The film industry is embracing the launch of the Jackson Hole Film Festival (JHFF) to be held September 22 through September 26, 2004 in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. This ground breaking festival will showcase some of the most compelling, dramatic and distinctive representations that independent film has to offer. There will be panel discussions, workshops and educational environments, with some of the most successful names in the film industry on hand to advise and challenge the artists and filmmakers. The 5-day event will also set the stage for the organizations year-round programming and festival initiatives. The mission of the JHFF is to further promote education and cultural diversity in the film industry. This is demonstrated through its unique programming initiatives: the JHFF World Program, the Global Awareness Program, the Sports/Action Program and the Outreach Program.

The JHFF World Program will work with international festivals to highlight films from a country or region of the world each year beginning with Australia in 2005. The festival will bring the audience together with a talented group of filmmakers and actors through screenings, interactive discussion groups and evening events. In return, JHFF international festival partners will screen select JHFF awarded films. In honor of the JHFF founding sponsor, Rosemont Estate, the Prestige Wine of Australia, the festival will “Spotlight Australia,” showcasing celebrated Australian Films and recognizing the Australian filmmakers behind them.

In addition, there will be a call for entries for independent Australian filmmakers to submit feature length films to the JHFF to compete for the first ever Rosemont Diamond Award. The five finalists chosen will be flown to Jackson Hole and have their films highlighted at the festival. The award and a $10,000 grant will be presented at the June 2005 JHFF. The winner will be selected by some of the most esteemed entertainment industry figures from Australia and around the world.

The Global Awareness Program will screen films addressing humanitarian and environmental challenges that the global community faces. These films will be aligned with speakers and charitable causes with the goal of educating, inspiring and calling the audience to action. In 2005, the JHFF will announce an exciting program which will award an independent filmmaker with the opportunity to create a documentary, feature or short film on a current environmental or humanitarian issue decided by JHFF and its international partner organizations. The film will then be included in the Global Awareness Program and the World Program.

The Sports/Action Program will highlight Sports/Action content from production companies such as IFC Films (producers of Touching the Void). The Sports/Action film genre is moving toward mainstream cinema by incorporating sports with Hollywood scriptwriting. As evidence of this, Michael Bay (producer of Pearl Harbor) has signed an agreement to produce three Sports/Action films. The JHFF is positioning itself to be a leader in highlighting this convergence. As a result, the JHFF will launch a separate festival featuring sports/action programming in September 2005.

The JHFF Outreach Program will create a network of over 400 film programs worldwide to foster a free flow exchange of ideas among students and alumni by offering web-based forums and a database of graduate film students searchable by school, country, focused genre and trade.

The JHFF is poised to become a groundbreaking festival dedicated to the growth and education of independent filmmakers around the world. This unique vision is the passion of the JHFF prestigious board of directors which is comprised of individuals from a variety of entertainment backgrounds including:

Eben Dorros, Executive Director –Dorros is a graduate of New York University where he mastered in music composition with a specialization in film and music business. “The festival’s goal is to provide an atmosphere for striving film makers and screen writers, as well as individuals within the industry, who want to be heard, or learn about the intricacies of this industry. “Jackson’s beauty and culture will be showcased to a completely different group of people,” said Dorros. “Jackson’s warmth and love for cultural diversity is truly the perfect setting to put Jackson on the map in the film and entertainment world.”

Lorne Maltenfort, Executive Director – Maltenfort, a former entertainment lawyer says,” The Jackson Hole Film Festival has the unique responsibility and honor of being the true voice for independent film makers by providing a venue where the focus is in on their work and not overshadowed by large budget quasi-independent films."

James LeGros – the actor and Jackson Hole resident is one of the many people committed to making the JHFF the go-to festival for film lovers all over the world. Most recognized for his roles in “Point Break” and “Lovely and Amazing,” LeGros says, “This venue will provide a showcase that highlights vision and the process of the film maker, encouraging festival goers to have a dialogue with the filmmakers and thus fostering new growth and new talent.”

Alan Hirschfield – the former Chairmen and CEO of Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation and Columbia pictures, is excited about the new festival, and, says Hirschfield, “The JHFF is a much needed event that will benefit both film makers and their audience. It promises to restore the balance between creativity and commercialism - something now overlooked in many of the most popular film festivals today. For Jackson Hole, the festival will offer a unique opportunity for locals and visitors alike to view creative offerings in world famous surroundings.”