From the press release:
Innovative technology, production introductions and new short film screenings on display during the 5-day festival in Napa, Yountville, St. Helena and Calistoga
Napa, California (September 17, 2013) – Napa Valley Film Festival (NVFF) Co-Founders and Directors Brenda and Marc Lhormer are proud to announce the major sponsors of this year’s festival and the generous companies who help make this annual event possible. The NVFF sponsors ensure the best new independent films will be screened in 12 uniquely designed venues along with Napa Valley’s finest food, wine and hospitality. NVFF returns in full force with a five-day Festival spanning Napa Valley’s four postcard-perfect towns of Napa, Yountville, St. Helena and Calistoga, November 13 – 17.
Cadillac has come on board as NVFF’s official vehicle and will have a strong presence throughout the valley showcasing the all-new 2014 Cadillac CTS Sedan, the North American car of the year, the Cadillac ATS and the full size luxury sedan, the Cadillac XTS. Cadillac will be highlighted at the Cadillac Theater at 500 First Street, NVFF’s newest addition to the festival the LifeStyle Pavilion and the Celebrity Tribute Program at Lincoln Theater in Yountville. The Lifestyle Pavilion, an enormous and impressive structure built exclusively for the NVFF, will be introduced to Festival Gala attendees on November 14, and then open to NVFF Passholders and the general public from 11:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. Friday through Sunday of the festival weekend. The LifeStyle Pavilion will host sponsored luxury lounges, culinary presentations on the Dacor Demonstration Stage, film industry panel discussions, and grand wine tasting experiences.
Due to hit the roads fall 2013, the all-new CTS blends world-class refinement with mold-shattering design and heart-racing performance. A luxury sedan that leaps past what drivers expect, in favor of delivering what they deserve. “The Napa Valley Film Festival is a great event to showcase the all-new Cadillac CTS and the rest of the Cadillac lineup. We are excited to be part of this event that highlights the art of film and the culture of Napa Valley,” said Sam Prabakaran, Cadillac Regional Marketing Manager.
In addition, Escalade’s and all-new CTS sedans will be available to VIPs and celebrities who wish to take advantage of the VIP Fleet throughout the festival. Cadillac will also provide an Escalade for Movies on the Move, a mobile screening venue that will travel to selected locations throughout the Napa Valley November 15-17. The Escalade will feature completed films from the Sony 4K Film Challenge, a three-day filmmaking competition in which six teams battle to make a five-minute film to win a bag of equipment provided by Sony Electronics.
Sony is NVFF’s exclusive electronics sponsor and will have a strong presence showcasing its 4K Ultra HD TV, consumer 4KHandycam Camcorder, Action Cam POV video camera, VAIO notebook computers, Xperia smartphones and tablets, and Blu ray Disc players at the Sony Lounge screening venue at Hatt Hall in the Napa River Inn, the NVFF LifeStyle Pavilion, and VIP events and parties. Festival goers will be mesmerized and delighted by the innovative Sony fountain showcasing Sony’s waterproof devices. The fountain, and the temporary dome like structure surrounding it, will mark the entrance to the stunning Yountville Community Center, home of the NVFF Village Center and the Generations Rooms screening venue.
Sony is leading the way in 4K technology. Sony started the 4K revolution in 2001 with the introduction of the very first commercial 4K digital projectors and is the only manufacturer with products and services throughout the 4K eco-system including 4K professional cameras, recorders, monitors, digital front projectors for the home, and now a 4K camcorder for consumers as well as a full line-up of 4K Ultra HD TVs.
In addition, Sony will be sponsoring the Sony 4K Film Challenge and providing a 4K Ultra HD TV for Movies on the Move. The 4K Film Challenge entries will also be screened at the Sony Lounge at Hatt Hall in the Napa River Inn November 15, 16 and 17 at 10:30 a.m. Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Intel will present the new Animated Shorts Film Category, a special program of 12 films that represent a wide variety of styles, techniques and genres from around the world. Both Juried and Audience Award winning animated shorts films will be announced at the Closing Night Awards Ceremony at the Uptown Theater, Sunday, November 17th. Ryan Tudhope from San Francisco based VFX studio Atomic Fiction (Flight and Star Trek Into Darkness) and Ariel Kelman, Head of Worldwide Marketing, AWS, will lead a lively panel discussion about NVFF’s animated short films and how cloud technology is driving higher quality effects and letting digital effects artists and digital filmmakers focus on creativity versus the infrastructure required to run it. The discussion follows the 1:00 p.m. screening of the Animated Short Films at the Cadillac Theater at 500 First Street in Napa on Saturday, November 16.
Stella Artois, the No. 1 Belgian beer in the world, is an Official Sponsor of the Napa Valley Film Festival and the exclusive alcohol partner. This year, Stella Artois will have a strong presence showcasing its Stella Artois beer, part of a Belgian brewing tradition since 1366, and Stella Artois Cidre (pronounced: cee-druh), which recently brought home a gold medal in the cider category at the 2013 North American Beer Awards. Stella Artois Cidre is a crisp, distinctive European-style cider made with hand-picked apples. Drier and less sweet than typical U.S. ciders, Stella Artois Cidre is an ideal alternative to white wine. Stella Artois and Stella Artois Cidre will be served in signature glassware before film screenings at the Sony Lounge at Hatt Hall and featured at the NVFF LifeStyle Pavilion, the Festival Gala, VIP receptions and events, and at the Closing Night Wrap Party. Stella Artois chefs will also be on the Dacor Culinary Stage preparing recipes made with Stella Artois Cidre.
