LOS ANGELES, Sept. 11, 2013 /PRNewswire/ --

• Lincoln Motor Company joins with Vanity Fair and Film Independent to create a film series through The Lincoln Reimagine Project^™, which will feature original short films with emerging filmmakers
• Three films will be reimagined around classic Hollywood themes of film noir, heist and screwball comedy; award-winning director Rodrigo Garcia will mentor and advise each filmmaker
• The film collaboration is an extension of Lincoln's "Hello, Again" platform that is reintroducing the luxury automotive brand through all-new vehicles such as the Lincoln MKZ premium midsize sedan

The Lincoln Motor Company announces a collaboration with Vanity Fair and Film Independent to celebrate The Lincoln Reimagine Project^™. The project involves creating a series of original short films reimagining the classic Hollywood themes of screwball comedy, '70s road heist and thriller-noir.

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20130911/DE77524 )

The mission of The Lincoln Reimagine Project is to collaborate with, sponsor and support culturally progressive individuals and their vision for making the old new again through a celebration of all things reinvented. Custom content was written and directed by emerging filmmakers Dana Turken, Jacob Hatley and Nick Citton and David Ariniello, all of whom are Film Independent Fellows – alumni of the nonprofit independent film organization's highly selective Artist Development Programs.

The filmmakers received advice and mentorship from award-winning film writer, director and producer Rodrigo García.

The series was unveiled at a special screening event with The Lincoln Motor Company, Vanity Fair and Film Independent in Los Angeles on Tuesday, Sept. 10. It will premiere on Lincoln's Web site, hello-again.com, on Wednesday, Sept. 11.

"Bringing together Lincoln and Film Independent for this extraordinary program has been incredibly exciting for us," says Edward Menicheschi, Vanity Fair vice president and publisher. "Film and storytelling are core to the magazine's DNA, and the opportunity to help Lincoln bring its 'Hello, Again' campaign to life through the creation of these original films has really taken the power of an innovative brand partnership to the next level."

"Film Independent is thrilled to partner with The Lincoln Motor Company and Vanity Fair in this initiative," says Jennifer Kushner, Film Independent director of artist development. "We are excited to unveil these three films created by our fellows. Their work is exemplary of the distinctive and innovative cinematic voices Film Independent cultivates and celebrates through its programs."

The Lincoln Reimagine Project is an element of Lincoln's "Hello, Again" campaign. A natural extension of the luxury automotive brand's creative vision, the "Hello, Again" platform is helping to reintroduce the brand through all-new vehicles such as the Lincoln MKZ premium midsize sedan.

By funding fresh and relevant projects and ideas in the areas of art, design and thought leadership, Lincoln aims to push projects past the tipping point of change to help innovators, visionary leaders and brilliant artists launch their endeavors.

"Lincoln continues to embrace its original spirit of forward-thinking design and innovation," says Andrew Frick, group marketing manager, Lincoln. "The creativity and individuality of these filmmakers inspire them to transform iconic film genres from the past into new and vibrant visions of the future – an accomplishment that mirrors what Lincoln intends to do with its vehicles over the next four years."

To learn more about The Lincoln Reimagine Project and the films, visit hello-again.com and join the social conversation with #HelloAgain.

ABOUT THE FILMMAKER ADVISOR:

Rodrigo García  Rodrigo Garcia was born in Colombia and grew up in Mexico City. His film features as both writer and director include "Things You Can Tell Just By Looking at Her" (Un Certain Regard Award, Cannes, 2000; NHK Award, Sundance Film Festival, 1999); "Ten Tiny Love Stories"; "Fathers and Sons"; "Nine Lives" (Winner, Locarno Film Festival, 2005; Best Screenplay and Best Director nominations, Film Independent Spirit Awards, 2006); "Passengers," starring Anne Hathaway and Patrick Wilson; the short film, "Tired of Being Funny," starring John Mahoney and Lili Taylor; "Mother and Child" (Jury Prize, Deauville Film Festival, 2010; Official Selection, Toronto, Sundance, and San Sebastian film festivals); and "Albert Nobbs," starring Glenn Close (nominated for three Academy Awards in 2012). Garcia directed for the series "Six Feet Under" and "The Sopranos," and was nominated for an Emmy for his direction of the pilot for "Big Love." Most recently, he cofounded the YouTube Premium Channel WIGS, and created its original series, "Blue," starring Julia Stiles. Garcia is the Vice Chair of Film Independent's board of directors.

