24TH ANNUAL AMERICAN FILM MARKET

TO OPEN WITH RECORD NUMBER OF EXHIBITORS

11 Percent More Buyers Set To Attend The AFM

LOS ANGELES, CA, February 24, 2004 – The 2004 American Film Market (AFM) will open on Wednesday morning, February 25, with a record number exhibitors as well as an 11 percent increase in buyers and increases in all other measurable areas, it was jointly announced this morning by Michael Ryan, AFMA Chairman, Jean M. Prewitt, President and Chief Executive Officer, AFMA, and Jonathan Wolf, Executive Vice President, AFMA and Managing Director, AFM.

All exhibition space has been sold out for the 24th annual AFM, which runs through March 3 at the Loews Hotel in Santa Monica.

A record 306 film and television companies, including an all time high 101 first timers, will be exhibiting at the world’s largest motion picture trade event. This marks an increase of 13 percent over last year’s exhibitor total of 261. In addition, a total of 41 other companies including financial institutions, sponsoring organizations and trade media will be housed at the Loews, bringing the total number of exhibitors to 347.

Total buyers attending the AFM are estimated to be 1,450, an 11 percent increase over 2003’s total 1309. Total attendance is projected to be approximately 7,000.

384 films in 28 languages are slated for screening, including 252 market premieres, up five percent from 240 last year.

Notable titles include Fortissimo Film Sales’ “Coffee and Cigarettes” with Roberto Benigni and Iggy Pop; The Works’ “Country of My Skull” with Samuel L. Jackson and Juliette Binoche; Syndicate Film’s “Employee of the Month” with Matt Dillon and Christina Applegate; Myriad Pictures’ “Eulogy” with Ray Romano, Zooey Deschanel and Hank Azaria; Lions Gate Films’ “Godsend” with Robert DeNiro and Greg Kinnear; Fortissimo Film Sales’ “Last Life in the Universe” with Asano Tadanobu and Sinitta Boonyasak, Beta Cinema’s “Love in Thoughts” with Daniel Bruehl and August Diehl; Filmmax International’s “The Machinist” with Christian Bale and Jennifer Jason Leigh; HBO Films London’s “Maria Full of Grace” with Catalina Sandio Moreno and Yenny Paola Vega; Lakeshore International’s documentary “Mayor of the Sunset Strip” with

Rodney Bingenheimer, Cher and David Bowie; Lions Gate Films’ “Prince and Me” with Julia Stiles and Luke Mably; Mainline Releasing’s “This Girl’s Life” with James

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Woods and Juliette Marquis; Myriad Pictures’ “Trauma” with Colin Firth and Mena Suvari; Fortissimo Film Sales’ “The Tulse Luper Suitcases, Part II Vaux to the Sea” with Isabella Rosselini and Franka Potente; Blueberry, from UGC International with Vincent Cassel and Michael Madsen; and Lee Daniels Productions' "The Woodsman" with Kevin Bacon, Kyra Sedgwick and Benjamin Bratt.

The full list of films being screened along with production and cast information as well as synopses appears on the AFM web site (www.americanfilmmarket.com).

While the AFM screenings are limited to acquisition and distribution executives, AFM will again offer The AFM Premiere Screenings of more than 35 independent films – most world or U.S. premieres – to industry professionals and Santa Monica residents at no charge. Free registration is available on the AFM website (www.americanfilmmarket.com).

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Contact: Paul Nichols

Jennifer Garnick

The Lippin Group

AFM Press Room – Arcadia D

(310) 446-5696