LMN (Lifetime Movie Network), The Hollywood Reporter, New York Women In Film & Television, William Morris Agency and Women in Film Los Angeles Announce First Ever Winners of the LMN Student Filmmaker Competition

Winners' Films to be Screened at the 2007 Hamptons International Film Festival and to Premiere on LMN and on LMN.TV

Judges Included Jennifer Lopez, Lauren Shuler Donner And Gale Anne Hurd

NEW YORK, Oct. 19 -- LMN (Lifetime Movie Network), The Hollywood Reporter, New York Women in Film & Television (NYWIFT), the William Morris Agency and Women In Film Los Angeles today announced the winners of the first ever LMN Student Filmmaker Competition, a national competition designed to encourage and discover the next generation of female filmmakers.

The first prize winner, Liliana Greenfield-Sanders of New York City, and the second prize winner, Jessica Marie Sutherland of Berea, Ohio, will have their films screened during a reception, honoring them and other women filmmakers, at the 2007 Hamptons International Film Festival on Saturday, October 20, from 2-4PM. Their films will premiere on LMN, the second most popular women's network on basic cable, and will also be shown on LMN's website, http://www.lmn.tv. Additionally, they will receive cash prizes (first prize, $5,000, second prize $2,500) and have the opportunity to meet with representatives of the William Morris Agency.

Said Louise Henry Bryson, Executive Vice President/General Manager, LMN, "All of us, from LMN, The Hollywood Reporter, New York Women in Film & Television, the William Morris Agency and Women In Film Los Angeles, are thrilled to honor these two gifted young women who have produced such outstanding and thoughtful films. Women's love for movies is what has made LMN the #2 women's network on basic cable television, second only to Lifetime, and we have such a great opportunity and responsibility to leverage that position and platform to help open more doors for women behind the camera. Through the LMN Student Filmmaker Competition, we want to develop other filmmakers like Liliana and Jessica who will make significant contributions to the creative community."

Greenfield-Sanders and Sutherland will also attend the 2007 Women in Entertainment Power 100 Breakfast hosted by The Hollywood Reporter and Lifetime Networks on December 4.

Greenfield-Sanders' winning film "Anna" is about a peculiar young woman who struggles to connect with the people she encounters in the East Village of New York City. Her first film, "Ghosts of Grey Gardens," premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival in 2005, has screened at the Museum of Modern Art and made its television debut on PBS in 2006.

Sutherland is a Master's student at the University of Southern California's School of Cinematic Arts. "Seven Turn," her first-ever film, is based on Jessica's memory of her own seventh birthday party, the same day her father died.

An elite panel of producers, directors, executives and actors from the Hollywood community, including Lauren Shuler Donner, prolific producer of hits such as the "X-Men" movies and "You've Got Mail"; Gale Anne Hurd, producer of box office favorites like "The Terminator" movies; Mimi Leder, veteran director of television series like "ER" and "L.A. Law"; actress and producer Jennifer Lopez; and Catherine Olim, Managing Director of PMKHBH Public Relations, assessed nearly 70 short films produced by female film students from across the country. The contest was open to all female film students, including executive producers, producers, writers, cinematographers and editors.

In 2005, women comprised 17% of all directors, executive producers, producers, writers, cinematographers and editors working on the top 250 domestic grossing films. This is the same percentage of women employed in these roles in 1998 (Source: "Behind-the-Scenes Employment of Women in the Top 250 Films of 2005" Martha M. Lauzen, Ph.D., School of Communication, San Diego State University).

The 15th annual Hamptons International Film Festival runs October 17th through 21st, in East Hampton, New York with additional venues in Southampton, Sag Harbor and Montauk. The Festival was founded to celebrate independent film and to introduce a unique and varied spectrum of international films and filmmakers to audiences.

About Lifetime Entertainment Services

LIFETIME is the leader in women's television and one of the top-rated basic cable television networks. A diverse, multi-media company, LIFETIME is committed to offering the highest quality entertainment and information programming, and advocating a wide range of issues affecting women and their families. LIFETIME Television, LMN (Lifetime Movie Network), Lifetime Real Women and Lifetime Digital (including LifetimeTV.com) are part of LIFETIME Entertainment Services, a 50/50 joint venture of The Hearst Corporation and The Walt Disney Company.

About The Hollywood Reporter (http://www.hollywoodreporter.com)

The Hollywood Reporter is a must-read for entertainment's most powerful, influential people, with more than 175,000 key decision makers worldwide relying on the brand that enables success in continually evolving business and creative environment. The Hollywood Reporter's products include print editions published both daily and weekly, a daily e-mail edition, THR-East, the Neal award-winning Web site, http://www.HollywoodReporter.com, The Hollywood Reporter, Esq., The Hollywood Reporter Europe and Starz The Hollywood Reporter, a weekly half-hour TV news program that focuses on the business of making movies. The Hollywood Reporter also has partnerships with both Reuters and IMDB, which help to facilitate the channeling of information from The Hollywood Reporter to industry players and consumers alike. The Hollywood Reporter is published by Nielsen Business Media.

About New York Women in Film & Television (http://www.nywift.org)

New York Women in Film & Television is the preeminent entertainment industry association for women in New York City. Dedicated to helping women reach the highest levels of achievement in film, television and new media, and promoting equity for women in these industries, NYWIFT produces over fifty innovative programs and special events each year. NYWIFT's 1,600 members are part of a network of 40 international women in film organizations, representing more than 10,000 members worldwide.

About Women In Film Los Angeles (http://www.wif.org)

Women In Film Los Angeles is a non-profit organization dedicated to helping women achieve their highest potential within the global entertainment, communications, and media industries and to preserving the legacy of the women within those industries.

Founded in 1973, Women In Film Los Angeles and its Women In Film Foundation provide for members an extensive network of contacts, educational programs, scholarships, film finishing funds and grants, access to employment opportunities, mentorships and numerous practical services in support of this mission. For more information about Women In Film Los Angeles and their programs, visit http://www.wif.org.

About the William Morris Agency (http://www.wma.com)

Founded in 1898, the William Morris Agency is the leading talent and literary agency in the world, with principal offices in New York, Beverly Hills, Nashville, London, Miami Beach and Shanghai. The Agency represents clients in all segments of the entertainment industry, including Motion Pictures, Television, Music and Personal Appearances, Broadway Theatre and Theatrical Touring, Book Publishing, Commercial Endorsements, Sports Marketing and Corporate Consulting.

SOURCE Lifetime Movie Network
http://www.lifetimetv.com http://www.lmn.tv http://www.hollywoodreporter.com http://www.nywift.org http://www.wif.org http://www.wma.com