The nation’s most well respected entrepreneurs reveal the secret to their success in a new film, which pays tribute to the women who raised them. LEMONADE STORIES: Inspiring Entrepreneurs and the Mothers Who Made Them by award-winning filmmaker Mary Mazzio, explores the difference mothers can make when they encourage their children to dare to excel, to embrace challenge, and to rebound from failure.

LEMONADE STORIES featuring Virgin founder Richard Branson, DEF JAM founder Russell Simmons, Home Deport founder (and NFL owner) Arthur Blank among others, will premiere at Babson College on April 23rd.

“What is fascinating is that many of the mothers featured in the film were raised at a time when women were not expected to work. Yet all of these women were risk-takers and encouraged their children to take risks to achieve their dreams,” Mazzio said. “These moms also stood by their children later in life, in moments of failure and times of crisis. Richard Branson and Russell Simmons both claim they would have gone out of business, but for last minute loans from their mothers, who stepped up when no one else did.”

Mary Mazzio, herself an entrepreneur, former law firm partner, and Olympian (1992 Olympic Games - Rowing), wrote, produced, and directed the award-winning film A HERO FOR DAIISY (hailed by The New York Times as “a landmark film” and Sports Illustrated as “fantastic”) and APPLE PIE (“warm and illuminating…told with deftness and emotion…priceless”-The New York Times; “fantastic”- National Public Radio; “excellent” - CNN). Both films aired prime time, nationwide on ESPN (among other outlets in the US and Canada) and are in thousands of classrooms across the country. Mary Mazzio lives and works in the Boston area. She is President and CEO of 50 Eggs, Inc., is a graduate of Mount Holyoke College and Georgetown Law School.

“Babson College is a firm believer that the entrepreneurial spirit dwells within everyone,” says Babson College President Brian M. Barefoot. “LEMONADE STORIES wonderfully depicts how that spirit can be nurtured and developed within the family. Just as we are honored to assist our students in shaping their entrepreneurial abilities, so too are we honored to be a part of LEMONADE STORIES.” For more information visit www.lemonadestories.com.

Boston based CrewStar, Inc., the industry’s premiere one-stop production crew resourcing service, has announced that it has been awarded certification as a Women Owned Business by the Massachusetts State Office of Minority and Women’s Business Assistance (SOMWBA), which promotes the development of certified minority business enterprises (MBE), and women owned business enterprises (WBE), among others, and assists businesses and government agencies in meeting their affirmative purchasing and contracting goals.

The certification is the result of a yearlong, comprehensive analysis of CrewStar’s business structure, products and practices conducted by the state agency. “While we’ve been a women owned business since our inception in 1994, we’re pleased to have finally completed the SOMWBA certification process”, remarked CrewStar President, Lily A. Maiella. “The analysis is exhaustive, which is a credit to the thoroughness of the people at SOMWBA and supports the validity of the certification. No stone is left unturned.”

It is widely known that many companies as well as government agencies seek suppliers that are owned by women and/or minorities. “We have always felt that the quality of our services should be the determining factor in why a client chooses CrewStar over another supplier”, adds Ms. Maiella. “However, a growing number of our existing clients, as well as others inquiring about our services have asked if we are certified as a women owned business. Given this trend, we decided that it was time to let our ownership structure add to the value clients receive from CrewStar.”

CrewStar has provided production crew payroll and search services to clients in corporate media departments, independent production companies, and event companies across the US and abroad since 1994. For more information, visit www.crewstar.com.

Earlier this year, Counterproductions, Inc. of Beverly, MA announced the formation of BEVERLY HILLS PRODUCTIONS, specializing in infomercial/direct response TV and radio productions. After creating three programs that landed in the top-ten infomercial rankings in 2003, BEVERLY HILLS PRODUCTIONS

continues offering its winning expertise to marketers looking to harness the

power of direct response television.

Counterproductions established its position in the original programming arena, by earning 13 Emmy awards since its founding 26 years ago. It has documentary and entertainment shows airing on the major commercial networks as well as PBS and cable. Their track record also includes award-winning commercial spots for a wide range of clients. “It seemed like a natural mix-the fusion of successful entertainment program production with our experience in developing advertising campaigns,” said president Ted Reed. “What we learned in the last year of producing infomercials could fill a book, and we want to pass that expertise along to our clients. An infomercial isn’t just a 30-minute long commercial. ” Last year, Counterproductions produced a total of 20 infomercials, including shows for successful products like Supreme Greens, E-8, and Alka-Slim for direct response marketer ITV Direct. “We’re taking the techniques that made these shows money-makers and widening our client base to products outside of the nutritional supplement area,” said Reed. “What we’re finding is that new-product introductions of all kinds are a great fit for this kind of approach.”

