(September 12, 2007) – Long before a director at the Elevate Festival of Film and Music can shout “Lights, camera, action,” attorneys from international law firm Reed Smith will have carefully pored over artist contracts, intellectual property issues, and liability constraints to make sure the legal aspects of the world’s fastest-growing film festival are covered.

Scheduled to be held Sept. 15 at the prestigious Kodak Theatre in Hollywood, the Elevate Festival of Film and Music challenges the international film community to create works of social and global importance. Reed Smith attorneys from Europe, London, Pittsburgh, New York, Los Angeles and Century City have lent a hand, donating hundreds of pro-bono hours to the festival’s success.

“The idea behind the festival is to show the audience what’s right with the world, and that is something we felt strongly about and knew we could get behind,” said Miles Cooley, a partner in the firm’s Century City office.

Produced by director Drew Heriot, who directed the critically acclaimed film “The Secret,” and award-winning filmmaker Mikki Willis, Elevate IV is the first film festival to be invited into the 3,400-seat Kodak Theatre, home to the Academy Awards. Participants will include Grammy Award winning artists Alanis Morissette and India.Arie, acclaimed poet and performer Saul Williams, cinematographer Jeff Cronenweth (“Fight Club”), and award-winning producer Mark Harris (“Crash”). Other participants include one of Australia’s most successful artists, ARIA award-winning and nine-time platinum status singer-songwriter Missy Higgins.

This year’s festival will, for the first time, feature films made in Mexico, Australia, India and the United States.

“We jumped at the chance to work with Elevate Foundation in fostering a creative outlet for filmmakers and artists who might not otherwise have had such a unique and positive opportunity,” said Rick Smith, a Reed Smith associate who has worked extensively with Elevate.
The legal work involved includes:

• Filing state incorporation and 501(c)(3) documents to establish the Elevate Foundation as a nonprofit public benefit corporation under California law and U.S. tax law
• Reviewing venue, location, and insurance agreements for the festival and related production
• Drafting and negotiating employment agreements for union and non-union performers, directors, cinematographers, editors, photographers, graphic designers, and other production crew, for services rendered during the festival
• Drafting and negotiating licenses for screenplays and other literary properties upon which Elevate's films will be based
• Drafting and negotiating film music licenses for use in soundtracks, scoring, and music videos produced at the festival

“The incredible attorneys at Reed Smith are one of the primary reasons for our rapid expansion," said Willis. "As you can imagine, the clearance and release forms for this event are endless, and these guys have not missed a beat. We could not have done it without them."

Festival activities kicked off Friday, Sept. 7, a week prior to Elevate IV, with participating producers and directors reaching into a hat and drawing a subject. They then had 48 hours to complete their project. The challengers will be competing in three categories: Music Video, Narrative Short and Documentary Short.

“It’s super gratifying to see everything come together – especially from the legal perspective,” Cooley said. “When you know all the i’s are dotted and the t’s crossed, you can just sit back and enjoy the tremendous talent of the artists.”

About Reed Smith

Reed Smith is one of the 15 largest law firms in the world, with more than 1,500 lawyers in 21 offices throughout the United States, Europe and the Middle East. Founded in 1877, the firm represents leading international businesses from Fortune 100 corporations to mid-market and emerging enterprises. Its attorneys provide litigation services in multi-jurisdiction matters and other high stake disputes, deliver regulatory counsel, and execute the full range of strategic domestic and cross-border transactions. Reed Smith is also a preeminent advisor to industries including financial services, life sciences, health care, advertising and media, shipping, international trade and commodities, real estate, manufacturing, and education. For more information, visit reedsmith.com

U.S.: New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, Washington, San Francisco, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Oakland, Princeton, Northern Virginia, Wilmington, Century City, Richmond

Europe: London, Paris, Munich, Birmingham, Greece

Middle East: Abu Dhabi, Dubai

About the Elevate Festival of Film and Music:

Created by production company Elevate Films, the Elevate Festival of Film and Music is the fastest growing film festival in the world. Created to challenge the international film community to produce works of social and global importance, Elevate is the first film festival to combine a guerilla filmmaking competition with a mandate to produce socially conscious films.

The Elevate Festival is free to the public and wristbands are awarded on a first-come, first-served basis at the Kodak box office, on Level 2 of the Kodak Theatre, the night of the festival, starting at 6:30 p.m. Additionally, a limited amount of guaranteed premium seats are on-sale now at the Kodak box office and through Ticketmaster for $22.