Project Breakout Winning Filmmaker Works with Oscar(R) Winning Producer in UK

Project Breakout Winning Filmmaker Works with Oscar(R) Winning Producer in UK

Shakespeare in Love Producer elevates Short Film Winner to the next stage

FT. LAUDERDALE, Fla., April 11 /PRNewswire/ -- After competing against 150 other aspiring directors over several months and across multiple rounds, Lauren Marie Pena has been named the 2007 Breakout Filmmaker by Project Breakout, the premiere online video competition community (http://www.projectbreakout.com/).

Ms. Pena, a twenty-one-year-old film student from Studio City, California, earned the respect of both the online audience and the panel of expert judges who were jointly responsible for selecting a grand prize winner from the pool of fifteen finalists.

While her original short film, Easy Money, earned Ms. Pena her place in the finals, it was her next competition entry, Christmas Confessional, which catapulted her into the opportunity of a lifetime for a young filmmaker. After winning the competition, Ms. Pena traveled all-expenses paid to London, England to work with Academy Award(R) winning producer David Parfitt and veteran director Andy Cadiff on the set of their current production, A Bunch of Amateurs.

In being advised of her victory, Ms. Pena said, "Project Breakout has given me the opportunity of a lifetime and winning this award has really helped solidify my career in film. Not only has it given me more credibility in my directing skills, I have gained the correct exposure an aspiring filmmaker needs."

When asked about his involvement in the Breakout Filmmaker competition, producer David Parfitt said, "We are delighted to support Project Breakout and we hope that Lauren's visit to our set will help prepare her for a great future as an independent filmmaker."

Gregory Sukornyk, Founder and CEO of Project Breakout, added, "We have been amazed at the contestant and audience turnout for our inaugural Short Film competition. Lauren has distinguished herself in the eyes of the online audience and our expert panel of judges as a filmmaker on the rise. We are thrilled that Project Breakout is continuing to help budding talent and look forward to giving more people a leg up by offering them real career-advancing opportunities."

The Breakout Filmmaker short film competition was open to aspiring filmmakers from the United States, the United Kingdom and Canada. Registered fans from around the world were eligible to vote for and comment on contestants during each round of the competition. In excess of 500,000 votes were cast over the course of eight weeks.

About Project Breakout

Project Breakout (http://www.projectbreakout.com/) is the premiere community for online video competitions. Representing the convergence of online video sharing (e.g. YouTube(TM)), social networking (e.g. MySpace) and top television talent contests (e.g. American Idol(R)), Project Breakout is the preferred destination for online video talent competitions spanning various channels such as comedy, music, modeling, short film and broadcasting. Project Breakout's mission consists of facilitating breakout opportunities for undiscovered talent who are ready to "explode onto the scene," while providing high-quality entertainment to its extensive online audience.

About the Award Partner

Project Breakout has partnered with Trademark Films (UK) and its founder, Academy Award(R) winning producer David Parfitt to deliver an outstanding prize package to the 2007 Breakout Filmmaker. Prior to starting Trademark Films, Mr. Parfitt produced such notable films as Shakespeare in Love, The Madness of King George and Chasing Liberty. In addition to his work as a director and producer, Mr. Parfitt also serves as the Deputy Chairman of the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) and as a member of the Project Breakout Advisory Board.

   Contact:   Maya Parada   Phone: 954-467-8267 x105   Fax: 954-467-8270   media@projectbreakout.com   http://www.projectbreakout.com/    

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Source: Project Breakout

CONTACT: Maya Parada of Project Breakout, +1-954-467-8267 ext. 105,
Fax: +1-954-467-8270, media@projectbreakout.com

Web site: http://www.projectbreakout.com/

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Profile: International Entertainment