Second Annual Gotham Film Festival

Announcement and Call for Entries, Sponsorships and Screeners

The Second Annual Gotham Film Festival® (GOTHAM FILM FESTIVAL®) will be held on Wednesday, June 6, 2012 at the Friar’s Club starting at 6:00.
Expanding on last year’s successes, this year we are pleased to announce several new developments:

§ Cash prizes will be awarded to the winners.
§ Submissions from outside Gotham are welcome.
§ Sponsorships are available.
§ Gotham members will have the opportunity to participate in the screening and selection process.

1. Submission Guidelines: Deadline April 27, 2012

§ Content and length

o Films must be about some aspect of the New York or Gotham experience or must include a central reference to New York or Gotham.
o There will be two categories based on length. Each category will have both documentary and original subcategories:

Express: 1-3 minutes in length, exclusive of titles and credits.
Local: Up to 10 minutes in length, exclusive of titles and credits.
Prize Awards

o Winners of the following cash prize awards (“Awards”) will be selected by the attendees of the Gotham Film Festival® through a secret ballot vote. Award winners will be announced at the conclusion of the Gotham Film Festival®.

§ Express Documentary: One (1) first prize of $500

§ Local Documentary: One (1) first prize of $500

§ Express Original: One (1) first prize of $500

§ Local Original: One (1) first prize of $500

§ Ownership

o All films must be original.

o Entrants must have some legal and artistic ownership of the film (e.g., as writer, director or primary actor).

o By submitting a film, entrants give Gotham Film Festival® the right to show publicly, publish on the Internet and promote said film.

§ This right is nonexclusive and the entrant retains all further rights to the film.
§ Proper credit of authorship will be given any time GOTHAM FILM FESTIVAL® shows, publishes or promotes the film.

§ Submission

o Entrants will pay a $35 submission fee to help cover our costs. This fee is non-refundable; however, this fee shall be waived for any currently matriculating film student.
o Films must be submitted on DVD.
o All entries must be accompanied by:

A check for $35 made out to Gotham Film Festival® or a photocopy of a current student ID.
Release form authorizing Gotham Film Festival® to show the film and providing the following identifying information:

· Submitter
· Role in film’s creation.
· Approximate length
· Contact information (email, phone, mailing address)

o Physical submission:

DVDs and release forms shall be delivered to the offices of Klein Zelman Rothermel (485 Madison Avenue, 15th Floor, New York, NY 10022) no later than 4:30 pm on April 27, 2012.

o Entrants will receive an email acknowledgement, along with a projected process and timeline by May 4, 2012.
o The Steering Committee reserves the right to change any date related to the festival. In that event, as much advance notice as possible will be provided.

2. Sponsorships

To help the Gotham Film Festival® grow and to attract greater quality
film submissions, we are initiating sponsorship opportunities as
follows:

§ The Transportation Commissioner: $2,500 (lead sponsorship for the
Festival; only one available)

§ The Chauffeured: $1,000

§ The Fares: $500

§ The Straphangers: $250

§ The Cyclists: $100

§ The Pedestrians: In Kind Contributions

Rules

The Second Annual Gotham Film Festival® (the “Gotham Film Festival®”) is sponsored by Gotham City Networking, Inc. (“Gotham”). Films that are accepted and shown during the Gotham Film Festival® will be eligible to compete for various cash prize awards (as described below). By participating in the Entry Process (as described below), you agree to comply with, and be bound by, the following Official Rules for the Second Annual Gotham Film Festival® (“Official Rules”). Please review these Official Rules carefully. If you do not agree to these Official Rules in their entirety, you are not permitted to participate in the Entry Process.

