GSMA & Mofilm announce Kevin Spacey as Film Festival Host and Keynote Speaker at the Mobile World Congress

3 December 2008, London, UK: Two-time Academy Award-winning actor, director and founder Triggerstreet.com, Kevin Spacey will headline at the GSMA’s Mobile World Congress (16-20 February 2009) in Barcelona, as host of the MOFILM Mobile Short Film Festival and mobile entertainment keynote speaker, the GSMA and MOFILM jointly announced today.

The MOFILM Mobile Short Film Festival follows the success of the GSMA’s previous collaborations with the Sundance Institute to create the Global Short Film Project at the Mobile World Congress in 2007, and in 2008 with the launch of the MOFILM brand to showcase the work of short film directors representing the Cannes, Locarno and Shanghai Film Festivals and the Sundance Channel – supported by film legend Robert Redford and actress, writer and director Isabella Rossellini.

The MOFILM Mobile Short Film Festival is the first of its kind, and highlights the increasing influence of the mobile medium on the entertainment industry, bringing together art, commerce and technology. The 2009 initiative comes on a wave of a new generation of sophisticated multimedia enabled mobile handsets and value added operator services, providing new opportunities to enjoy short form video.

Spacey, the star of Hollywood blockbusters American Beauty, The Usual Suspects and LA Confidential, among many others and currently artistic director of London’s renowned Old Vic theatre, will host the MOFILM Mobile Short Film Festival, presenting the prize for the best short film of 5 minutes or less in length that are submitted by film makers from around the world. He will also participate in a keynote interview at the Congress on Thursday 19th February 2009.

“We are thrilled that Kevin Spacey, one of the world’s most revered and respected actor/directors, will join us in Barcelona to share some refreshing and provocative perspectives on the potential of mobile entertainment and host the world’s first global mobile film festival, ” said Michael O’Hara, chief marketing officer of the GSMA.

Chevrolet, the strategic partner of the MOFILM festival, will present the winning filmmaker with a brand new Chevrolet ‘Cruze’ compact family car, launched at the Paris Motor Show last month. Cruze challenges the idea that a car with outstanding value cannot also be refined. The Cruze enters showrooms in Europe next spring and will spearhead a new generation of Chevrolet vehicles worldwide.

“We are very proud to be part of GSMA – MOFILM mobile film festival. I believe this event is very much aligned with the inspiration of the Cruze – a unique composition of design, comfort, convenience, safety, operating efficiency and value for money that goes beyond expectations,” said Wayne Brannon, Executive Director, Chevrolet Europe.

MOFILM has received entries from filmmakers in over 40 countries around the world to date, Due to an overwhelming response, MOFILM has announced an extension to the deadline for film submission to Saturday, 24 January, 2009.

“The operator community globally has been steadily moving to a world of mobile broadband powered visual entertainment on the move,” said Andy Baker, CEO of MOFILM. “The Mobile World Congress is absolutely unique as a stage for thought leading business, technology and creative minds to share and debate perspectives on the future of this powerful new medium.”

Technology partner, Accenture, through its recent acquisition of Origin Digital will supply an innovative video sharing and upload technology that supports film submissions for the event. Origin Digital is one of the industry’s leading video applications service providers and now part of Accenture Digital Media Services.

The GSMA’s Mobile World Congress is the world’s premiere meeting place for the global mobile industry, with more than 50,000 visitors expected.

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Partnership to create a new forum for short films at the world’s biggest communications industry event.

London, UK. 29 September 2008: The GSMA, the global trade group for the mobile industry, and Mofilm, a pioneer of short films for mobile and on-line distribution today announced the first Global Mobile Film Festival at the Mobile World Congress in 2009, with an official ‘call for films’ to international film-makers today.

The Global Mobile Festival follows the success of the GSMA’s previous collaborations with the Sundance Film Festival to create the Global Short Film Project, which debuted at the Mobile World Congress in 2007 and this year, showcasing with Mofilm, the work of short film directors representing the Cannes, Locarno, Shanghai and Sundance Festivals supported by actor, director and film maker Robert Redford and Isabella Rosselini.

“We have found there is avid interest and appeal in the idea of showcasing short films on the mobile screen, not just in terms of the ability to reach audiences in a very personal and direct way, but also in the potential scale and the viral nature of the medium,” said Michael O’Hara, Chief Marketing Officer of the GSMA. “There are already more than three billion screens in the hands of users, and with increasing sophistication of mobile broadband networks and rapidly evolving device capabilities, the time is right to create a festival devoted to small screen movies and to invite international film makers to participate for the first time.”

Andy Baker, the Managing Director of Mofilm said “I’m delighted that what started as an experimental project with leading film makers in 2007 will now become a key part of the mobile and film industry calendar. Mobile represents a huge opportunity for content and we are proud to be working within both industries to showcase the very best talent, globally, for mobile.”

The GSMA and Mofilm are seeking films up to 5 minutes in length, made both using traditional film making techniques by established and upcoming film directors, as well as films made using mobile devices themselves. Submission forms and films can be uploaded on-line at the Mofilm website www.mofilm.com from today until the deadline of November 28th 2008.

Films will be judged by an international jury of film, festival and mobile content experts, with the best films showcased at the GSMA’s Mobile World Congress www.mobileworldcongress.com, the world’s largest communications industry event that attracts more than 55,000 visitors from the mobile, entertainment and many other industry sectors to Barcelona each February.

Mofilm with present Awards for the Best Film at the Congress, selected by a special jury of film directors and film festival executives.

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About the GSMA:
The GSM Association (GSMA) is the global trade association representing more than 750 GSM mobile phone operators across 218 countries and territories of the world. The Association’s members represent more than 3 billion GSM and 3GSM connections – over 86% of the world’s mobile phone connections. In addition, more than 200 manufacturers and suppliers support the Association’s initiatives as key partners.

The primary goals of the GSMA are to ensure mobile phones and wireless services work globally and are easily accessible, enhancing their value to individual customers and national economies, while creating new business opportunities for operators and their suppliers.

For further information contact:
Mark Smith
Email: press@gsm.org

About MOFILM
Mofilm is a pioneer of content for mobile and online services, working with the mobile industry and film makers to promote exciting and usable services. Based in the UK, MOFILM has worked previously with the GSMA and leading film festivals and specialises in creating compelling ‘in show’ experiences, content distribution and provides a range of consulting services. See www.mofilm.com for more information.

For further information contact:
Ralph Cochrane
Email: ralph.cochrane@mofilm.com
Phone: +44 207 193 2453