Lexus Short Films Series Winner Damian Walshe-Howling's Film to Premiere
at Sydney Film Festival

Lexus and The Weinstein Company will be premiering the second of four films as part of the third Lexus Short Films series at Sydney Film Festival on June 14^th Selected from thousands of submissions, director Damian Walshe-Howling's short film MESSiAH, encompasses this year's Lexus Short Films series' theme of "Anticipation." MESSiAH highlights a playful collision of cultures, in which a hapless Irishman and his Parisian girlfriend get more than they bargained for when they encounter a particularly mischievous stranger in the spectacular Australian wilderness. Well-known Australian actor David Gulpilil (The Tracker, The Proposition, Crocodile Dundee) will star as Baringa. Stephen Hunter, who starred in the film franchise The Hobbit and the current television series Janet King, will appear in the role of Moylan.

Walshe-Howling will attend the premiere to share his story and celebrate his achievement as a part of the third Lexus Short Film series. Representatives from both The Weinstein Company and Lexus will also be on-site to speak about how this program has impacted Walshe-Howling and other Lexus Short Film directors, as well as to discuss how MESSiAH came to fruition.

David Nordstrom, global branding department general manager of Lexus International, added, "We are so pleased to support these talented filmmakers and their capability and vision following the overall theme 'Anticipation' have truly exceeded our expectations thus far."

After being featured at Sydney Film Festival, MESSiAH, will premiere along with the other three films from the third series of Lexus Short Films during an exclusive World Premiere event at the 2016 Napa Valley Film Festival. This event will be the first time all four films will be presented at the same time as they continue to be showcased at screenings during other film festivals worldwide.

"The Weinstein Company aims to bring these skilled filmmakers' creativity to fruition," said The Weinstein Company COO and President David Glasser. "We are very happy to provide this opportunity for viewers to witness the films' powerful messages and listen to the directors explain how they got to this point in their career and what exciting things lie ahead."

In 2013, Lexus Short Films was launched with the goal of supporting and nurturing a new generation of emerging filmmakers. These aspiring directors and writers have received a unique opportunity supported by Lexus to collaborate with acclaimed film studio The Weinstein Company to produce and showcase their work on an international stage. For more information, visit lexusshortfilms.com.

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The Weinstein Company (TWC) is a multimedia production and distribution company launched in October 2005. TWC also encompasses Dimension Films, the genre label founded in 1993 by Bob Weinstein.

Since 2005, TWC and Dimension Films have released such films as VICKY CRISTINA BARCELONA; THE READER; INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS; SCRE4M; SPY KIDS: THE KING'S SPEECH; UNDEFEATED; THE ARTIST; THE MASTER; SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK; DJANGO UNCHAINED; SCARY MOVIE 5; LEE DANIELS' THE BUTLER; PHILOMENA; THE IMITATION GAME; PADDINGTON; WOMAN IN GOLD; SOUTHPAW, CAROL and THE HATEFUL EIGHT. Upcoming releases include SING STREET, THE FOUNDER, HANDS OF STONE, and LION.

TWC boasts an active television production division which garnered twelve Emmy nominations in 2015. TWC Television produces the reality powerhouse Project Runway, with its spin-off series Project Runway All Stars, hosted by Alyssa Milano, Project Runway Jr, featuring supermodel Hannah Davis and fashion critic Kelley Osbourne Under The Gunn, and Threads. Scripted series include John Fusco's Marco Polo with Netflix, going into its second season, and War & Peace, which debuted on Lifetime, A&E and HISTORY in 2016. Scripted projects in development include Ten Commandments, Daniel Stashower's The Hour Of Peril and military drama Six. TWC will also launch several new projects in 2016 across several networks, including MTV, Lifetime, and AMC. For more information on The Weinstein Company, please visit: