Rainbow Media's IFC and AMC Jointly Acquire Exclusive Broadcast Rights to the Independent Spirit Awards; Deal Rejoins Rainbow with IFP-LA as Sole Home to the Indie Awards Show from 2006-2009

Business Wire, April 4, 2005

NEW YORK -- Rainbow Media's Independent Film Channel (IFC), AMC and the IFP/LA announced a new agreement today, which will provide the two networks with exclusive broadcast rights for the Independent Spirit Awards through 2009.

The Independent Spirit Awards, which is hosted annually on the Saturday before the Oscars, just celebrated its 20th Anniversary honoring films and filmmakers who embody independence and challenge the status quo. The awards show has become the vanguard event in independent film. Today's agreement continues IFC's long-standing commitment to the awards show, ensuring the broadcast of the awards will air live, uncut and without commercial interruption. In addition, the deal adds the power of AMC as an additional broadcast partner, providing the awards show with its biggest basic cable platform for its tape-delayed re-broadcast.

"IFC and AMC's new agreement to broadcast the Independent Spirit Awards dramatically expands the audience for a film event that continues to grow in prominence," stated Rainbow Entertainment Services (AMC, IFC, WE) President Ed Carroll. "In an era where interest in many of the big-budget pageants has declined, the Spirit Awards has managed to stay fresh and spontaneous. Under the guidance of Dawn Hudson and the IPF/LA, the Spirit Awards are more relevant and entertaining than they have ever been."

"IFC have been our partners, uncensored broadcasters, and unflagging supporters of the Independent Spirit Awards for over ten years," said Dawn Hudson, Executive Director of IFP. "We couldn't be happier to continue the partnership with IFC and to expand the viewership for the Spirit Awards--and independent film--through AMC. Ed Carroll has time and again demonstrated his commitment to independent filmmakers and to IFP/LA. We're lucky to have such a perfect alignment of goals in our two organizations."

Today's announcement continues IFC's tradition set in 1997 for broadcasting the Independent Spirit Awards live, uncut and commercial free. For AMC, the Independent Spirit Awards will provide a new addition to its awards lineup, which includes American Cinematheque and Premiere's Women In Hollywood.

The Spirit Awards are a celebration honoring films made by filmmakers who embody independence and who dare to challenge the status quo. For its 20th Anniversary, this year's award show featured actor Samuel L. Jackson as Master of Ceremonies and Quentin Tarantino and Salma Hayek as Honorary Co-Chairs. Presenters included Tom Arnold, Maria Bello, Gael Garcia Bernal, Selma Blair, Cate Blanchett, Kate Bosworth, Jesse Bradford, Benjamin Bratt, Don Cheadle, Patricia Clarkson, Marc Forster, Jodie Foster, Philip Seymour Hoffman, David Alan Grier, Jake Gyllenhaal, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Regina King, Val Kilmer, Laura Linney, Olivier Martinez, Michael McKean, Bridget Moynahan, Dennis Quaid, Aidan Quinn, Christine Ricci, Liev Schrieber, Marisa Tomei, Michelle Trachtenberg, Robin Williams, Elijah Wood and Robin Wright Penn.

This year's celebrity guests and nominees included Sohreh Aghdashloo, Kevin Bacon, Zach Braff, Jeff Bridges, Bill Condon, Julie Delpy, David Duchovny, Kimberly Elise, Vera Farmiga, Jamie Foxx, Paul Giamatti, Virginia Madsen, Catalina Sandino Moreno, Alexander Payne, Giovanni Ribisi, Peter Sargaard, Kyra Sedgwick, Jennifer Tilly, Mario Van Peebles, and Mike White, among others.

The Independent Spirit Awards nominees are chosen on the basis of original, provocative subject matter; uniqueness of vision; economy of means, with particular attention paid to total budget and individual compensation; and percentage of independent financing. Awards are given in the following categories: Best Feature, Best First Feature, Best First Screenplay, Best Director, Best Screenplay, John Cassavetes Award (given to the best feature made for a budget under $500,000), Best Male Lead, Best Female Lead, Best Supporting Male, Best Supporting Female, Best Debut Performance, Best Cinematography, Best Foreign Film, and Best Documentary.

About Rainbow Media

A leader in sports, news and entertainment programming, Rainbow Media Holdings LLC is a subsidiary of Cablevision Systems Corporation (NYSE:CVC). Rainbow Media owns and manages national networks: AMC, Fuse, IFC (The Independent Film Channel) and WE: Women's Entertainment; as well as the on-demand services: Mag Rack, Uncensored On Demand, World Picks On Demand and World Picks Networks. Rainbow Media's other businesses include its regional programming services--MetroChannels, News 12 Networks and Rainbow Sports Networks--in addition to the Rainbow Advertising Sales Corporation and Rainbow Network Communications. Rainbow Media is also a 50 percent partner in Fox Sports Net.

About IFP/Los Angeles

IFP/Los Angeles, a nonprofit membership organization, champions the cause of independent film and supports a community of artists who embody diversity, innovation, and uniqueness of vision. IFP/LA provides its members with professional advice, educational programs, affordable camera and equipment rentals, and discounts to hundreds of industry-related businesses. IFP/LA's Filmmaker Labs offer writers, directors, and producers the opportunity to develop their projects. IFP/LA's mentorship and job placement program, Project: Involve, pairs filmmakers from culturally diverse communities with film industry professionals. IFP/Los Angeles also produces the IFP Independent Spirit Awards and the Los Angeles Film Festival, celebrating the best of American and international independent cinema. With more than 6,000 members, IFP/Los Angeles is Southern California's largest non-profit organization for independent filmmakers.