Focused on Growing UK Audience, Content and Advertising Relationships, Metacafe Brings on Tim Rottach as Head of UK Content

London, UK – June 17, 2009 – Metacafe® continues to advance its leadership in making online video a powerful marketing platform for brand advertisers tasked with reaching today’s multitasking, media-snacking consumers.  On the heels of 40% growth in UK viewership and 86% growth worldwide from April 2008 to April 2009 , Metacafe is today introducing its first three premium entertainment hubs in the UK, which are prominently featured in a new home page design.

By showcasing premium content in key entertainment categories – initially, Movie Trailers, Music Videos and Sports Highlights – Metacafe is making it easy for consumers to find and discover great videos that suit their tastes, preferences and mood of the moment, which also caters to brand marketers’ desire to associate with premium content and reach consumers in and around these entertainment categories.

“Metacafe is committed to advancing online video as a media business, serving the needs of viewers, content creators and brand advertisers alike,” said Erick Hachenburg, CEO of Metacafe.  “Unlike online TV destinations and video-sharing platforms, Metacafe is committed to presenting the full spectrum of content in a way that provides today’s consumers the choice they demand and enables advertisers to connect with them when and where they are immersed in the entertainment experience.”

Since engaging Perform Sales to represent advertising sales for Metacafe in the UK last autumn, Metacafe has worked with leading UK advertisers across industries including consumer electronics, entertainment, food and beverage, FMCG, and others. Campaigns have included custom home page skins, rich media executions, viral video distribution and branded entertainment channels, ensuring advertisers’ brands receive a high share of voice and are well integrated into the online entertainment experience.

Additionally, Metacafe today announced that Tim Rottach has joined the company as head of UK content, based in London.  Rottach brings nearly 10 years of digital media and technology experience, most recently serving as Director of Content Strategy and Acquisition for Joost.   He is working closely with content creators, distributors and broadcasters in the UK to help them grow audience and revenues online via strategic relationships with Metacafe.

“With nearly 40 million people in the UK watching online video each month, the digital opportunity is a compelling one for content providers and brand advertisers alike ,” said Tim Rottach, head of UK content for Metacafe.  “Metacafe’s focus on connecting viewers with the videos they love and advertisers with the consumers they serve is driving our continued momentum as a leader in this sector.  The move to add and showcase more premium content will further accelerate that momentum.”

The new Metacafe home page features a first-of-its-kind “billboard” ad unit with unmatched flexibility that empowers advertisers to communicate their message via a high-impact image, a custom Flash execution or an in-unit video player.  The three new premium entertainment hubs, the first of several to come over the course of 2009, are:
•    Movie Trailers, featuring HD – showcasing theatrical and home video releases from every major Hollywood studio and including HD capability
•    Music Videos – featuring top artists and up-and-coming acts in Pop, Rock, Metal, Electronic, R&B and Hip Hop
•    Sports Highlights – featuring a raft of premium sports content from Perform’s Omnisport.tv sports catalogue, which includes leading European club and International football, ATP tennis, PGA Tour golf and many more

Each hub will be promoted across the Metacafe site, ensuring consumers can easily find the premium entertainment content they’re looking for and providing brand extension opportunities for hub sponsors.  Additional content partners will be integrated into these hubs in the coming weeks and months, and additional hubs including TV Clips and Video Game Trailers will be launching over the course of 2009.

About Metacafe® – Entertainment That Connects
Metacafe® is the world’s leading independent online video site.  We connect consumers with the entertainment content they love and brand advertisers with the consumers they serve.  The company is teaming with content creators including top movie studios, music labels, professional sports leagues, television networks and best-of-the-web production firms to deliver an exceptional entertainment experience to its more than 53 million unique monthly viewers, nearly 2.5 million of them in the UK1.  The privately held company is headquartered in Palo Alto, CA, and has offices in New York City, Los Angeles, London and Tel Aviv.  For more information – and millions of entertaining videos – visit www.metacafe.com.

About Perform
Perform is a world leader in monetising sports and entertainment rights in digital media and has been a consistent and renowned innovator since 2000, and a major driving force in the commercialisation of sport and entertainment rights online, on mobile and on TV.

Perform provides a range of user friendly, end-to-end products and services for businesses involved in sport and entertainment rights:
•    Sales: We sell advertising, sponsorship and content partnerships around sport and entertainment on a wide network of UK and international web and mobile sites
•    Services: We provide the platform and tools that enable rights holders to place, manage and monetise their content online and on mobile.
•    Channels: We own and distribute branded and white label sport and entertainment channels for broadcast online and on mobile.