ABOUT THE FILMMAKERS:

Dana Turken  Dana Turken is a Los Angeles–based filmmaker whose work lives somewhere between the real and the surreal, the dramatic and the comically absurd. Her films have screened and won awards at numerous international film festivals. Turken grew up in Detroit and spent her youth training as a dancer. She studied semiotics at Brown University, directed at Prague's FAMU Film Academy, and received her MFA in directing from UCLA's School of Theater, Film, and Television. In 2012, she was a directing fellow at Film Independent's Project Involve. She directs short projects with the filmmaking collective, BÆST, which she recently cofounded to focus on fashion films. Turken is currently developing her first feature film while also writing a script for independent producer Bergen Swanson about the 1960s battle between Robert Moses and Jane Jacobs.

Jacob Hatley Jacob Hatley's first feature, "Ain't in it For My Health: A Film About Levon Helm," screened at the South by Southwest, Los Angeles and Copenhagen film festivals and was distributed theatrically in early 2013. Hatley is a Fellow of Film Independent's 2013 Directing Lab, where he developed his upcoming narrative feature, "Carolina Highway Killer." He has directed several internationally screened short films, including "China," which won the First Look's Gold Medal at the Director's Guild of America. In addition, he has helmed music videos for artists such as Shawn Mullins, Levon Helm, Marty Stuart and Yonder Mountain String Band. His films are informed by archetypal Americana and classic Hollywood, and they work to both reconstruct and subvert genre conventions. He splits his time between North Carolina and Los Angeles.

David Ariniello David Ariniello is the winner of a 50th-annual Samuel Goldwyn Writing Award. He wrote and co-produced "Arcadia Lost," starring Nick Nolte, Haley Bennett, and Carter Jenkins, which premiered at the Oldenburg Film Festival in Germany in 2010 and went on to play festivals worldwide. The film was part of Film Independent's "Fast Track" program. Ariniello recently starred in the short film "Stray Course," which premiered at the 2012 L.A. Shorts Film Festival in Los Angeles. His feature script, "Pinatas," is under development with director Rodrigo García. A member of the WGA, SAG and IATSE, Ariniello holds a Ph.D. in English literature from the University of California at Irvine, where he explored the relationship between work of the body and work of the mind in his dissertation on Joseph Conrad. Prior to that, he worked as a dolly grip for several years before graduating magna cum laude from Columbia University.

Nick Citton Nick Citton was born and raised in Vancouver, Canada, and earned his MFA at Columbia Universityʼs Graduate Film Program, where he received the Simon Kinberg Award for Excellence in Screenwriting. Citton recently wrote and directed his first feature, "Decoration," an independent drama set in the deep South. A Film Independent Fellow, Citton completed the 2010/2011 cycle of Film Independent's Writing, Directing and Producing labs for his next feature film, "Hey, Hey Johnny." In November of 2012, production started on Cittonʼs romantic comedy feature, "That Burning Feeling," starring John Cho and Tyler Labine. In the television world, Citton has several years' experience working with the CBC Network in Canada, where he co-created and developed several shows, including the single-camera sitcoms "Lust for Life" and "This Space for Rent," which was broadcast on that same network and nominated for several awards in the 2007-2008 television seasons. In 2012, Citton was selected as one of 10 "New Voices" for the Fox Writers Intensive.

About Lincoln  Lincoln is the luxury automotive brand of Ford Motor Company (NYSE: F), committed to creating compelling vehicles with an exceptional ownership experience to match. Lincoln is in the process of introducing four all-new vehicles in the next four years. For more information about Lincoln, please visit media.lincoln.com or www.lincoln.com. Follow us on Facebook at facebook.com/lincoln.

About Film Independent Film Independent is a nonprofit arts organization that champions independent film and supports a community of artists who embody diversity, innovation, and uniqueness of vision. Film Independent helps filmmakers make their movies, builds an audience for their projects, and works to diversify the film industry. Film Independent's board of directors, filmmakers, staff, and constituents are comprised of an inclusive community of individuals across ability, age, ethnicity, gender, race, and sexual orientation. Anyone passionate about film can become a member, whether they are a filmmaker, industry professional, or film lover.

Film Independent produces the Spirit Awards, the annual celebration honoring artist-driven films and recognizing the finest achievements of American independent filmmakers. Film Independent also produces the Los Angeles Film Festival, showcasing the best of American and international cinema and the Film Independent at LACMA Film Series, a year-round weekly program that offers unique cinematic experiences for the Los Angeles creative community and the general public.

With more than 250 annual screenings and events, Film Independent provides access to a network of like-minded artists who are driving creativity in the film industry. Film Independent's Artist Development program offers free labs for selected writers, directors, producers, and documentary filmmakers and presents year-round networking opportunities.

Project Involve is Film Independent's signature program dedicated to fostering the careers of talented filmmakers from communities traditionally underrepresented in the film industry.

For more information or to become a member, visit FilmIndependent.org.

SOURCE Lincoln Motor Company

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