A panel of entertainment industry executives has been assembled to review the films and ultimately choose a grand-prize winner who will be awarded $20,000 and a chance for his or her film to be shown at a major film festival. In addition, consumers can play the role of critic and cast their votes for the "viewer's choice." The final films will be unveiled online at www.EternalDarknessFilms.com between May 23 and July 4, 2002.
This past fall, Nintendo and film entertainment company Hypnotic created the Eternal Darkness Films contest in which amateur filmmakers submitted motion picture concepts symbolizing the chilling themes of the upcoming NINTENDO GAMECUBE(TM) video game, Eternal Darkness: Sanity's Requiem(TM). More than 500 filmmakers entered, and now the judges must rate the 10 finalists' short films based on originality, theme, production techniques and story quality. The prestigious judging panel includes:
- Richard Kelly -- Kelly's feature film directorial and screenwriting debut, "Donnie Darko," was first shown at the 2001 Sundance Film Festival. Kelly was lauded as one of the festival's most promising new discoveries. His current projects include "Knowing," a supernatural thriller for Escape Artists and Columbia Pictures, and "Into The Great Wide Open," starring Kate Hudson.
- Tim O'Hair -- O'Hair currently is Vice President of Production for Universal Studios. He's produced renowned films such as: "U571," "Bring it On," "The Grinch," "The Family Man," "Bridget Jones' Diary," and is currently working on "The Hulk."
- Lance Mungia -- Writer and Director Mungia splashed onto the scene at the 1998 Slamdance Film Festival with his film "6 String Samurai." Since then, Mungia has been directing music videos for bands including Citizen King, From Zero, The Mavericks, and Tal Bachman with all the videos reaching the top-10 on MTV's "TRL." He currently is writing and directing "The Crow: Wicked Prayer" for Dimension Films.
- Jeff Jackson -- Director of Strategic Partnerships for The Independent Film Channel, Jackson oversees marketing, promotional and corporate sponsorship programs. He also guides the development of customized event programs and interactive promotional campaigns.
- Jonathan Hoffman -- Hoffman is Executive Vice President and Executive Creative Director at top-advertising firm Leo Burnett U.S.A. For more than 10 years, Hoffman has worked on prestigious clients such as Reebok, McDonald's, Ameritech, and Miller Lite. Hoffman currently is working on Kellogg's, Hallmark and Nintendo.
- Denis Dyack -- Dyack is the founder of Silicon Knights, a partner company to Nintendo. Dyack is the director for and creative force behind the inspired Eternal Darkness: Sanity's Requiem. Previous work includes Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain, Dark Legions, Fantasy Empires, and Cyber Empires. Dyack has been making games for more than 10 years and is a huge movie and literature enthusiast.
"Nintendo products excel due to our commitment to creativity and innovation," says Peter MacDougall, executive vice president at Nintendo of America Inc. "We're sharing this commitment with consumers in a unique way through the Eternal Darkness Films contest as we search for the most inspired new artist in America."
Eternal Darkness: Sanity's Requiem is supported by a multi-million dollar marketing campaign, including the Eternal Darkness Films promotion, as well as traditional print and television advertising.
About Eternal Darkness: Sanity's Requiem
Before humanity graced the universe, earth belonged to another species, an ancient species unbound by physics or nature, purpose or ethic. Through the shifting of time, this species was driven into the recesses of the world to lie dormant until conditions were right for its return. Across history 12 chosen people come together to decide the destiny of the human race. As you progress through the game, these 12 souls find their lives torn apart by unseen evil, thrusting them to their most suppressed fears with the promise of neither reward nor glory. The extreme sacrifice they eventually make is the cost of saving humanity. Eternal Darkness: Sanity's Requiem is set for launch on June 24, 2002, for an MSRP of $49.95 with a mature (M) rating.