Susie Essman, John Henson to Host 60-Second Film Festival in Hollywood

On October 18, Susie Essman (from Curb Your Enthusiasm) and John Henson (from TV Guide and Talk Soup) will host the first Treo Mobile Comedy Film Festival at Grauman's Chinese Theater in Los Angeles, celebrating the winners of a new short film contest, for comedy films created specifically for hand-held devices.

The contest, sponsored by Palm and MobiTV and announced in a press release, is accepting sixty second comedy film entries until September 24, 2007. Cash prizes will be awarded, starting with a grand prize of $5,000 and including $2,000 for winners of each of three categories: "This Mobile Life," the lighter side of the life of a mobile-wielding road warrior; "Retake," a rewrite of the ending of a famous film, a scene from a TV show, or a commercial; and "Animation," a comedic animated short made for mobile devices, any topic but keep it PG. In addition, all winners will receive "a trip to Los Angeles to attend the awards show and a package of Treo products valued at $1,200."

Entries are to be submitted to http://www.treofilm.com by September 24, 2007 by entrants 18 or older. The judges will be looking at original ideas and technical excellence, and adaptation of the filmmaker's ideas to a mobile presentation.

While the presentation of the awards links the entries to the traditional world of film, the festival brings to the world the new world fostered by YouTube and other self-produced video sites, as well as the origin of the television show "South Park" in a "viral" animated short which was passed around the Internet.

The Comedy Cures Foundation (http://www.comedycures.org) will be the beneficiary of this event. The Foundation is "a non-profit organization that brings joy, laughter, and therapeutic humor programs to kids and adults living with illness, depression, trauma and disabilities."

The event is sponsored by the Treo™ mobile device and MobiTV, which will be the exclusive host of the festival through the awards ceremony. The Treo Smartphone, which runs either the Palm OS® software or Windows Mobile®, is a combination of productivity tool and entertainment device, used as a mobile phone usable on networks around the world as well as for contact organizing, messaging, and web access using a small QWERTY keyboard. The small format, carried by thousands in business and personal life, provides an outlet for Internet-style videos, but to a somewhat different audience and in an on-the-go environment.

MobiTV is a "leading provider and platform for content delivery over mobile and broadband networks" according to the release. From live television to video-on-demand, and including premium content and digital music programmed by well-known services, their participation in the Treo™ Mobile Comedy Film Festival showcases their role in delivering the new medium. Treo smartphone users can try the service free for one month, according to the release, by visiting http://www.mobitv.com/treofilm

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