“For Stella Artois, brewing is a passionate, painstaking process,” said Rick Oleshak, global marketing director, Stella Artois. “We understand the commitment that is required to make a thing of beauty. Our partnership with the Napa Valley Film Festival honors the craftsmanship that goes into the filmmaking process, celebrating the actors and directors who make classic films a reality.” As the 2013 Official Airline Partner, Delta Air Lines will fly the NVFF filmmakers and celebrities into town. Delta was named by Fortune magazine as the most admired airline worldwide in its 2013 World’s Most Admired Companies airline industry list, topping the list for the second time in three years.
Napa Valley Film Festival is pleased to welcome Bank of America and Merrill Lynch as Leading Sponsors. Bank of America and Merrill Lynch are proud to support the Festival as part of the company’s commitment to supporting communities where our associates work and live, and where the company conducts business. Bank of America is a leading financial services company; Merrill Lynch provides comprehensive wealth management and investment services. The Napa Valley Film Festival is once again partnering with Meadowood Napa Valley, the luxurious resort in St. Helena that offers lucky guests golf, tennis, croquet, hiking, swimming, fitness, spa, wine experiences and a Michelin three-star restaurant dining experience all on a private 250-acre estate.
For the third year, Meadowood Napa Valley sponsors the NVFF Artists-in-Residence program by hosting the directors of the ten films participating in the U.S. Narrative Features Competition. The filmmakers are given the unique opportunity to network with each other and their industry mentors at a special day devoted to discussing film careers and their current and future projects.
Meadowood Napa Valley also presents a $10,000 cash prize to the filmmaker whose film is selected by the Jury as Best U.S. Narrative Feature at the Awards Ceremony on Sunday, November 17 at the Uptown Theatre. “We are honored to work with such innovative and dynamic partners, who have selected our Napa Valley Film Festival as a platform to highlight new products and technology as well as integrate into the festival in the most extraordinarily creative ways possible,” exclaimed NVFF Co-Founder and Artistic Director Marc Lhormer. “Audiences will be amazed and entertained by the displays and activations that these sponsors show off during the festival. We are excited to see how our partners and audience interact between the films, panels, demonstrations, special events and mind blowing parties.”
Other key sponsors include Domaine Chandon, the Yountville-based winery sponsoring the Rising Star Awards at the Celebrity Tribute Program hosted by esteemed film critic Leonard Maltin, on Friday, November 15 at Lincoln Theater. This year’s Rising Stars to receive large format bottles of Chandon sparkling wine will be actors Miles Teller (Spectacular Now, Rabbit Hole), and Dianna Agron (The Family, Glee). Sterling Vineyards, another historic winery, is sponsoring a NVFF VIP Getaway sweepstakes during the month of September in five states – Arizona, California, Texas, New York and Louisiana. NVFF Passes are on sale now atwww.napavalleyfilmfest.org. Advance reservations and purchase are suggested, as lodging and passes will sell out. The full NVFF Program Line up will be announced in late September.
About the Napa Valley Film Festival and Cinema Napa Valley:
The Napa Valley Film Festival is produced by Cinema Napa Valley, a registered 501c3 non-profit organization headquartered in Napa, California. The Napa Valley Film Festival (NVFF) mission is to support the art of independent filmmaking and cinematic story-telling; enhance and diversify Napa Valley’s cultural landscape, and to provide educational opportunities in and out of the classroom for local students. The ultimate celebration of film, food and wine, NVFF, November 13-17, lights up the picturesque towns of Napa, Yountville, St. Helena and Calistoga at the most colorful time of year. NVFF features over 100 new independent films and studio sneak previews screening in 12 beautiful venues throughout the 4 walkable villages, as 300 visiting filmmakers interact with audiences at screenings and intimate events. Attendees enjoy film panels & culinary demonstrations, wine tasting pavilions, the spectacular Festival Gala, Celebrity Tributes, Awards Ceremony, and an array of parties, VIP receptions and winemaker dinners and more. For information or to buy passes, visit NapaValleyFilmFest.org or call 707-226-7500.
Major 2013 Sponsors include Cadillac (Official Automobile Sponsor), Amazon Web Services and Intel (Animated Short Film), and Sony Electronics. Leading Sponsors include Bank of America/Merrill Lynch, Stella Artois (Official Beer), Meadowood Napa Valley (Artists-in-Residence Program), ColorZone and AVMS. Supporting Sponsors include Sterling Vineyards, Domaine Chandon/Newton Vineyards, Union Bank, Terlato Family Wineries, and Classic Party Rentals. Top Media Sponsors include: Winecountry.com, Traditional Home Magazine (Napa Valley Showhouse), MORE Magazine, San Francisco Chronicle/sfgate.com, The Hollywood Reporter, Wine Spectator, NBC Bay Area, Mutineer Magazine, and Comcast/XFINITY.
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