"Official Selection: The Tastemaker Series" Film Block to Air Wednesday Nights At 10:30 PM, October 7 to November 18
New York, NY, October 5, 2009 – Sundance Channel has created an exclusive multiplatform sponsorship opportunity for the network’s first-time sponsor Chase Card Services. The centerpiece of the sponsorship is an on-air weekly film block, "Official Selection: The Tastemaker Series." Presented exclusively by Chase Sapphire, the film series is designed to showcase films, filmmakers and artists that are setting trends and paving the way for others in the world of independent cinema. The block will feature two back-to-back film airings every Wednesday night beginning at 10:30 pm, ET/PT, from October 7 to November 18.
The sponsorship also includes a dedicated website and a pair of "Tastemaker" vignettes, which will air during the film block, profiling two individuals who are changing the world and influencing the way we live. Throughout the sponsorship, Chase will promote its new next generation rewards card, Chase Sapphire.
Commented Kim Gabelmann, senior vice president of partnership and branded entertainment for IFC and Sundance Channel: "We are thrilled to partner with Chase on this customized opportunity which integrates our brands seamlessly and provides a multiplatform showcase for the new Chase Sapphire card. Sundance Channel is known for original programming that celebrates the craft, creativity and passion of the most authentic artists who shape and influence our world. The new Chase Sapphire card provides meaningful benefits to meet the needs of financially savvy consumers, including access to a wide variety of rewards and amazing experiences. Together, these two brands will celebrate influential and trendsetting films and individuals that help shape our opinions, our preferences, and our world."
The following is the lineup for "Official Selection: The Tastemaker Series," airing every Wednesday at 10:30 pm:
October 7 – A Few Days in September; The Bubble
October 14 – 4 Months, 3 Weeks, and 2 Days; A Lost Man
October 21 – Civilization of Maxwell Bright; Blind Flight
October 28 – Driving Lessons; Chuck Close
November 4 – Everlasting Moments; Black Book
November 11 – French Film; Killing of a Chinese Bookie
November 18 – Worlds Apart; A Christmas Tale
To air as companion pieces to the on-air film block, Sundance Channel is creating a pair of one-minute co-branded "Tastemaker" vignettes, profiling two individuals who are considered influential in the areas of art and dining: Lisa Phillips, Director of the New Museum in New York City, and Stephen Starr, owner of STARR Restaurants. The vignettes are intended to give viewers an intimate look at the dedication, passion and vision which make Phillips and Starr the ultimate pair of trendsetters and influencers in their respective fields.
Lisa Phillips is passionate about finding and exploring new art and artists, and is an advocate of contemporary culture. The New Museum is a home for contemporary art and an incubator for new ideas, as well as an architectural contribution to New York’s urban landscape.
Stephen Starr’s STARR Restaurants is one of the fastest growing multi-concept restaurant companies in the country. Among his restaurants, located in Philadelphia, New York City, Atlantic City and Ft. Lauderdale, are the popular spots Buddakan and Morimoto. Starr’s restaurants are known for their artful marriage of dining with a thematic and dramatic atmosphere, which together provide guests with a one-of-a-kind experience.
"Chase’s sponsorship of the ’Tastemaker Series’ is another example of our commitment to supporting the passions of our cardmembers," said Sean O’Reilly, Chase Card Services. "Chase Sapphire is a natural fit as a sponsor for this series. The card was designed to help cardmembers fulfill their passions through memorable experiences, and does so by allowing cardmembers to use their points anytime, anywhere, for just about anything, without any restrictions."
As part of the partnership, Chase also sponsored a recent Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM) retrospective on Sundance founder Robert Redford. Sundance Channel will create two additional vignettes which will incorporate footage from the BAM retrospective along with interviews with attendees and Redford himself. The first vignette will run one minute in length and air on the network; the second vignette will run two minutes in length and will air exclusively on www.sundancechannel.com.
Additionally, Chase will be incorporated throughout a dedicated website, www.sundancechannel.com/tastemakers, which will give users greater insight into the featured on-air films, profiled tastemakers, and behind-the-scenes footage from the BAM retrospective. Sundance Channel will also create customized opens and closes, a 30-second promo spot and You’re Watching billboards for Chase, each designed to drive tune-in to the on-air film block.
About JPMorgan Chase & Co.
JPMorgan Chase & Co. (NYSE: JPM) is a leading global financial services firm with assets of $2.0 trillion and operations in more than 60 countries and the company has approximately 152 million credit cards in the United States and Canada. The firm is a leader in investment banking, financial services for consumers, small business and commercial banking, financial transaction processing, asset management and private equity. A component of the Dow Jones Industrial Average, JPMorgan Chase & Co. serves millions of consumers in the United States and many of the world’s most prominent corporate, institutional and government clients under its J.P. Morgan, Chase, and WaMu brands. Information about JPMorgan Chase & Co. is available at www.jpmorganchase.com.
About Sundance Channel
Under the creative direction of Robert Redford, Sundance Channel is the television destination for independent-minded viewers seeking something different. Bold, imaginative and uncompromising, Sundance Channel offers audiences a diverse and engaging selection of films, documentaries and original programs. Launched in 1996, Sundance Channel is a subsidiary of Rainbow Media Holdings LLC. Sundance Channel operates independently of the non-profit Sundance Institute and the Sundance Film Festival, but shares the overall Sundance mission of encouraging artistic freedom of expression. Sundance Channel’s website address is www.sundancechannel.com.
About Rainbow Media Holdings LLC
Rainbow Media Holdings LLC is a subsidiary of Cablevision Systems Corporation (NYSE: CVC). Rainbow Media is a leading producer of targeted, multiplatform content for global distribution, creating and managing some of the world’s most compelling and dynamic entertainment brands, including AMC, IFC (The Independent Film Channel), WE tv, Sundance Channel, IFC Entertainment and VOOM HD Networks. Through IFC Entertainment, Rainbow Media also owns and manages the following: IFC Films, a leading U.S. distributor of independent and foreign film with a unique day and date distribution model, "IFC In Theaters," that makes films available to a national audience by releasing them simultaneously in theaters as well as on cable’s On Demand platform; IFC Festival Direct features titles acquired from major international film festivals and initially offers them exclusively through On Demand; IFC Productions, a feature film production company; and IFC Center, a state-of-the-art cinema in the heart of NYC’s Greenwich Village. Rainbow Media also operates Rainbow Advertising Sales Corporation, an advertising sales company; Rainbow Network Communications, a full service network programming origination and distribution company; and 11 Penn TV, a company that manages Rainbow Media’s NYC studios and post-production facilities.