Perform operates over 200 websites including those for over 80 UK Football Clubs, Cricket Australia, ITV, Turner Broadcasting and works with various rights holders, including The Premier League, Virgin Media and the ATP Masters Series.

www.performgroup.com

Media Contacts
Michelle Cox:  michelle@metacafe.com  / +1 415-823-7574
Kim Parker:  kim.parker@performgroup.com  /  +44  07908 522 181

Showcases SCI FI Channel as a charter sponsor, promoting new series Warehouse 13

Palo Alto, CA – June 12, 2009 – Metacafe®, the leading independent online video site, today debuts its new TV Clips hub, which features short videos from leading television networks and cable channels.  This introduction comes on the heels of Metacafe unveiling its first three premium entertainment hubs – Movie Trailers, Music Videos and Sports Highlights – earlier this spring and underscores the company’s leadership in advancing the evolution of the online video industry.

“Today’s multitasking, media-snacking consumers demand choice in and control over their entertainment experiences, and Metacafe is delivering on this imperative by providing a wide variety of entertainment content from the full spectrum of creators,” said Erick Hachenburg, CEO of Metacafe.  “It’s all about connecting viewers with the videos they enjoy and connecting brand advertisers with the consumers they serve.”

SCI FI Channel is a charter sponsor for the new Metacafe TV Clips hub.  The channel is promoting its new series Warehouse 13, which will premiere on July 7th at 9 p.m. (8 p.m. CT) with the two-hour pilot.  The tune-in campaign will include prominent exposure within the hub, on the Metacafe home page and in a unique Warehouse 13 branded channel.

The new TV Clips hub will be promoted across the Metacafe site, ensuring consumers can easily find the premium entertainment content they’re looking for and providing brand extension opportunities for hub sponsors.  Additional content and new content partners will be integrated into the hub in the coming weeks and months, and additional hubs – including Video Game Trailers – will be launching over the course of 2009.

About  Warehouse 13 – Premieres July 7th on SCI FI Channel
After saving the life of the President, two Secret Service agents find themselves abruptly transferred to Warehouse 13 — a massive, top-secret storage facility in windswept South Dakota that houses every strange artifact, mysterious relic, fantastical object and supernatural souvenir ever collected by the U.S. government.
The Warehouse’s caretaker Artie (Saul Rubinek) assigns Pete (Eddie McClintock) and Myka (Joanne Kelly) the challenge of chasing down reports of supernatural and paranormal activity in search of new objects to store at the Warehouse. The two agents are also commissioned to help Artie control the Warehouse itself, which proves to be a task beyond what either of them could have ever imagined.
Warehouse 13 comes from Universal Cable Productions and is executive produced by Jack Kenny (The Book of Daniel) who also serves as showrunner. David Simkins (Dresden Files) is executive producer; Jace Alexander (Burn Notice, Rescue Me) is co-executive producer and director; and Stephen Surjik (Monk, Burn Notice) is producer/director.

About Metacafe – Entertainment That Connects
Metacafe is the leading independent online video site.  We connect consumers with the entertainment content they love and brand advertisers with the consumers they serve.  The company is teaming with content creators including top movie studios, music labels, professional sports leagues, television networks, video game publishers and best-of-the-web production firms to deliver an exceptional entertainment experience to its more than 53 million unique monthly viewers, more than 11 million of them in the U.S. .  The privately held company is headquartered in Palo Alto, CA, and has offices in New York City, Los Angeles, London and Tel Aviv.  For more information – and millions of entertaining videos – visit www.metacafe.com.

Media Contact
Michelle Cox:  michelle@metacafe.com  / 415-823-7574

Focused on Growing New and Existing Audiences and Providing a Powerful Platform for Brand Marketers

•    Universal Pictures Sponsors New Movie Trailers Hub at Launch, with “Land of the Lost” Campaign
•    Fox Home Entertainment Offers Exclusive Video Content from Seth MacFarlane’s “Cavalcade of Cartoon Comedy” Blu-ray and DVD release

Palo Alto, CA – April 20, 2009 – Metacafe®, the world’s leading independent online video site, continues to advance its vision for transforming video sharing into entertainment for today’s multitasking, media-snacking consumer and a powerful marketing platform for the brand advertisers tasked with reaching them.  On the heels of 60% growth in viewership worldwide and in the U.S. from January 2008 to January 2009 , Metacafe is today introducing its first three premium entertainment hubs, which will be prominently featured in a new home page design.

By showcasing premium content in key entertainment categories – initially, Movie Trailers, Music Videos and Sports Highlights – Metacafe is making it easy for consumers to find and discover great videos that suit their tastes, preferences and mood of the moment, which also caters to brand marketers’ desire to associate with premium content and reach consumers in and around these entertainment categories.

