Emmy award-winning indie director Michael Sergio’s UNDER HELLGATE BRIDGE has been nominated for the Prism Award for “Best Theatrical Film,” along with Blow, Crazy/Beautiful, Heartbreakers and Life as a House. The 6th Annual Prism Awards, which is presented in partnership with the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) and the National Institute on Drug Abuse/ National Institutes of Health (NIDA), is the entertainment industry’s annual awards honoring the accurate depiction of drug, alcohol and tobacco use and addiction in movies, television, video, music, interactive and comic book entertainment. The awards will be presented on May 9th, 2002 on a soundstage at CBS Television City and Tribune Entertainment will distribute the telecast throughout the US.

UNDER HELLGATE BRIDGE has also been picked up for North American home video and television rights by Lions Gate Entertainment for an undisclosed figure. The Picture was released theatrically by the filmmakers’ Gotham-based indie distribution company CAVU Pictures in May 2001, bowing in an impressive 17 theatres in New York City. During its four week run UNDER HELLGATE BRIDGE was the #1 grossing “truly” independent film in the NY market. The deal was brokered for CAVU by the film’s producers Isil Bagdadi, Michael Sergio, and attorney Robert L. Seigel of Daniel, Seigel, and Bimbler, and for Lions Gate Entertainment by Wendy Jaffe, VP of Business & Legal Affairs and Jason Constantine, VP of Acquisitions at LGE. “We are thrilled to be involved with the filmmaking team of Michael Sergio and Isil Bagdadi and we are delighted by the recognition of their great work by the Prism Awards. UNDER HELLGATE BRIDGE is a timeless story with great performances by the entire cast” said Jason Constantine. The film is slated to be released on video later this year.

An award-winning, gritty and provocative drama, UNDER HELLGATE BRIDGE is set on the mean streets that run beneath NYC’s Hellgate Bridge. In a world where easy money, guns and drugs are a way of life, two old enemies Ryan (Michael Rodrick) and Vincent (Jonathan LaPaglia), confront each other in a battle for love and power. Returning to Astoria, Queens, after being falsely imprisoned, Ryan is drawn back to ex-girlfriend Carla (Jordan Bayne) who is now married to the small time mobster Vincent. As the secrets that all have kept hidden begin to resurface, Ryan turns to a local priest (Dominic Chianese) to seek redemption for his past actions. In a neighborhood where a bridge symbolizes death, escape and renewal, Ryan learns that sometimes we must all choose between the lesser of two evils.

UNDER HELLGATE BRIDGE was shot on location in Astoria, Queens and stars Jonathan LaPaglia (UPN’s “Seven Days,” “New York Undercover,” “The District”), Dominic Chianese (Uncle Junior on HBO’s “The Sopranos,” The Godfather Part II), Michael Rodrick (Desolation Angels, NBC’s “Another World”), Brian Vincent (Blue Moon, The Deli). Jordan Bayne (A Stranger in The Kingdom), Vincent Pastore (Big Pussy on HBO’s “The Sopranos,” Gotti) and character actor Frank Vincent (Raging Bull, Goodfellas, Casino).

UNDER HELLGATE BRIDGE was awarded “Best Film” prize at the Nashville Independent Film Festival and won the first-ever “Regal Cinemas Dreammaker Award.” In addition, the film won “Best Actor” (Michael Rodrick), “Best Supporting Actor” (Dominic Chianese), “Rising Star Award” (Brian Vincent), and “Best Director” (Michael Sergio) at various film festivals across the U.S.

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CONTACTS:

Cavu Pictures

Isil Bagdadi

212-246-6300

cavupictures@aol.com

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Lions Gate Entertainment

dschonfeld@lgecorp.com