HOLLYWOOD CONVENES IN CYBERSPACE AT THE
FIRST ANNUAL YAHOO! INTERNET ONLINE FILM FESTIVAL
by Susan Royal

Salma Hayek (top left), Jeanne Tripplehorn (top right), Saffron Burrows with Kyle MacLachlan (bottom right) and Stellen Skarsgard star in Mike Figgis' Time Code, premiered at the Yahoo! Internet Life Online Film Festival.

The first Yahoo! Internet Life Online Film Festival debuted March 22 with the opening night world premiere of Mike Figgis' Time Code - a film which breaks away from the single linear visual narrative mold. Shot entirely with hand-held digital cameras (in one continuous take and without editing) four separate stories are told simultaneously in real time on a quadruple-split screen before coming together in an unexpected climax. The Time Code premiere drew such "old media" personalities as Jodie Foster, Nic Cage and Quentin Tarantino.

In this black comedy/thriller from the director of Leaving Las Vegas, Stellan Skarsgard (Breaking the Waves) plays a studio exec who cheats on his wife, played by Saffron Burrows (Miss Julie). Salma Hayek plays an aspiring actress having an affair and Jeanne Tripplehorn plays an angry woman whose actions will change all their lives. Also appearing are Holly Hunter, Kyle MacLachlan, Laurie Metcalf, Julian Sands, Glenne Headley, Steven Weber, among others.

The Online Film Festival, held in Los Angeles at the DGA, The Standard Hotel and the Chateau Marmont, slated six features (including three world premieres) and two dozen shorts. The festival's director, Jesse Jacobs, had this to say about their selections: "The film lineup - with the animation films, live-action shorts and the features - showcases the best filming techniques, the newest in video-film technology, production, distribution and the way the Internet has opened an exciting future to film, both in traditional distribution channels and online." The festival received over 500 submissions. The finalists in the live-action shorts and animation shorts categories were put online so that fans could view them and vote for their favorites. The resulting twelve winners screened live at the Directors Guild Theatre during the 2-day festival.

Along with the screenings, the festival presented an exhibition of leading and up-and-coming online entertainment companies. Some of the exhibitors included Amazon.com, AtomFilms, MediaTrip.com, ON2.com and Sightsound.com. Topics scheduled for the panel discussions included: "Bringing Hollywood to the Web," "Incubating Online Entertainment Companies" and "New Content for a New Medium," amongst others.

For more information, go to www.onlinefilmfestival.com