Join NBC and Wil Sylvince at the Universal Third Annual Comedy Short Cuts Film Festival on September 15

NEW YORK,(RUSHPRNEWS) -09/14/ 2008 - As part of its ongoing commitment to discover diverse voices both behind and in front of the camera, funnyman Wil Sylvince and NBC Universal are presenting its Third Annual Comedy Short Cuts Film Festival. Semi-finalist's films will be screened in New York on September 15.

With a limitless future ahead of him, WIL says, “by the will of God and the support of my family, my limits are endless.” Therefore, nothing can stop him and guess what?¼Nothing WIL! -- Wil Sylvince

The award ceremony and final screening will take place in Los Angeles on October 23 at Universal Studios. "Minority groups are not adequately represented in the movie industry. The purpose of our festival is to provide them with the opportunity to be seen and heard," says Wil Sylvince, stand-up comic, founder and organizer of the Comedy Short Cuts Film Festival.

WHEN:  MONDAY, SEPTEMBER, 15 at 7 PM. Seating begins at 6h30.

WHERE: NEW WORLD STAGES, located at 340 West 50th Street, New York, NY 10019

HOST: Anthony Anderson from Law & Order



Comedy Short Cuts showcase is much more than presenting movies, its goal is to display and celebrate diversity in entertainment. This is the ultimate showcase for filmmakers, writers and directors. It provides creative individuals an opportunity to get their materials in front of key decisions makers from the entire NBC Universal family as well as agents, managers, producers, and other industry players.

The call for entries ended August 22 and received close to one thousand submissions. Heard loud and clear, aspiring filmmakers from countries as diverse as Australia and France submitted their work. Films in foreign languages are permitted but required to be sub-titled in English.

The winning filmmaker will have the opportunity to meet with NBC Universal's top network, studio, cable, and film executives to pitch their projects and ideas.

In addition to meeting television and feature film executives from NBC Universal, select films will be aired on The Sundance Channel, included in the Just for Laughs Comedy Festival in Montreal, and presented with a pilot script commitment from Universal Media Studios. Semi-finalist's films will be screened before an industry audience in New York on in conjunction with the New York Television Festival.

"Our Comedy Short Cuts Festival has continued to serve as a pipeline for a variety of NBC Universal divisions for discovering and developing diverse talent," said Kendra Carter, Director, Talent Diversity Initiatives, NBC Universal.

About Wil Sylvince:
Wil Sylvince is a Brooklyn-born Haitian stand-up comic. His most recent appearances were at BET's Comic View, the Apollo Comedy Hour, and Russell Simmons' Def Comedy Jam and at the Montreal's Just for Laughs Festival. Wil is a favorite at colleges, having become a regular at Harvard University, Florida Atlantic University and many historically black colleges. By working with RBG Promotions and showcasing at conferences of the National Association of Campus activities, he hopes to have the opportunity to entertain more students in the near future. He has performed around the world, including the U.K., Bermuda, Holland, The Cayman Islands, Germany, Jamaica, and Canada.WIL can be seen performing at colleges and Universities across the country or hosting shows at the Carolines on Broadway, in the heart of NYC.

Further information including a complete list of partners and prizes from the 2007 festival can be found at the Comedy Short Cuts Web site: www.comedyshortcuts.net

MEDIA CONTACT:
To schedule an interview with Wil Sylvince or attend the festival, contact his publicist Isabelle Rio by phone at 310-295-9578, or email at isab@annehowardpublicist.com.
To sponsor the event, please contact Claudia Nelson Woodard by phone at 212-726-1024 or 973-313-0399, or by email at claudia@woodardmedia.com.
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This event is sponsored by:
DGA, WGA, SAG, Bravo, Universal, Rogue Pictures, Telemundo, Sundance Channel, USA Network, Daydream Film Works, MUN2, SciFi channel, Focus Features, Showbiz Software and American Airlines.