Olivia Wilde and Peter Sarsgaard Star in New Public Service Announcements Encouraging Young People to Vote in 2008 Election

Olivia Wilde and Peter Sarsgaard Star in New Public Service Announcements Encouraging Young People to Vote in 2008 Election

18 in '08 Launches Celebrity PSA Series Exclusively On MySpace

NEW YORK, June 30 /PRNewswire/ -- Film and television stars Olivia Wilde ("House" and "The O.C.") and Peter Sarsgaard ("Jarhead" and "Boys Don't Cry") appear in two new public service announcements encouraging young people to register and vote in the 2008 election. The PSAs are available today and tomorrow exclusively on MySpace (www.myspace.com/18in08) and were released by 18 in '08 (www.18in08.com), a nonpartisan youth-run organization dedicated to registering, mobilizing and engaging young voters for the 2008 election. The PSAs were produced by Crossborders (www.crossborders.tv).

"You and I are about to change the world," Olivia Wilde announces at the top of the video. Her video statement is a bold, impassioned, and personal commentary, emphasizing the importance of the upcoming election and urging young voters to make a difference by registering, getting involved, and voting. "The stakes are really high this year," says Wilde. "Decisions will be made by the next President that will affect our generation's future for decades to come. It has never been more important to get involved now."

The PSAs also highlight the nonpartisan nature of political engagement and why young voters must get involved. Notes Peter Sarsgaard: "You have choice. You can sit around and wish the world were different or you can listen to the different ideas, think about which one appeals to you most, vote for that person and it will change."

David D. Burstein, Executive Director of 18 in '08 and director of the documentary film of the same name, pointed out: "Our whole movement is based on peer-to-peer communications. It makes a special impact when young film and television stars -- who are widely respected as serious, thoughtful voices of their generation-speak out on the importance of youth voting. Olivia and Peter, and the young leaders we will feature in future PSAs, are underscoring the theme that the 2008 election will have major impact on our generation collectively."

The PSAs and will be available starting Wednesday, July 2, across the web, as well as at www.18in08.com. Additional video PSAs featuring celebrities from entertainment and sports, as well as young activists engaged in a variety of causes, will be released over the next few months, leading up to the November election.

DIRECT PSA LINKS:

Olivia Wilde: http://myspacetv.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=37318512

Peter Sarsgaard: http://myspacetv.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=37321141

About Peter Sarsgaard

Peter Sarsgaard is a Golden Globe nominated actor of stage and film. For his role as Charles Lane in the film Shattered Glass, Sarsgaard won the Boston, San Francisco, Toronto and National Society of Film Critics awards and received a Golden Globe nomination. Sarsgaard's other film credits include: Boys Don't Cry, Garden State, Kinsey, Jarhead, Rendition, K-19: The Widowmaker, Flightplan, The Center of the World, The Dying Gaul, and The Man in the Iron Mask. His debut film role was in Dead Man Walking. Upcoming films include: Elegy, In the Electric Mist, Orphan, and An Education. Sarsgaard has also worked in theater, appearing in the Off-Broadway productions of Kingdom of Earth, Laura Dennis, and the acclaimed revival of Lanford Wilson's Burn This.

About Olivia Wilde

Olivia Wilde is currently portraying "Thirteen" on the hit TV Show, "House." Many came to know her when she appeared as Alex Kelly on "The O.C." She also starred on "The Black Donnellys" for NBC. Her film credits include: The Girl Next Door, Alpha Dog, Turistas, Conversations with Other Women, and the upcoming Judd Apatow-Harold Ramis film, "Year One." She is involved with Doctors without Borders, the Epic Theater Ensemble, and is a member of the Los Angeles Filmmakers Cooperative (LAFCO). Olivia is a dual citizen of the U.S. and Ireland. She studied acting at the Gaiety School of Acting in Dublin. Olivia Wilde also serves on the Advisory Council for 18 in '08.

About 18 in '08

18 in '08 is a national nonpartisan peer-to-peer youth voter engagement and mobilization organization created to register, engage, and mobilize young voters specifically for the 2008 election. The primary tool used to engage voters is the documentary film, "18 in '08." Film screenings have been held in cities across the country, followed by discussions with public leaders and students, and on site voter registration. 18 in '08 is also involved with educational efforts on college and high school campuses, Run by 19 year-old Founder and Executive Director David D. Burstein, 18 in '08 is the first national youth voter organization to be run by someone under 20. The film features leading politicians and public figures including Gov. Jeb Bush, Sen. Sam Brownback, James Carville, Sen. Chris Dodd, Sam Donaldson, Richard Dreyfuss, Sen. John Kerry, Sen. Joe Lieberman, as well as a diverse array of students from around the country. 18 in '08 and its efforts have been featured on the ABC Evening News, CNN, NPR, C-SPAN, FOX News, USA Today, The Washington Times, The Boston Globe, The Huffington Post, and The Politico, among other outlets. Learn more at www.18in08.com or by contacting Media@18in08.com

About Crossborders

Crossborders is a new media content creation company that is responsible for managing and expanding the 18 in '08 movement. Crossborders creates video programming for all media platforms with a focus on broadband distribution. The company's Political New Media division produces video content for public officials including Gavin Newsom, Mayor of San Francisco. Crossborders is run by Brian Edelman and Nick Godfrey who also produced 18 in '08. Learn more at www.crossborders.tv .

Source: 18 in '08

CONTACT: David Burstein, Executive Director of 18 in '08,
+1-203-919-1270, Media@18in08.com

Web site: http://www.18in08.com/
http://www.myspace.com/18in08
http://www.crossborders.tv/

---

Profile: International Entertainment