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Microsoft and IFP/New York Announce First Digital Film Screenings Using Windows Media 9 Series at the 2002 IFP Market


2003 IFP Market Is First Major Independent Film Event to Embrace Windows Media

Video 9 Series as a Format for Filmmaker Submissions

NEW YORK, Sept. 30 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Microsoft Corp. (Nasdaq:MSFT) and IFP/New York today announced that four independent films, all works-in-progress, will be encoded and digitally screened at the Angelika Film Center using Microsoft(R) Windows Media(R) 9 Series technology during the upcoming IFP Market in New York City, Sept. 30- Oct. 3.

The films, all part of the IFP Market Rough Cut Showcase, are Aion Velie's "Taft," Tod Harrison's "The Big Bend," Elizabeth Dimon's "Private Property" and Ghazi Albuliwi's "West Bank Brooklyn." All four films will be encoded in Windows Media 9 Series format, enabling them to be screened digitally without the need for a film print. The new technology enables filmmakers and distributors to cut costs while providing the highest-quality audio and video experiences for viewing audiences.

As a sponsor of IFP/New York, Microsoft will work with Digital Cinema Solutions to provide infrastructure and technology services to support the film screenings at the Angelika Film Center, as well as to support DuArt Digital Film Labs, which will handle converging of the films into the Windows Media 9 Series format. This showcase will underscore the security and flexibility that the Windows Media format provides when delivering films for festival and market presentations. It avoids many of the costs associated with traditional 16mm to 35mm blowups or video-to-film recording, and offers superior quality in comparison to screening from videotape. In addition, the ability to send films to theaters over the Internet, on CD-ROM or on DVD-ROM avoids the expense of making and shipping prints and is a breakthrough development for independent filmmakers.

IFP/New York also announced that in 2003 at the 25th Annual IFP Market, filmmakers will be able to submit their work digitally using Windows Media Video 9 Series. This will be the first major independent film event to introduce Windows Media as a format for film submission.

"The addition of Windows Media 9 Series to IFP Market will enable independent filmmakers, distributors and exhibitors to take advantage of the cost savings made possible with digital technologies," said Dave Fester, general manager of the Windows Digital Media Division at Microsoft. "The use of digital media for distribution makes it possible for filmmakers to put their movie before audiences, providing the theatrical-quality image and surround sound that audiences desire."

"We are delighted to offer screenings of these four films in Windows Media 9 Series format at the IFP Market," said Michelle Byrd, executive director of IFP/New York. "One of our missions is to act as a conduit by which independent filmmakers are presented with new technologies, such as Windows Media 9 Series, that will enable them to exhibit their craft and tell their stories in new ways and to new audiences."

About IFP

Affiliated with a nationwide network of IFP organizations in Los Angeles, Chicago, Minneapolis, Miami and Seattle, IFP is now the largest association of independent filmmaking professionals in the United States. More than 10,000 filmmakers and industry professionals enlist IFP for year-round assistance and guidance. Offering a wide range of exciting and useful member services, IFP is the leading resource of the American independent film community. Visit the IFP Web site at http://www.ifp.org/ for more information.

The IFP Market is a weeklong showcase, held each autumn in New York, for features, works-in-progress, shorts and scripts by independent filmmakers. For 24 years, it has been a vital exhibition and discovery forum for new talent and films before they hit the festival circuit. The IFP Market is an essential networking opportunity, attracting 2,000 filmmakers, distributors, TV and home video acquisitions executives, domestic and international buyers, agents, development execs, and festival programmers from the United States and abroad.