“Metacafe has long been a leader in shaping the evolution of the online video industry, featuring the best in viral video, then incorporating the best in professional made-for-the-web entertainment and now adding the best in premium video,” said Erick Hachenburg, CEO of Metacafe.  “Unlike online TV destinations and video-sharing platforms, Metacafe is committed to presenting the full spectrum of content in a way that provides today’s consumers the choice they demand and enables advertisers to connect with them when and where they are immersed in the entertainment experience.”

The new Metacafe home page features a first-of-its-kind “billboard” ad unit with unmatched flexibility that empowers advertisers to communicate their message via a high-impact image, a custom Flash execution or an in-unit video player.  At launch, the Metacafe home page is sold exclusively to Universal Pictures, promoting the upcoming Will Ferrell adventure-comedy Land of the Lost, which opens in theaters on June 5, 2009.  This is the first campaign of a multi-picture Universal Pictures’ sponsorship of the new Metacafe Movie Trailers hub.

“Today’s consumer spends a significant amount of time online, enjoying and seeking information about entertainment,” said Megan Crowell, Associate Media Director for Ignited, a leading interactive marketing agency.  “This makes online video an environment ripe for marketers, and Metacafe has a consistent track record of innovation that makes the site especially effective in helping consumers connect with the content they crave and ensuring advertisers connect with their target consumers in a meaningful way.”

The three new premium entertainment hubs, the first of several to come over the course of 2009, are:
•    Movie Trailers, featuring HD – showcasing theatrical and home video releases from every major Hollywood studio and including HD capability;
•    Music Videos – featuring top artists and up-and-coming acts in Pop, Rock, R&B, Hip Hop, Country and Latin; and
•    Sports Highlights – featuring non-stop action from the NBA, Fox Sports and Fuel TV.

Each hub will be promoted across the Metacafe site, ensuring consumers can easily find the premium entertainment content they’re looking for and providing brand extension opportunities for hub sponsors.  Additional content partners will be integrated into these hubs in the coming weeks and months, and additional hubs including TV Clips and Video Game Trailers will be launching over the course of 2009.

Timed to Metacafe’s launch on April 20, in conjunction with a little-known holiday on that same date, Fox Home Entertainment is making available, exclusively to Metacafe viewers, a never-before-released uncensored clip from the Seth MacFarlane’s Cavalcade of Cartoon Comedy Blu-ray and DVD, available on May 12.  The video kicks off the home entertainment campaign on a high note.

“Prominent exposure on a top video entertainment site like Metacafe is a great way to drive increased awareness of and demand for our content, especially something like Seth MacFarlane’s Cavalcade of Cartoon Comedy, which already has a loyal fan base online,” said Mark Levien, Executive Director of Digital Marketing for Fox Home Entertainment. “Our strategy was to release this uncensored clip prior to the DVD street date and generate significant buzz on 4/20 – a significant date for our targeted demo – and Metacafe’s launch timing aligned perfectly.”

About Metacafe® – Entertainment That Connects
Metacafe® is the world’s leading independent online video site.  We connect consumers with the entertainment content they love and brand advertisers with the consumers they serve.  The company is teaming with content creators including top movie studios, music labels, professional sports leagues, television networks and best-of-the-web production firms to deliver an exceptional entertainment experience to its more than 46 million unique monthly viewers, 11 million of them in the U.S. .  The privately held company is headquartered in Palo Alto, CA, and has offices in New York City, Los Angeles, London and Tel Aviv.  For more information – and millions of entertaining videos – visit www.metacafe.com.

Media Contact
Michelle Cox:  michelle@metacafe.com  / 415-823-7574

Global Traffic Increases 54% in 2008, Exceeding 44 Million Unique Viewers in December

Palo Alto, CA – January 29, 2009 – Metacafe® solidified its position as the world’s leading independent online video site, attracting more than 44 million unique monthly viewers worldwide in December, as recently reported by comScore Media Metrix.  This represents a 54% year-over-year increase and 15% growth over the month of November.

“As one of the few sites to show continued leadership in this sector, Metacafe is especially well-positioned as a long-term partner for marketers tasked with reaching consumers who are watching more online video and less TV,” said Erick Hachenburg, CEO of Metacafe.  “Our success in 2008 makes us one of a small handful of online video companies strong enough to survive and flourish in this difficult economic environment, and we are committed to building on our momentum and strengthening our competitive advantages in 2009 and beyond.”

Metacafe remains focused on two key initiatives launched in 2008:
-    Teaming with content partners in key short-form entertainment categories including TV clips, movie trailers, music videos, sports highlights, video game trailers, comedy sketches, news and animated videos; and
-    Growing usage of Wikicafe, which empowers the Metacafe community to add and edit the tags, titles, descriptions and more for any of the millions of videos on the site, helping improve video search results and recommendations.