Eligibility: Entrants must fully comply with these Official Rules. Entrants must fully complete the Second Annual Gotham Film Festival® Application and Release Form (the “Release”), to be provided separately, and pay a one-time, non-refundable Thirty-Five Dollar ($35.00) application fee in order for their entries (each, an “Entry”) to be considered for inclusion in the Gotham Film Festival®. This fee shall be waived for any currently matriculating student in an accredited film school. Entries must be about some aspect of the New York and/or Gotham experience, or must include a central reference to New York or Gotham. Determinations as to whether or not Entries meet the established eligibility criteria will be made on a case-by-case basis, at the sole and exclusive discretion of Gotham.
Categories: Eligible Entries will be placed into one (1) of the following two (2) categories based upon the length of the film:
1. Express: One (1) to three (3) minutes in length (exclusive of title and credits)
2. Local: Up to ten (10) minutes in length (exclusive of title and credits)
Each of the above categories will have a Documentary and Original subcategory.
Entry Process: A steering committee comprised of Gotham members (the “Steering Committee”) has established a submission deadline of April 27, 2012, for all Entries. No Entries will be accepted after the deadline. Entries must be submitted to Gotham in DVD format. Each entrant must specify on the Release the category and subcategory for which he/she/it is entering his/her/its Entry. Each eligible Entry will be screened independently by two (2) or three (3) screeners randomly assigned by the Steering Committee (the “Screeners”). No individual with a connection to an entrant may serve as a Screener in the same category for which that entrant submits an Entry. Using a rating system established by the Steering Committee, Screeners will rate each eligible Entry. Eligible Entries that score high enough based on the ratings of the applicable Screeners will be screened by a panel of judges that include all members of the Steering Committee, as well as other Gotham members appointed by the Steering Committee (collectively, the “Judges”). Entries will be compared only to other Entries in their applicable category and subcategory. Judges may recommend that entrants alter and re-submit their Entry. The Judges, in their sole and exclusive discretion, shall make final determinations as to which Entries will be included in the Gotham Film Festival®. The decisions of the Judges shall be final, conclusive and not subject to appeal.
The Gotham Film Festival: Those Entries selected for inclusion by the Judges will be shown at the Gotham Film Festival® scheduled to take place on June 6, 2012, at a location to be determined and, subsequently, announced by the Steering Committee. All announced locations, dates and times are subject to change, at any time, at Gotham’s sole discretion. Entrants will be notified of any changes via email, using the email address Entrant provided on the Application and Release Form. The Steering Committee shall establish guidelines for determining the order that the selected Entries will be shown. Gotham Film Festival® attendees will vote on prizes to be awarded to the qualifying Entries by secret ballot. YOU UNDERSTAND AND AGREE THAT GOTHAM IS NOT RESPONSIBLE OR LIABLE IN ANY MANNER WHATSOEVER FOR YOUR INABILITY TO QUALIFY FOR SHOWING YOUR ENTRY AT THE GOTHAM FILM FESTIVAL®, OR FOR WINNING ANY AWARD ASSOCIATED THEREWITH.
Prize Awards: Winners of the following cash prize awards (“Awards”) will be selected by the attendees of the Gotham Film Festival® through a secret ballot vote. Award winners will be announced at the conclusion of the Gotham Film Festival®.
1. Express Documentary: One (1) first prize of $500
2. Local Documentary: One (1) first prize of $500
3. Express Original: One (1) first prize of $500
4. Local Original: One (1) first prize of $500
Awards shall be paid to the applicable winners within 30 days after the conclusion of the Gotham Film Festival®. Each Award winner is solely responsible for any federal, state and other tax liabilities relating to or arising out of any Award.
Disqualification: Gotham reserves the right, in its sole and absolute discretion, to disqualify any entrant at any time if it concludes that the applicable entrant has tampered with the Entry Process or has acted in violation of these Official Rules or any applicable state, federal or local laws, rules or regulations. Entrants will be disqualified from the Entry Process, and their Entries will not be considered by the Judges, if they fail to comply with these Official Rules.
Limitations on Warranties: GOTHAM DOES NOT MAKE ANY REPRESENTATION OR WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, CONCERNING THE GOTHAM FILM FESTIVAL®, THE SCREENING PROCESS, JUDGING PROCESS AND/OR THE AWARDS THEMSELVES.
Indemnification: You agree to indemnify and hold Gotham, its parents and subsidiaries, and each of their respective members, officers, directors, employees, agents, co-branders, content licensors and/or other partners, harmless from and against any and all claims, expenses (including reasonable attorneys’ fees), damages, suits, costs, demands and/or judgments whatsoever, made by any third party due to or arising out of: (a) your participation in the Entry Process and/or Gotham Film Festival® in any way, whatsoever; (b) your breach of these Official Rules and/or the Release; (c) any dispute between you and any Judges, Steering Committee members, Screeners, other Gotham members and/or other third parties; and/or (d) any claim related to your Entry. The provisions of this Section 8 are for the benefit of Gotham, its parents, subsidiaries and/or affiliates, and each of their respective officers, directors, members, employees, agents, shareholders, licensors, suppliers and/or attorneys. Each of these individuals and entities shall have the right to assert and enforce these provisions directly against you on its own behalf.
Additional Terms and Conditions:

Entrants agree that any and all disputes relating to the Gotham Film Festival® including, but not limited to, the Entry Process, shall be governed by the laws of the State of New York, without regard to conflicts of laws principles. Should a dispute arise concerning the Gotham Film Festival® including, but not limited to, the Entry Process, the parties agree to submit their dispute for resolution to the Federal District Court for the Southern District of New York. Should any part of these Official Rules be held invalid or unenforceable, that portion shall be construed consistent with applicable law and the remaining portions shall remain in full force and effect.
Gotham, the Steering Committee and/or the Judges are not responsible for Entries and/or other material submitted during the Entry Process that is lost or damaged. Gotham, the Steering Committee and/or the Judges are under no obligation to return any Entries or other material that is submitted as part of the Entry Process.
In addition to agreeing to the terms and conditions in the Release, participation in the Entry Process and/or Gotham Film Festival® constitutes permission by an entrant to use such entrant’s name and likeness, as well as the name of the Entry and images from the Entry, for advertising and promotional purposes without further compensation, excluding residents of the State of Tennessee and where otherwise prohibited by law.
Any attempt by any individual, whether or not an entrant, to interfere with or unfairly manipulate the operation of the Gotham Film Festival®, including, without limitation, the Judging and Screening process, is a violation of criminal and civil law and Gotham will diligently pursue any and all remedies in this regard against any offending individual or entity to the fullest extent permissible by law and in equity.

Gotham Film Fest Release (00107319).DOC (40KB)

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