MOVIE NETWORK CHANNELS is delighted to announce the winner of MOVIE EXTRA WEBFEST 2.0 is Event Zero, written and produced by Enzo Tedeschi and Julian Harvey and directed by Carlo Ledesma.

With the support of Screen Australia, the winners will receive a $100,000 production budget, providing an incredible opportunity to further develop their creative idea.  The team behind Event Zero will now produce a seven part webseries for MOVIE EXTRA, with production of the series to commence in the first half of 2012. Event Zero will premiere on the Movie Network Channels YouTube channel www.youtube.com/mnctv.

Event Zero tells seven interconnected stories of people related by the same mystery; there has been a train derailment at Circular Quay and as the emergency workers arrive at the chaotic scene, they realise the biggest threat is only just emerging. People without a scratch are collapsing on the ground and dying – and it is spreading. Unless someone can work out what is going on the death toll will continue to rise. Each episode recounts the incident from a new character’s perspective until finally in episode seven, the sinister secret behind ‘Event Zero’ is revealed.

The Event Zero team hail from Sydney, NSW and have previously collaborated on the award-winning feature film The Tunnel, well-known for the film’s distribution via Bit Torrent and viewed by over 3 million people worldwide. 

In second place is Julian Costanzo from Victoria for his submission Betty and Frank Will Have Sex, with third place going to Steve Baker from Queensland for Cold Cold Ground.

“We are delighted with the high standard of finalist entries in our second year of Movie Extra Webfest. The passion, lateral thinking and technical skill displayed by so many of the finalists in this year’s competition made the judging process both spirited and challenging” comments Emma Moroney, Supervising Producer, Movie Network Channels.

“Our partnership with Screen Australia with the injection of additional funding in prize money to $100,000 allows the potential of this ambitious project to be fully realised.  The opportunity to develop Event Zero with a producing team who bring with them proven success and a depth of experience in the online content arena is in step with the core principles of Movie Extra Webfest and we look forward to working with the team in the coming months.” 

The winning webseries was chosen based on a number of key criteria but paramount to the selection of this entry was the individual creativity of the webseries and its ability to find a large online audience.  The winner was chosen by a panel of industry judges including;  Marc Fennell (film critic and Presenter, Producer and Reporter for ABC’s Hungry Beast), Tom Ragg (Social Media Manager, Soap Creative), Mike Cowap (Investment Manager, Screen Australia), Emma Moroney (Supervising Producer, Movie Network Channels) and Christopher Berry (MOVIE EXTRA WEBFEST Executive Producer). 

“We’re thrilled to see such an intriguing and ambitious premise from this dynamic team take the top spot,” said Mike Cowap, Investment Manager, Screen Australia. “The standard of entries was inspiring and the level of online conversation and activity around the competition was extremely encouraging.” 

Event Zero was selected from over 80 entries to the Facebook page, which now has over 27,000 fans*. To view the MOVIE EXTRA WEBFEST 2.0 winning trailer visit www.facebook.com/movieextrawebfest and select the ‘2011 winner’ tab.

On 15 December 2011 MOVIE EXTRA will premiere 2010 WEBFEST finalist Mollusks. The animation was an additional commissioning by MOVIE EXTRA and will debut on the Movie Network Channels You Tube Channel. The trailer can be viewed at www.youtube.com/mnctvanimation.

CONTAGION 

NOTHING SPREADS LIKE FEAR

Available to own on Blu-Ray™ Combo Pack for $44.95RRP

on DVD for $39.95RRP

Also available On Demand and to Download from February 29^th.

Don’t talk to anyone. Don’t touch anyone. Beware the air around you. A deadly virus is mutating its way around the world in “Contagion,” arriving onto Blu-ray™ Combo Pack, DVD and Digital Download on February 29^th from Warner Home Entertainment Group. Featuring an ensemble cast of Academy Award® winners and nominees, this critically acclaimed thriller tells the story of the infectious paranoia and fear that accompany the spread of a lethal virus.

IO Interactive A/S, part of Square Enix Europe, is pleased to announce today’s release of “A Personal Contract”. A new HITMAN ABSOLUTION™ trailer created entirely with IO Interactive’s new proprietary Glacier 2™ technology. Having just killed his ICA handler Diana Burnwood, the Original Assassin accepts her dying wish and takes on a very personal contract. This leads Agent 47 to the Rosewood Orphanage in Chicago, where he finds himself in the midst of a brutal raid by a gang of vicious criminals all after the same person.

HITMAN ABSOLUTION™ is powered by Glacier 2™ and scheduled for release in 2012 for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, the PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system and PC.

Today Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment and DC Entertainment released a new video and screenshots for Gotham City Impostors.  

Gotham City Impostors is a download only title that will be available in the Xbox LIVE^® Marketplace for the Xbox 360^® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, PlayStation®Network and Windows PC.  A console beta for the game is expected to live soon.  Fans can go to www.GothamCityImpostors.com to register for their chance to take part in the beta.    

Watch the trailer here. 

