Trilogy Studios, Salt Lake City Film Festival, World Congress of Families Pen Agreement; Historic Partnership Creates International Opportunities for Film Festival

Business Wire, August 26, 2002

Business Editors & High-Tech/Entertainment Writers

Salt Lake City Film Festival

SALT LAKE CITY--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug. 26, 2002

In a joint announcement made today Trilogy Studios, The Salt Lake City Film Festival, and The World Congress of Families have signed a cooperative agreement that will provide international venues for the screening of award winning entries to the annual festival.

The agreement follows extensive discussions between the three organizations to explore ways they could work cooperatively to help strengthen families worldwide.

Trilogy Studios has recently announced the availability of its proprietary 'Movie Mask' product that will permit families, in the comfort of their homes, to view movies their way. The technology will allow viewers, at the push of a button, to adjust an 'R' rated DVD movie to 'PG-13' or 'PG' in real time, without permanently altering the original work. Unlike their competitors Trilogy Studios' technology is the only non-destructive, frame accurate editing process on the market today.

The Salt Lake City Film Festival has just concluded its first annual festival, which was hailed by critics as one of the most significant happenings in the independent film making industry. The festival featured movies that stir the soul, heal the heart, and enrich the world and were free of profanity, violence, and sexual situations. Submissions came from all parts of the world and represented a new generation of filmmakers who want to create films that are family oriented.

The World Congress of Families is a remarkable "coming together" of pro-family groups and leaders from diverse faith and national cultures. These international coalition-building and educational efforts brought together 1600 delegates and participants, from over 60 countries to the recent World Congress of Families II held in Geneva, Switzerland. These participants represented 275 pro-family organizations.

The World Congress of Families was created as a "grass roots" approach to the issues of children and families. The Congress brings together scholars, diplomats, dignitaries and members of the general population in pursuit of the protection of the family as the fundamental group unit of society.

The joint agreement will generate discussions between the three organizations as they pursue initiatives to strengthen the family. The development of Trilogy's "Movie Mask" technology, capable of masking profanity, nudity and violence in movies, along with the establishment of the family oriented Salt Lake City Film Festival, is seen as synergistic with the aims of The World Congress of Families.

A series of WCOF international regional meetings will be held throughout the world in 2003. Trilogy Studios and the Salt Lake City Film Festival will provide screenings of their award winning entries as an adjunct to these conferences. Anticipated venues include The Philippines, Argentina, Brazil, The United Kingdom, Uganda, Egypt, China, The Czech Republic, Canada, and Russia.

In 2004 The World Congress of Families III will be held in Mexico City, Mexico and will celebrate the 10th anniversary of the United Nations General Assembly declaration that designated 1994 as the "Year of the Family". Trilogy Studios and The Salt Lake City Film Festival will participate in Mexico City and present a more extensive film screening in conjunction with the Congress.

"We are delighted with the relationship established with the World Congress of Families," said Breck Rice, co-founder and COO of Trilogy Studios. "Our goal is to provide families with the opportunity to view wholesome entertainment and to strengthen family relationships in general. We support the initiatives of the World Congress of Families and look forward to joining with them in their international regional meetings and in their Mexico City Congress in 2004."

"Following our initial discussions with representatives of the World Congress of Families, we recognized the synergy that existed between the goals of our festival and the goals of this international organization," said Wayne Lee, Executive Director of the Salt Lake City Film Festival. "The opportunity to provide Congress attendees, from all parts of the world, with an opportunity to view these independent family oriented movies is an exciting prospect."

"The World Congress of Families is pleased to have established this cooperative agreement with Trilogy Studios and the Salt Lake City Film Festival," said Allan Carlson, President, Howard Center for Family, Religion and Society, and General Secretary, World Congress of Families. "We are very supportive of the goals of the film festival to encourage independent film makers throughout the world to produce movies that are free from profanity, violence, and sexual content."

"This historic agreement brings us together with representatives of the software technology and entertainment industries in support of traditional family values. Our partnership will create tangible ways to encourage the development of wholesome family entertainment on the movie screen," said Richard Wilkins, Managing Director, The World Family Policy Center, and General Secretary, World Congress of Families. "We look forward to a productive and cooperative effort in the coming years."