Industry Insiders Set to Judge 'Halloween Horror Nights'-Chiller Scary Good Film Competition: As Universal Studios Hollywood(SM) Seeks Best Horror Genre Short Film Auteur

Industry Insiders Set to Judge 'Halloween Horror Nights'-Chiller Scary Good Film Competition: As Universal Studios Hollywood(SM) Seeks Best Horror Genre Short Film Auteur

UNIVERSAL CITY, Calif., Aug. 12 /PRNewswire/ -- The director of the new SAW VI, Chiller's top programming executive and the creative director of Universal Studios Hollywood's(SM) Halloween Horror Nights event will serve as judges for the "Halloween Horror Nights-Chiller Scary Good Film Competition," a partnership between the Chiller network and Universal Studios Hollywood offering filmmakers an opportunity to have their scariest short film rewarded with a broadcast on Chiller, a $1,000 cash prize and a trip for two to the October 2 opening night of Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Studios Hollywood.

The judges, who will grade the submissions on storytelling skill, originality and the degree of the "good scare" include:

Director Kevin Greutert, whose film SAW VI is set to thrill audiences in October, received a production degree at USC Film School and rose through the ranks of film editing on such projects as Titanic, Armageddon, and Inspector Gadget. He edited all five films of the SAW horror series before directing SAW VI. He also edited the Brendan Fraser/Mos Def drama Journey to the End of the Night, as well as The Strangers, with Liv Tyler. In his spare time Mr. Greutert writes, directs his own films, performs music and travels.

Thomas P. Vitale, Syfy's Executive Vice President of Programming and Original Movies oversees the Channel's program planning, original genre movie development and production, Syfy's original event documentaries, and the network's aggressive buying and scheduling efforts, as well as overseeing series and movie development, and acquisitions for Chiller. A fan of horror, science fiction, fantasy, Mr. Vitale has become a favorite voice among genre fans through his monthly "TV on TV" column in SCI FI Magazine.

Creative Director John Murdy is responsible for the creation of a wide variety of rides, shows, attractions and special events for Universal Studios theme parks worldwide - including Universal Studios Hollywood's "Halloween Horror Nights." Working closely with the film community, Mr. Murdy has written and produced numerous film-based experiences with some for Hollywood's biggest names, including directors Steven Spielberg and Ron Howard. In addition to John's role as Creative Director, he has also served as an on-camera studio historian for programs like Today and Access Hollywood.

To enter the competition, filmmakers are invited to submit short films of 90 seconds to three minutes in length on DVD. Two copies of each film must be submitted. The top 10 shorts, as determined by the panel of judges, will be posted online at www.HalloweenHorrorNights.com/Chiller from September 8 - 24 for public voting. Contest entries will be accepted through August 21, 2009.

The winning "Scary Good" film will be announced on September 25. In addition to the prize and the Chiller broadcast of the film, the winning filmmaker will be honored in front of celebrities, studio executives and media at the October 2 Chiller-Eyegore Awards ceremony, which will kick off the annual Halloween Horror Nights event at Universal Studios Hollywood.

Entries should be sent to Halloween Horror Nights-Chiller Scary Good Film Competition, 100 Universal City Plaza, Building 5511, Universal City CA 91608. Additional information on the contest, including a complete list of rules and regulations, is available online at the website above. Halloween Horror Nights begins its 16-night run at Universal Studios Hollywood on October 2. Updates on "Halloween Horror Nights" are available at HalloweenHorrorNights.com/Hollywood and on Twitter and Facebook, as Creative Director John Murdy reveals a running chronicle of exclusive information. Fans are invited to follow John Murdy on Twitter at: twitter.com/HorrorNights or via Facebook at: "Halloween Horror Nights - Hollywood (Official)."

Chiller, the recently launched channel from NBC Universal, is the only network devoted to delivering viewers round-the-clock scares. Chiller's eclectic slate of adrenaline-fueled, soul-stirring entertainment includes classic drama and anthology series (Tales from the Darkside, Twin Peaks, Nightmare Cafe), international programming (Spine Chillers, Strange) and a broad offering of films, including feature-length premieres every Friday. Chiller is currently available in 35 million homes. To learn more, visit: www.chillertv.com.

Universal Studios Hollywood is a unit of Universal Parks & Resorts, a division of NBC Universal.

NBC Universal is one of the world's leading media and entertainment companies in the development, production, marketing of entertainment, news, and information to a global audience. Formed in May of 2004 through the combining of NBC and Vivendi Universal Entertainment, NBC Universal owns and operates a valuable portfolio of news and entertainment networks, a premier motion picture company, significant television production operations, a leading television stations group, and world-renowned theme parks. NBC Universal is 80% owned by General Electric (NYSE:GE) , with 20% controlled by Vivendi.

First Call Analyst:
FCMN Contact:

Source: Universal Studios Hollywood

CONTACT: Eliot Sekuler, +1-818-622-6896, eliot.sekuler@nbcuni.com, or
online PR, Trana Pittam, +1-818-622-5985, trana.pittam@nbcuni.com, both of
Universal Studios Hollywood

Web Site: http://www.halloweenhorrornights.com/
http://www.chillertv.com/

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Profile: International Entertainment