Gotham City Impostors is an original download-only first-person shooter where up to 12 players battle for control of an unhinged Gotham City overrun by Impostors inspired by the DC Comics characters Batman and The Joker. Gotham City Impostors is an online multiplayer game unlike any other, giving players the opportunity to engage in unconventional urban warfare as they personalise their own Impostors.  Gamers will create their very own version of the Bats or the Jokerz characters using unprecedented customisation options including insane costumes, homemade gadgets and a wide range of traditional and inventive weapons.  The game will feature maps and modes inspired by DC Comics’ Batman license.

Download your first look at Men In Black³ Starring Will Smith, Tommy Lee Jones, Josh Brolin, Emma Thompson, Alice Eve, Jemaine Clement, Nicole Scherzinger

Year round tips for safe Internet shopping   

MELBOURNE, 13 December 2011 — As the charge towards Christmas gains momentum, a growing proportion of Australian and New Zealand consumers are choosing to sidestep the hustle and bustle of the malls and are doing their gift shopping online.

AVG (AU/NZ) Pty Ltd advises that when making the switch, Internet buyers should be on high alert for online criminals and fraudsters who are employing ever more sophisticated techniques to take advantage of the Christmas rush. 

As the distributor of the award-winning AVG Internet and mobile security software in Australia, New Zealand and South Pacific, AVG (AU/NZ) recommends Internet shoppers follow these safety practices: 

1. Maintain a full, up to date Internet Security suite – Traditional anti-virus protection is no longer enough and the extra layers of a suite such as AVG’s Internet Security are vital when putting your personal and financial details online.

2. Extend protection to your Operating System – Web browsers and other applications also require regular security updates, so don’t be afraid to act quickly when on-screen prompts appear to update your system. It is easy for online fraud to succeed by exploiting a system vulnerability that was patched by a system vendor months or even years prior. Staying safe means staying up to date. 

3. Consider your Search Engine results carefully – Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) is a thriving business. Companies and marketing firms spend heavily to ensure their products and services are at the top of search engine results. Don’t assume that the top results are the best as cyber criminals use the same techniques and have access to the same SEO tools as legitimate companies. 

4. Is the business legitimate? – Make certain the site you are visiting is well presented and relevant to what you are searching for. Apply caution, look for errors and don’t be led down spurious links.  

5. Be wary of purchasing through online advertisements – Banners, links and special offers can be dangerous distractions, especially those that make outrageous claims that seem too good to be true. Cyber criminals can capture your click and send you to an infected site. 

6. Know your seller – Regardless of whether you are purchasing via a retail website or an online auction site such as eBay, you should take the time to discover as much about the seller as you can. If you are purchasing from a retail site, record the outlet’s physical address and phone number so you can readily contact them in the event of any issue. If purchasing via an auction site, it will have some form of reputation monitoring system to confirm the seller’s trustworthiness. 

7. Look for the https:// site security indicator – Before entering any financial or personal details, ensure that the site’s URL in the address bar starts with https://. A closed padlock and green background will confirm that the site uses SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) encryption to scramble the data before it is sent over the Internet. It is important to note that SSL only ensures that the data is encrypted and does not guarantee that the recipient will use it legitimately. 

8. Choose a strong password, and use different passwords for different sites – A strong password should ideally consist of letters (upper and lower case), numbers and symbols. Be creative and invent passwords that are easy to remember – they don’t have to look complex and random to be secure, as long as they are at least 10 characters (and preferably more) in length. Avoid using common words, or names such as pets, football teams, street addresses or members of your family. It is worth the effort to use different passwords for each site you purchase from as it immediately pays for itself if any site becomes compromised. 

9. Credit or debit card for online shopping? – Contrary to common belief, credit cards are generally a better way to make online payments as they don’t involve direct transfers from your debit card linked bank account. Financial institutions invest heavily to protect their credit card marketshare so it is usually easier to dispute and reverse fraudulent activity on a credit account than a normal bank account.

10. Extra credit card protection – Credit Card Authentication such as Verified by Visa or Mastercard SecureCode are ’3D Secure’ services which have been developed to facilitate a secure online connection between cardholders and their card issuer at the time of purchase. These services are designed to improve consumer trust in purchasing goods online. 

11. Keep receipts and check statements – Save a PDF or print a copy of every tax invoice or payment receipt that online vendors are required to provide. Don’t assume the vendor will send an email, so collect all paperwork at the first opportunity. And check each purchase on your bank statement for any hidden costs or erroneous billing.

12. Keep your knowledge current – There are many resources available to Australian consumers through sites such as SCAMwatch, Stay Smart Online and Shop Safe. 

Michael McKinnon, Security Advisor at AVG (AU/NZ), said: “If you are mindful of these twelve tips as you enjoy your online shopping spree this Christmas, you’ll be far better placed as a responsible online shopper and to protect yourself from becoming another statistic in Australia’s fastest growing crime.”  

For the series of informative security tips, how-to and fact sheets see:

www.avg.com.au/resources/security-tips/. For video tips from AVG (AU/NZ), see: www.youtube.com/user/avgaunz