NBCUniversal Honors Winners at 7th Annual 'Short Cuts' Festival

NBCUniversal announced the winners among the finalists at its Seventh Annual "Short Cuts" Festival grand finale screening on October 24 at the Directors Guild of America (DGA) Theater in Los Angeles. The event was hosted by Craig Robinson (NBC's "The Office") and co-hosted by Kym Whitley (NBC's "Animal Practice").

Now in its seventh-consecutive year, NBCUniversal's "Short Cuts" Festival has earned its distinctive place as the authority on discovering new diverse voices in the film and television industry. The program is championed by Kendra Carter, Director of NBC's Talent Diversity Initiatives, NBCUniversal.

"We are always gratified to see that our annual Short Cuts Festival is so warmly embraced by the industry as a valued showcase for so many talented actors, writers and directors to gain acceptance and guidance for their marvelous efforts," said Carter. "The scope and passion of these industry executives over the years demonstrate a growing appreciation of the young artists' work while it underscores NBCUniversal's strong devotion to increasing diversity that now has resulted in some proven success stories."

The 2012 winners announced include those in the following categories: Best Actor -- David Castaneda Jr. for "Maddoggin'" and Kendra Mylnechuk for "OK Breathe Auralee"; Best Short – "Cherry Waves by Carey Williams; Best Director – Vincent Lin for "Love, NY"; and Audience Award – "Maddoggin'" from writer/director Terence Heuston.

Other artistic finalists included "On Top" by writer/director Sonia Gonzalez-Martinez; "The Hypnotist" by writer/director J. August Richards; and "OK Breathe Auralee" by writer/director Brooke Swaney.

As Best Actor, Castaneda and Mylnechuk will receive a one-year NBC Talent holding deal, a one-year subscription to the Hollywood Reporter and GConnect 500gb wireless hard drives from G-Technology.

Best Director Lin will be rewarded with a camera package valued at $60,000 under Panavision's New Filmmaker Program; an 8-terabyte "G Raid" hard drive with Thunderbolt from G-Technology; a finalist slot in NBC's Director Fellowship Program and one day of sound mixing from Universal Operations Group.

For Best Short, Carey Williams receives a blind script deal with NBCUniversal; one day of sound mixing from Universal Operations Group and a one-year membership to Studio System.

Audience Award winner Heuston from "Maddoggin" gets a professional HD Waterproof Hero2 from GoPro; a one-week supply of Pretzel Crisps delivered to the set of his next shoot; a complimentary Web package from Web Solutions and a one-year membership to Studio System.

All finalists receive a 1-terabyte mobile hard drive, courtesy of G-Technology; a Screenplay Writers Suite, courtesy of Write Brothers, Inc; a one-month free subscription to Hulu Plus; a one-year subscription to the Hollywood Reporter; and a studio-quality digital MiC from Apogee.

All winners and finalists will be announced in Vibe/Uptown magazine and the Hollywood Reporter.

"We want to celebrate this year's winners and finalists for the Short Cuts program that continues to overflow with new and exciting artists," said Wil Sylvince, Founder, "Short Cuts" Festival. "We want to thank NBCUniversal and the film industry for their support and devotion to this vital effort that encourages talented television creators and filmmakers of diverse backgrounds to succeed -- and ultimately enrich all of us in the entertainment field."

The "Short Cuts" Festival is a company-wide initiative and is one of many live events produced by NBC's Talent Diversity Division with the goal of cultivating diversity both in front of and behind the camera. Selected from over 1,500 submissions, the semi-finalist short films were screened earlier before an industry audience in New York City in September.

The 2012 judges are Ken Jeong (actor/comedian from NBC's "Community"), Kelly Edwards (NBC Diversity), Erika Kennair (Syfy Programming), Karen O'Hara (Syfy Original Movies), Moises Velez (mun2 Programming), Brian Dorfman (NBC Casting), Joey Chavez (NBC Drama Programming), Eric Carr (Focus Features), Teri Dean (NBC Casting), Karen Horne (NBC Entertainment Programs), Grace Wu (NBC Casting), Michael Sluchan (USA Development), Tara Case (Universal Pictures), Andy Weil (Universal Television Development) and Charotte Koh (Hulu Development).

This year's corporate sponsors and partners include Panavision, G-Technology, Sheraton Universal Hotel, Entertainment Partners, Universal Operations Group, StudioSystem, Write Brothers, Uptown Magazine, The Hollywood Reporter, Keldof, Fuze, DGA, WGA, The Sundance Institute and Hulu.

NBCUniversal's "Short Cuts" Festival was founded with actor/writer/comedian Wil Sylvince in 2005 to display and celebrate diversity in the entertainment industry. The objective is to allow creative individuals with diverse perspectives the opportunity to present their material in front of key decision makers within the industry. When Sylvince is not working on the "Short Cuts" Film Festival, he performs on the national comedy circuit, on college campuses and in festivals worldwide. For additional information, please visit WWW.NBCSHORTCUTS.COM.

NBCUniversal is one of the world's leading media and entertainment companies in the development, production, and marketing of entertainment, news, and information to a global audience. NBCUniversal owns and operates a valuable portfolio of news and entertainment television networks, a premier motion picture company, significant television production operations, a leading television stations group, and world-renowned theme parks. Comcast Corporation owns a controlling 51 percent interest in NBCUniversal, with GE holding a 49 percent stake.