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Virgin Media searches for the nation’s biggest teen film fan

Think you’ve got what it takes to be the next Jonathan Ross? Virgin Media has today launched a nationwide search to find the UK’s biggest teen film fan - a teenager who knows their Billy Elliot from Bill and Ted – to join the judging panel for the second annual Virgin Media Shorts competition.

Virgin Media Shorts champions undiscovered talent, shining a light on up-and-coming film talent with the help of a prestigious judging panel from across the film industry. Hoping to find a future Wossy, Virgin Media is offering one lucky teenager the chance to join this year’s exclusive panel alongside Bond-girl Gemma Arterton, Oscar-winning stage and screen actor Kevin Spacey, as well as BAFTA’s Rising Star 2009, Noel Clarke, and award-winning short film director, Daniel Barber.

Open to 13-19 year olds across the country, young cinema goers need to tell Virgin Media why they think they are the UK’s biggest teen film fan. If you collect film memorabilia, can’t tear yourself away from your DVD collection or know your favourite films word for word, this is the competition for you. All you need to do is log onto www.virginmediashorts.co.uk/vipjudge and complete the entry form. Deadline for entries is Saturday 20th June when all entries will be reviewed and one teenager crowned the overall winner. The top film fan will help choose the Grand Prize Winner of Virgin Media Shorts 2009 as well as given an all expenses paid trip and a chance to rub shoulders with the other judges at the glitzy awards ceremony in Central London on 22nd September.

Ashley Stockwell, executive director of brand and marketing at Virgin Media said, “Virgin Media Shorts is all about giving British film makers a shot at the big time by helping them pursue their dream. Our teen judge competition aims to find the next-generation of British film critics, with the ultimate prize of crowning the winner of Virgin Media Shorts alongside the likes of Kevin Spacey.”

Since the launch of Virgin Media Shorts last month, film makers from across the country are being given the chance to upload their short films through www.virginmediashorts.co.uk until 23rd June 2009. Following this date, all entries will be reviewed and short-listed down to just twelve, for the competition winner and judging panel to go onto review and select the winning film.


To get one step closer to stardom and prove you have what it takes to take the title of the ‘nation’s biggest film fan’, log onto www.virginmediashorts.co.uk/vipjudge to download the entry form and give us an insight into your love of film.


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Media Contacts
Frank PR - 0207 693 6999

Notes to Editors



Terms and Conditions

1. Entrants must be UK residents aged between 13 and 19 years of age on 20 June 2009. Employees, families or agents of Virgin Media and/or any of its group undertakings are not eligible to enter. Only one entry per person is permitted. Entrants under the age of 18 on 20 June 2009 must have the consent of a parent/guardian to enter. Such consent is deemed to be acceptance of these competition terms and conditions by the parent/guardian on behalf of the entrant.

2. By entering the competition, you hereby warrant that all information submitted by you is true, current and complete.

3. All entries must include all details requested on the Virgin Media Shorts website (the “Website”) and be submitted in accordance with these terms and any terms of entry detailed on the Website, including, without limitation, submission within the requisite time frame.

4. Five short-listed entries will be selected from all eligible entries by a panel of judges, with the shortlist announcement taking place week commencing 6 July 2009. Short-listed entries must be available week commencing 6 July 2009 to be interviewed over the phone and have their pictures taken in a nearby location by a professional photographer.

5. The prize is a position on the Virgin Media Shorts 2009 judging panel. The winner will be invited to attend the Virgin Media Shorts awards ceremony in central London on the evening of 22 September 2009. Travel and hotel accommodation for the winner and one parent/guardian will be provided. The decision of Virgin Media as to who has been selected for the shortlist and/or awarded the prize is final and no correspondence will be entered into. Virgin Media may at its sole discretion, substitute any prize for a prize of a similar nature and/or comparable value. Winner may not request and is not entitled to a cash alternative to the prize and the prize is non-refundable and non-transferable. All expenses of participation in judging panel not specified herein or otherwise authorised by Virgin Media are the prize winner’s own.

6. Virgin Media accepts no responsibility or liability for any error, omission, interruption, deletion, defect, delay in operation or transmission, communications line failure, theft, destruction, alteration of, or unauthorised access to entries, or entries lost, incomplete or delayed whether or not arising during operation or transmission as a result of server failures, virus, bugs or other causes outside its control. All lost, damaged or incomplete entries will be deemed invalid. Proof of entry shall not be proof of delivery or receipt. Only entries received in accordance with these terms and the Website instructions will be acceptable. Return of prize notification as undeliverable, or failure to respond to a prize notification within a reasonable time will result in disqualification and another winner may be selected at Virgin Media’s discretion. In the event that the winner declines the prize Virgin Media may elect, at its own discretion, to draw another winner.

7. Short-listed entrants and the winner will be required to participate in publicity surrounding this promotion, and each entrant consents to his/her name, locations and photographs being published for the purposes of the competition and promoting Virgin Media and its business. You acknowledge that you may be required to sign a release in order to participate in the short-list and/or judging panel. You agree, if selected for the short list and/or judging panel, to follow all instructions of Virgin Media and its agents in respect of Virgin Media Shorts 2009.

8. By entering the competition, you are deemed to accept these terms and all other terms and conditions. Virgin Media may, at its sole discretion, change the dates of entry into the competition and/or the dates on which the competition will be promoted and Virgin Media reserves the right to alter, amend or withdraw these terms and/or the competition without prior notice.

9. By entering the competition you hereby assign all copyright which you may own in your entry to Virgin Media and you acknowledge that Virgin Media will own all the copyright in your entry.

10. Other than for death or personal injury arising from negligence of Virgin Media, so far as is permitted by law, Virgin Media hereby excludes all liability for any loss, damage, cost and expense, whether direct or indirect, howsoever caused in connection with the competition or redemption of the prize.

11. These terms and conditions are governed by and construed and performed in accordance with the laws of England and Wales, whose courts shall be the courts of exclusive jurisdiction.

About Virgin Media

With almost 10 million customers, Virgin Media is the UK's first quad-play provider of broadband, TV, phone and mobile.

The company is the largest residential broadband provider in the UK, using a unique fibre optic cable network to deliver next generation ultrafast internet access of up to 50Mb to just over half of all homes. Combined with a high speed ADSL service and mobile broadband products, Virgin Media is able to offer broadband internet access to virtually the entire country.

Virgin Media has the UK’s most advanced TV on demand service and is the only TV platform to carry BBC iPlayer. It is the second largest provider of pay TV, was the first to launch a high definition TV service and offers a high-specification, HD-ready V+ personal video recorder.

The company operates the most popular virtual mobile network in the UK which, when launched, was the world’s first such mobile phone service. It is also one of the largest fixed-line home phone providers in the country.

Virgin Media also owns Virgin Media Television (VMtv) which runs eight entertainment channels, including Virgin1, Living, Bravo and Challenge. VMtv is a 50 per cent joint partner with BBC Worldwide in UKTV, which consists of ten channels including Dave, G.O.L.D., Watch and Alibi.

With operations based entirely in the UK, Virgin Media Inc. is listed on the NASDAQ Stock Market (VMED).

For more information, go to www.virginmedia.com.