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- Ford expands "Mustang Stories" contest to include independently developed short films by partnering with Filmaka, a global digital entertainment studio and celebrated online creative community.
- "Mustang Stories" films will be shown each week during episodes of NBC's Knight Rider TV series, which debuts on Wednesday, September 24 (8 p.m. EDT) and features the Ford Shelby GT500KR. The short films can be viewed at www.the2010mustang.com.
- The 2010 Ford Mustang debuts at the L.A. Auto Show in November.
DEARBORN, Mich., Sept. 23, 2008 – With worldwide Mustang enthusiasts anticipating the reveal of the 2010 Ford Mustang, those passionate about the iconic pony car are using the time before launch to tell their stories about their favorite muscle car through the essay contest at www.the2010mustang.com. Filmmakers also now get to share their "Mustang Stories," thanks to an innovative campaign recently launched between Ford, JWT Team Detroit, and Filmaka, a global digital entertainment studio and celebrated online creative community.
"We're always looking for innovative ways to connect with our customers," said Caroline Pernot, Ford car communications manager. "We wanted to see how filmmakers interpreted our ‘Mustang Stories' contest and are delighted to be able to reach an even wider audience through the new Knight Rider TV series, which stars our Shelby GT500KR."
Video clips – essentially 30- to 60-second "trailers" – will be shown on NBC's Knight Rider TV series, which debuts on Wednesday, Sept. 24 (8 p.m. EST). Viewers then can watch the films, which last from 45 seconds to five minutes, in their entirety exclusively at www.the2010mustang.com.
Nearly 400 scripts were submitted by filmmakers from 28 countries on six continents, and 22 semifinalists received $5,000 to produce their short films in two weeks. Ford, JWT and Filmaka then selected 10 winners who received additional $5,000 prize money. A new film will be introduced each week during Knight Rider episodes. The grand-prize winner receives the chance to direct a promotional film for the 2010 Mustang launch.
The first winning film, "Numskull," is directed by Zack Resnicoff and written by Sonny Calderon, who are based in New York and Los Angeles, respectively. More winning filmmakers will be announced soon.
"Working with Ford gives us the opportunity to help a powerhouse brand connect with its consumers through high-quality, original content," said Sandy Grushow, president, Filmaka. "Meanwhile, our winning filmmakers got to have their creative vision seen by one of the world's most respected agencies as well as millions of television viewers."
To enter the "Mustang Stories" contest, enthusiasts should visit www.the2010mustang.com for details. Submissions must be received by midnight EST on Oct. 15. Voting will take place from October 18-30, with the winner announced Oct. 30. The grand prize winner receives a 2010 Mustang and an all-expenses-paid trip to the Los Angeles International Auto show in November.
In addition to entering the "Mustang Stories" contest, enthusiasts can go to www.the2010mustang.com to get the latest information on the 2010 Mustang and sign up for exclusive updates during the countdown to the launch. This unique, virtual Mustang community features other "Mustang Stories" entries, Mustang photos and information from Ford's extensive archive, and sneak peeks of the 2010 Mustang.
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About Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company, a global automotive industry leader based in Dearborn, Mich., manufactures or distributes automobiles across six continents. With about 229,000 employees and about 90 plants worldwide, the company's core and affiliated automotive brands include Ford, Lincoln, Mercury, Volvo and Mazda. The company provides financial services through Ford Motor Credit Company. For more information regarding Ford's products, please visit our website at www.ford.com.
About Filmaka
Filmaka ( www.filmaka.com) is an on-line global creative community and marketplace, committed to inspiring, celebrating and rewarding creativity and talent by providing professional opportunities for directors and writers from all around the world. The unique mechanism is a series of competitions which are juried by industry leaders. Each month, Filmaka challenges its community to create original, professionally produced high-quality scripted and unscripted films and branded entertainment. Rewards range from cash prizes to the opportunity to create series for traditional and digital media. Filmaka will also produce at least one feature film and documentary directed by community members.