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Phoenix Film Festival Honors President of Lions Gate Films; Tom Arnold Will Present Tom Ortenberg with Copper Wing Tribute Award


WEBWIRE

PHOENIX--April 7, 2005--The “Toms” of the new independent film “Happy Endings” will be together on stage Thursday, April 7, at the Opening Night Ceremony of the 2005 Phoenix Film Festival as actor Tom Arnold (“Happy Endings,” “True Lies”) presents Tom Ortenberg, president of Lions Gate Films, with a Copper Wing Tribute Award for his outstanding support of independent film.


Ortenberg’s tenure at Lions Gate Films helped to produce a string of Academy Award-winning commercial and independent films, such as “Monster’s Ball,” which won Halle Berry a Best Actress Award in 2004, “Girl with Pearl Earring,” which garnered three Academy Award nominations, “The Cooler,” with Academy Award nominee Alec Baldwin (Best Supporting Actor), “Affliction,” which produced nominations for Nick Nolte (Best Actor) and James Coburn (Best Supporting Actor), and “Gods and Monsters,” which won an award for Original Writing and received nominations for Ian McKellen (Best Actor) and Lynn Redgrave (Best Supporting Actress).

Tom Arnold will present Ortenberg the Copper Wing Tribute, to be followed by the Arizona premiere of “Happy Endings,” their joint film effort about relationships, adoption, sperm donation and reunions. Directed by Don Roos (“The Opposite of Sex”) and produced by Tom Ortenberg (“Girl with Pearl Earring,” “The Rules of Attraction”), “Happy Endings” features a fantastic ensemble cast including Tom Arnold (“True Lies,” “Nine Months”), Lisa Kudrow (“Friends,” “The Opposite of Sex”), Ray Liotta (“GoodFellas,” “Narc”) and Maggie Gyllenhaal (“Mona Lisa Smile,” “Secretary”).

Lions Gate Entertainment, parent company of Lions Gate Films, is the premier independent producer and distributor of motion pictures, television programming, home entertainment, family entertainment and video-on-demand content. The Lions Gate brand name is synonymous with original, daring, quality entertainment in markets around the globe, as recognized by its dozens of Golden Globe, BAFTA, Spirit and SAG award nominations as well as its complete film catalog, which also includes “Fahrenheit 9/11,” “The Rules of Attraction,” “American Psycho,” “Dogma,” “The Red Violin,” and, most recently, “Saw” and “Open Water.”

The Phoenix Film Festival is also recognized for its original, daring and quality entertainment. More than 60 films will be screened at the 2005 Phoenix Film Festival, with films running continually all weekend at Harkins Scottsdale 101.

This year, more than 15,000 movie lovers are expected to attend the weekend festival, which also includes festival parties every night, workshops and seminars for high-school and grade-school kids, and conversations and panels with filmmakers and directors.

Call the Phoenix Film Festival office at 602-955-6444 for more information, or go to www.phxfilmfestival.com to see and download a complete schedule of events and movies. This is an event that shouldn’t be missed, and if you love movies, you’ll definitely be first in line for the 2005 Phoenix Film Festival.



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