Storyboarding/Feature for Monsters vs. Aliens and Storyboarding/TV for Merry Madagascar. A complete list of winners can be viewed at the Annie Award’s official website www.annieawards.org. The Annie Awards ceremony will be webcast on the Annies website beginning Tuesday, February 9, 2010.

Best Home Entertainment Production went to 20th Century Fox’s Futurama: Into the Wild Green Yonder; Best Animated Short Subject went to ShadowMachine’s Robot Chicken: Star Wars 2.5; Acme Filmworks won Best Animated Television Commercial for Spanish Lottery ‘Deportees’; Best Animated Television Production went to Disney’s Prep and Landing; and Best Animated Television Production for Children went to DreamWorks’ The Penguins of Madagascar.

The Winsor McCay award was given to three industry leaders – Tim Burton, Jeffrey Katzenberg and Bruce Timm. Named in honor of the prolific animator, Winsor McCay, this award stands as one of the highest honors given to an individual in the animation industry in recognition for career contributions to the art of animation. Tim Burton accepted his Winsor via video. Emmy and Golden Globe-winning actor, director, producer and one of pop culture’s most recognizable figures, William Shatner, handled hosting duties this year and was joined on stage by a lively mix of animation luminaries, celebrity presenters and comedic talent including animation legend June Foray, actors Seth Green, John Leguizamo, Sean Astin and industry notables Pete Docter, Ed Catmull and Henry Selick. A special tribute to the late Roy Disney was introduced by Don Hahn.

“ASIFA-Hollywood congratulates all of the Annie Award winners,” said ASIFA-Hollywood President Antran Manoogian. “With so many outstanding animated productions and talented artists vying for an Annie, it made it another difficult year to select the best in our industry.”

Often a predictor of the annual Academy Award for Best Animated Feature, the Annie Awards recognize the year’s best animated features, television productions, commercials, short subjects and outstanding individual achievements in the field of animation. Entries submitted for consideration were from productions that originally aired, were exhibited in an animation festival, or commercially released between January 1, 2009 and December 31, 2009.

Created in 1972 by veteran voice talent June Foray, the Annie Awards have grown in scope and stature for the past three decades, and is considered the highest and most prestigious honor given in animation by the animation industry. Today ASIFA-Hollywood, the largest chapter of the international organization ASIFA, supports a range of animation activities and preservation efforts through its membership. Current initiatives include the Animation Archive, animation film preservation, special events, classes and screenings.

CONTACT: Gretchen Houser, Houser PR
P: 562-235-0991
E: Gretchen@houserpr.com

Source: ASIFA-Hollywood

CONTACT: Gretchen Houser of Houser PR for ASIFA-Hollywood,
+1-562-235-0991, or Gretchen@houserpr.com

Web Site: http://www.annieawards.org/

U.S. Online Video Market Continues Ascent as Americans Watch 33 Billion Videos in December

5 Feb 2010 20:39 Africa/Lagos

U.S. Online Video Market Continues Ascent as Americans Watch 33 Billion Videos in December

Hulu Surpasses 1 Billion Monthly Video Streams for First Time

RESTON, Va., Feb. 5 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — comScore, Inc. (NASDAQ: SCOR) , a leader in measuring the digital world, today released December 2009 data from the comScore Video Metrix service, showing that nearly 178 million U.S. Internet users watched online video during the month. Online video viewing continued to reach record levels in December, with 33.2 billion videos viewed during the month.

(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20080115/COMSCORELOGO)

Top 10 Video Content Properties by Videos Viewed

Google Sites continued to rank as the top U.S. video property in December, delivering 13.2 billion videos, with YouTube.com accounting for nearly 99 percent of all videos viewed at the property. Hulu ranked second with more than 1 billion videos viewed, an all-time high for the property, and representing 3.0 percent market share. Microsoft Sites ranked third with 561 million (1.7 percent), followed by Fox Interactive Media with 551 million (1.7 percent) and Yahoo! Sites with 539 million (1.6 percent).

Top U.S. Online Video Content Properties* by Videos
Viewed

See the detailed report.