NY Times Commits to Three-Year Sponsorship of Gotham Awards
New York, NY (PRWEB) November 6, 2007 — Reaching new audiences nationwide, IFP, the producer of the Gotham Awards announced today that it has signed a three-year sponsorship agreement with The New York Times at the premiere level, which will include the creation and national distribution of an annual eight-page Gotham Awards special advertising section. This year’s awards will be held on Tuesday, Nov. 27, at Steiner Studios in Brooklyn.
The Gotham Awards honor independent film. The New York Times will preview the 17th Annual Gotham Award nominees, current and past honorees and the public events that are planned leading up to the awards in a special advertising section, to be published in the newspaper on Tuesday, Nov. 6.
“The New York Times has been a leading supporter of the Gotham Awards since their inception and we’re thrilled to take this relationship to the next level,” said Michelle Byrd, executive director of IFP. “It’s an exciting opportunity to bring even greater recognition to the best independent films and the people behind them.” “As a major supporter of independent film and filmmakers, The Times is delighted to commit our resources as a premiere sponsor of the Gotham Awards,” said Virginia French, group vice president of advertising, The New York Times.
For the first time, the ceremony will be held in Brooklyn, the heart of New York City’s resurgent film industry. IFP also recently announced new distribution partnerships with Netflix, the Documentary Channel and NYC TV — New York City’s public television station — that will bring this year’s Gotham Awards ceremony to an estimated audience of more than 20 million viewers, the widest ever for the Awards.
Along with moving the award ceremony to Brooklyn, IFP is also launching the Gotham Awards Independent Film Series, a month-long series of public events, including conversations, retrospectives and screenings highlighting Gotham Award nominees and honorees. The events will be held from Nov. 6 to Nov. 27 at leading cultural institutions throughout the city, including the Metropolitan Museum of Modern Art, the Brooklyn Academy of Music and the IFC Center. Nominees for this year’s Gotham Awards, announced on Oct. 22, include Craig Zobel’s “Great World of Sound,” topping the list with three nominations; Sean Penn’s “Into the Wild”; and Noah Baumbach’s “Margot at the Wedding.”
A total of 28 films received nominations in six categories: Best Feature, Best Documentary, Breakthrough Director, Breakthrough Actor, Best Ensemble Cast and Best Film Not Playing at a Theater Near You. In addition to the competitive awards, the Gotham Awards will also present Gotham Tributes to six individuals in recognition of their influential work in the film industry.
Sponsors of the Gotham Awards include: Axium, The New York Times, Deluxe, NYC TV, Rainbow Media and Variety. The award ceremony will be broadcast locally via NYC TV during the first week of December. Additional digital content from the show and surrounding public programs related to the Gothams will be carried on IFP’s Web site at http://www.ifp.org/.
IFP’s mission is to nurture and celebrate independent film and filmmakers, and to foster a vibrant and sustainable independent filmmaking community. IFP seeks to empower individuals with the language of film and enrich the world of film with a diversity of voices. It passionately believes that creating opportunities for independent, original and often controversial films to be made and seen is an essential part of a free, open and intellectually curious society. It is a not-for-profit organization headquartered in New York City with 10,000 members throughout the world. More at http://www.ifp.org/.
About The New York Times CompanyThe New York Times Company (NYSE: NYT), a leading media company with 2006 revenues of $3.3 billion, includes The New York Times, the International Herald Tribune, The Boston Globe, 15 other daily newspapers, WQXR-FM and more than 30 Web sites, including NYTimes.com, Boston.com and About.com. The Company’s core purpose is to enhance society by creating, collecting and distributing high-quality news, information and entertainment.
