WITHOUTABOX NAMED OFFICIAL HONOREE BY 11th ANNUAL WEBBY AWARDSSECOND TIME NOMINATION RECOGNIZES THE ONLINE MEDIA COMPANY FOR ITS INNOVATIVE, ONLINE INTEGRATED SOLUTIONS THAT DEMOCRATIZE THE WORLD OF FILMLOS ANGELES, April 23, 2007 – Withoutabox, Inc., the leading worldwide online media company dedicated to advancing independent film, has been named an Official Honoree by the 11th Annual Webby Awards. With this nomination, the Webby Awards recognizes
Withoutabox in the Movie and Film Category for its "remarkable achievement" in offering an extensive array of online tools and services for more than 120,000 independent filmmakers and over 2000 film festivals across the globe.
Regarding the announcement, David Straus, co-founder and CEO of Withoutabox, said, "This is truly wonderful. Being recognized by the International Academy of Digital Arts & Sciences is a huge compliment and having the honor to be included with such fellow nominees as AOL, Warner Bros., Paramount, Columbia TriStar and the New York Times is a testament to all of the hard work done by everyone on Withoutabox's dedicated team."
"The Webby Awards honors the outstanding work that is setting new standards for the Internet," said David-Michel Davies, executive director of The Webby Awards. "Withoutabox's Official Honoree selection is a testament to the skill, ingenuity and vision of its creators."
Withoutabox patented and deployed the world's only International Film Submission System in 2000, serving film producers and film festivals, and since then has grown in its mission to democratize the independent film economy, by offering an entire suite of online tools: Audience, a social and business networking platform for filmmakers, film organizations, and fans of film; Festivalticketing, a fully integrated event scheduling and box office solution for festivals and cinemas; Criticalmassticketing, a patent-pending, demand-based theatrical releasing system for film; and Filmselection: a patented pre-screening and judging product for the industry. Withoutabox is currently expanding its offerings into multi-channel self-distribution and comprehensive film rights management.
This year's recognition marks the second Webby Award-nomination Withoutabox has received. In 2002, the Webby Awards nominated the company in the event's Film Category. Hailed as the "Oscars of the Internet" by the New York Times, The Webby Awards is the leading international award honoring excellence on the Internet, including Websites, Interactive Advertising, Online Film & Video and Mobile Websites. The awards are judged by the International Academy of Digital Arts & Sciences, a global organization that includes David Bowie, Harvey Weinstein, Arianna Huffington, Matt Groening, Jamie Oliver, Internet inventor Vinton Cerf and RealNetworks CEO Rob Glaser.
The 11th Annual Webby Awards received a record 8,000 entries from over 60 countries and all 50 states. Out more than 8,000 entries submitted, fewer than 15% received this honor and were deemed Official Honorees. Unlike other awards shows, where only judges choose the winners, The Webby Awards revels in the Web's democratic spirit. Through April 27th, members and non-members alike can cast their votes in The Webby People's Voice Awards presented by Verizon at
peoplesvoice.webbyawards.com. Winners will be announced on May 1st and honored at two star-studded ceremonies in New York City: The Webby Film & Video Awards on June 4th and The 11th Annual Webby Awards Gala on June 5th.
About Withoutabox, Inc.:Withoutabox offers online tools and services that make it The Media Company for Independents. In operation since 2000, the company developed the proprietary Withoutabox Submissions, which connects more than 120,000 filmmakers with more than 2,000 film festivals in 200 countries worldwide. It is a powerful advocate for the independent film community, helping filmmakers maximize the value of their work. Withoutabox members consistently win film festival honors and have received dozens of Oscar nominations — and have won the Academy Award many times. In 2007, three Withoutabox members won Academy Awards, two members won Spirit Awards, dozens of Withoutabox members were nominated for both Academy Awards and Sprit Awards, and all but one nomination in the Academy Awards category of Best Documentary were Withoutabox filmmaker members.
Audience by Withoutabox (audience.withoutabox.com) connects filmmakers, film lovers, distributors, exhibitors, and others via blogs, reviews, ticketing services and more. The Withoutabox Distribution Lab serves as a self-distribution company and real-world testing ground for innovations in releasing. The company's Film Finders division, acquired in 2006, is the world's preeminent film production and rights database and consulting company. To learn more, please visit
www.withoutabox.com.
About the International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences (IADAS): The International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences is dedicated to the creative, technical, and professional progress of the internet and interactive media. The Academy is an intellectually diverse organization that includes over 500 members consisting of leading experts in a diverse range of fields, such as musician David Bowie, Virgin Group founder Richard Branson, business guru and author Tom Peters, The Body Shop president Anita Roddick, fashion designer Max Azria, "The Simpsons" creator Matt Groening and Real Networks CEO Rob Glaser. The Webby Awards and The International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences are registered trademarks of International Data Group. For more information, visit www.iadas.net.