PRESS RELEASE Feb. 24 2005

Christopher Coppola Heads 'Script to Screen' Digital Filmmaking Festival

Renowned independent filmmaker Christopher Coppola and Digi-Fest Southwest founder Jim Graebner have joined forces with New Mexico's Digital Filmmaking Institute to launch the Duke City Shootout, the only film festival in the world that focuses on digital production, as participants must cast, produce, shoot, edit and premiere their film in only seven days. This groundbreaking film festival will take place July 22-30, 2005 in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and is currently accepting short script submissions (no longer than 12 minutes) from independent filmmakers and screenwriters around the world.

EARS XXI, Coppola's New Media Studio, will select the seven best scripts to be produced and ultimately compete for the "Palm de Grease," the festival's most prestigious filmmaking award. The Shootout will fly the screenwriter to Albuquerque, where they will be given a budget, a cast, camera and lighting equipment, a production crew, post-production facilities, transportation, and even a professional mentor to help bring their pages to life.