As digital video recorders like Tivo help viewers skip over traditional spot commercials, advertisers are increasingly seeking ways to drive television viewers to their products. “Infomercial viewers will stick with a program if it speaks to their needs and interests,” Reed said.

When asked what the future holds for the infomercial industry, Reed revealed, “Interactive television is the holy grail we’re hoping to develop new programming for. With around 30 million homes connected to digital cable services, and almost

the same number using small dish receivers, that’s a huge installed base of

interactive-capable viewers. That’s our future audience.”

For more information, email ted@counterprod.com

Filmmakers who are Maine residents and 19 years of age and older are encouraged to submit works. Those works can include short dramatic films, short documentaries, experimental works and animations. Works should be 20 minutes or less in length. The jury may consider slightly longer works on a case-by-case basis. All works must be submitted on mini DV tape and must be received by The Maine Film Office by Friday, May 14. A submission fee of $10 will be charged for each work.

A jury of Maine production professionals will judge works on content and quality. The winning entries will be shown July 10 during The Celebration of Maine Filmmakers’ Day at The 7th Annual Maine International Film Festival in Waterville.

Rules and entry forms are available at The Maine Film Office Website at www.filminmaine.com/news.html.

Tickets: MFA members, seniors, and students $16; general admission $20. Tickets for both programs: $24, $28. For more details, visit www.mfa.org.

The Provincetown International Film Festival, scheduled for June 16-20, enters its sixth year with the announcement of the 2004 recipient of the annual Filmmaker on the Edge award. This year the Festival honors director/writer Jim Jarmusch, whose cinematic achievements over the past two decades include STRANGER THAN PARADISE, DOWN BY LAY, MYSTERY TRAIN, DEAD MAN, GHOST DOG: THE WAY OF THE SAMURAI, and his upcoming release COFFEE AND CIGARETTES.

Appropriately, this year is the 20th anniversary of the release of Jarmusch's break-through underground classic STRANGER THAN PARADISE, starring John Lurie, Eszter Balint and Richard Edson. The story of three drifters who together take an infamous car-trip from Manhattan to Ohio to Florida unfolds through a series of understated and often hilarious vignettes all shot in stark black-and-white. The film stands out as a pivotal achievement in the history of independent filmmaking, known for its groundbreaking innovation in storytelling and cinematic style. It won the coveted Camera D'or Award for "Best First Film" at the 1984 Cannes Film Festival and significantly influenced the world of filmmaking and film distribution to come.

Previous recipients of the "Filmmaker on the Edge" award are director Todd Haynes (2003), director Gus Van Sant (2002), producers Ted Hope and James Schamus (2001), producer Christine Vachon (2000), and filmmaker John Waters (1999). All have been invited to this year's Festival celebrations honoring Jarmusch.

In addition to the Filmmaker on the Edge Award Ceremony and panel discussion, the Festival will continue many established special programs, funded this year through a prestigious grant from the National Endowment of the Arts' Creativity category for Media Arts. Included in the 2004 line-up will be the Breakfast with... series (providing opportunities for Festivalgoers to dine with industry professionals to discuss aspects of their craft), the Youth and Diversity Film Program (showcasing films that encourage young adults to discuss the concerns of today's world), A Night at the Drive-In (hosted at the Wellfleet Cinemas - home of one of the world's few remaining Drive-In Movie Theaters), a special screening of Sing-a-long Wizard of Oz, and John Waters Presents (a favorite annual tradition featuring an introduction by Waters who, each year, selects a film to be screened that meets his standards of raunchiness and bad taste).

The line-up of films, special events, ticket information, venues, and travel/ accommodation suggestions will be on the Festival Website at www.ptownfilmfest.org.

Pisces, Boston’s premiere broadcast arts, visual effects and finishing studio, announced today that Editor/Smoke artist Christopher Palazini collaborated with brand|content advertising to create a new series of Roomba® Robotic FloorVac television spots airing across the nation. The spots are on the air through the spring.

According to Palazini, “After a very successful response to the fall and holiday campaigns, the client found that some consumers were left with very specific questions regarding the Roomba FloorVac. Using footage previously shot, we incorporated additional demonstration footage and animation into a :120 and :60 second direct response spot in order to answer those questions posed by potential Roomba buyers.” Doug Gladstone, CEO and chief creative officer of brand|content added, “Chris was a critical player in helping us transition from the general broadcast spot to the more detailed demonstration spot.”

The TV spots created by brand|content advertising in Boston bring Roomba to life and demonstrate the robotic vacuums ability to handle a variety of floor surfaces. We see Roomba cleaning in places where no regular vacuum would dare to go - or be able to reach. The cleaning power of Roomba FloorVac is punctuated by the final tagline, "If it's down there, we'll get it."

Pisces, an all-digital broadcast arts, visual effects and finishing studio based in Boston, is home to the area’s premier team of designers, special effects artists and editors. For more information visit www.pisces.net.