GreenCine Sponsors Opening Night Film at Seattle Arab and Iranian Film Festival

Iraq in Fragments, winner of three Sundance awards, makes its West Coast premiere at seventh annual festival; GreenCine strengthens its commitment to promoting the best films and filmmakers

San Francisco, CA – March 31, 2006 – GreenCine (www.greencine.com), where film addicts get their fix, has announced that it is sponsoring Iraq in Fragments, the opening night film at the seventh annual Seattle Arab and Iranian Film Festival (SAIFF). The sponsorship is GreenCine’s latest endeavor in a year of involvement with the documentary.

"GreenCine has shown tremendous support for the foreign and documentary film communities and an unmatched ability to connect independent films with larger audiences," said James Longley, acclaimed director of Iraq in Fragments and Gaza Strip (2002). "Iraq in Fragments has been perceived as a war documentary and a controversial film but neither of those assertions is true. The film showcases the depth and complexity of one of the most unique countries in the world and is a reminder of the human stories that are often overshadowed by other elements. I’m happy to have partners like GreenCine and the Seattle Arab and Iranian Film Festival to spread these important messages to as many people as possible."

GreenCine’s year-long involvement with Iraq in Fragments exemplifies its position as the only movie vendor capable of following the entire life-cycle of a film. After seeing a rough cut of Iraq in Fragments in May of 2005, GreenCine began touting the importance of the film on its blog, GreenCine Daily. Two feature length interviews followed: an interview with the film’s co-producer and CEO of Arab Film Distribution, John Sinno in December of 2005, and an interview with director James Longley at Sundance in January. By building relationships with filmmakers, covering film festivals and writing about films from their fundraising stages to their release on DVD or Video-on-Demand (VOD), GreenCine is able to strengthen the bonds that people form with their favorite movies.

GreenCine’s relationship with Longley predates Iraq in Fragments, as GreenCine’s VOD service became the first and only vendor to offer Longley’s first film, Gaza Strip, in November of 2004.

"It’s our belief that the more you know about a particular film, the more complete your overall viewing experience," said Jonathan Marlow, director of content acquisitions at GreenCine. "Connecting with films from their nascent stages onward allows GreenCine the ability to constantly promote movies that we believe in and enables our customers to make more informed choices."

About Iraq in Fragments
Iraq in Fragments illuminates post-war Iraq in three acts, building a vivid picture of a country pulled in different directions by the forces of foreign occupation, religion and ethnicity. Filmed in cinema verité style, the film powerfully explores the lives of ordinary Iraqis: people whose thoughts, beliefs, aspirations, and concerns are at once personal and illustrative of larger issues in Iraq today.

Iraq in Fragments premiered at the 2006 Sundance Film Festival where it was nominated for the Grand Jury prize and won three awards: Best Documentary Directing, Best Documentary Cinematography, and Best Documentary Editing -- the first time the documentary editing award was presented at Sundance. Iraq in Fragments has also been awarded the prize for best documentary at the Cleveland International Film Festival and the FIPRESCI International Critics award at the 8th annual Thessaloniki Documentary Festival in Greece.

To learn more about the film please visit: www.iraqinfragments.com

About GreenCine
GreenCine LLC (www.greencine.com), the #1 shop and stop for film addicts, featuring one of the largest libraries of independent, international and documentary films in the world and exclusive interviews with the world’s most influential filmmakers. GreenCine offers more than 80,000 films for rent, purchase or download through its award winning Rent-by-Mail and new DVD sales services, and from its extensive VOD library accessible from its site and through its technology partners Akimbo, Google Video and others. Supporting one of the largest film communities on the Internet, GreenCine enables members to review and debate their favorite films and connect with other members with similar interests. For further details on GreenCine and its services, please visit: www.greencine.com.