“Online video is a cultural phenomenon and integral part of our daily lives,” said David Rice, vice president of product for Metacafe.  “As an industry pioneer, we’ve helped shape its development, and we’re now leading its continued evolution.  We provide our viewers an exceptional entertainment experience by making it easy to find and discover great videos.”

About Metacafe®
Metacafe® is the world’s leading independent online video site.  The company is teaming with content creators ranging from best-of-the-web production firms to top television networks, movie studios, music labels and professional sports leagues to deliver an exceptional entertainment experience to its more than 44 million unique monthly viewers, 11 million of them in the U.S. .  The privately held company is headquartered in Palo Alto, Calif., and has offices in New York City, Los Angeles and Tel Aviv.  For more information – and millions of entertaining videos – visit www.metacafe.com.

Media Contact:  Michelle Cox – michelle@metacafe.com  / 415-823-7574

Traffic Increases 60% in 2008, Reaching 11 Million Unique Viewers in December

Palo Alto, CA – January 15, 2009 – Metacafe® enjoyed a record-breaking month in December and strengthened its position as the leading independent online video site in the United States, attracting more than 11 million unique U.S. viewers, as reported in the recently released comScore Media Metrix data.  This represents a greater than 60% increase since January of 2008 and a 20% increase over the month of November, making Metacafe one of the country’s fastest-growing video sites.

“We’re pleased to start the new year with such strong momentum, which underscores the fact that online video has become an integral part of people’s daily lives,” said Jack Rotherham, senior vice president of strategic sales and partnerships for Metacafe.  “Our focus on making it easy to find and discover entertaining videos keeps consumers coming back for more, and we’re committed to helping Fortune 1000 brands connect with those consumers through innovative marketing campaigns well-suited to the medium.”

Recent Metacafe initiatives contributing to this growth include:
-    The new NBA channel, which features game highlights, top plays and weekly recaps.
-    The new Music channel, which features established artists and up-and-coming acts in the genres of Pop, Rock, R&B, Hip Hop, Country and Latin.
-    The addition of more than 30 featured channels from best-of-the-web content partners and boutique production firms making short-form videos
-    The MetaFest online-offline film festival, which honored 26 short films by 23 filmmakers from 10 countries and awarded more than $10,000 in prizes.
-    The WikicafeTM feature, which empowers the Metacafe community to add and edit the tags, titles, descriptions and more for any of the millions of videos on the site, helping improve video search results and recommendations.

About Metacafe®
With more than 38 million unique viewers each month , Metacafe® is the world’s largest video site focused exclusively on short-form entertainment.  The company is teaming with content creators ranging from emerging talents to Hollywood heavyweights to help develop short-form video as an entertainment genre.  Metacafe delivers an exceptional entertainment experience by engaging and empowering our audience every step of the way.  Our VideoRank™ technology helps expose the most entertaining content.  Our Producer Rewards® program rewards video creators for their best work as determined by viewer response. And our Wikicafe™ empowers viewers to add and improve the tags, title and descriptions for videos – resulting in better search results and recommendations.  The privately held company is headquartered in Palo Alto, Calif., and has offices in Tel Aviv, New York City and Los Angeles.  For more information – and millions of entertaining videos – visit www.metacafe.com.

Media Contact
Michelle Cox:  michelle@metacafe.com  / 415-823-7574

NBA Game Highlights, Top Plays and Weekly Recaps Available to Site’s 38 Million Unique Monthly Viewers

Palo Alto, CA – January 7, 2009 – Metacafe®, the world’s leading short-form video entertainment site, today announced the launch of the NBA Channel on Metacafe to provide daily NBA video highlights to the site’s more than 38 million  unique monthly viewers.

Throughout the remainder of the 2008-09 NBA season, including the entire playoffs, the new channel will feature:
• Daily NBA Game Highlights – NBA game highlights from every game of the 2008-09 regular season and 2009 NBA Playoffs.
• Daily Top Plays – A daily recap of the top plays from around the league, including all the great moments from NBA All-Star Saturday Night and the 2009 NBA All-Star Game.
• NBA Weekly Highlights – A weekly recap of the top plays and highlights.
• NBA 08-09 Highlight Package – Following the 2009 NBA Finals, a best-of highlight package for the entire season will be available.

“Sports is one of the top-five most popular content categories on Metacafe, and adding NBA highlights into our offering is a win-win situation for our viewers and advertisers alike,” said Scott Bushman, vice president of content and business development for Metacafe.  “We’re making it easy for people to find, enjoy and share NBA game highlights.”

Sports highlights are one of the top-ten most popular categories of videos viewed online, according to the 2008 Magid Media Futures™ study, with 20% of survey respondents reporting that they frequently watch.

About Metacafe®
With more than 38 million unique viewers each month, Metacafe® is the world’s largest video site focused exclusively on short-form entertainment.  The company is teaming with content creators ranging from emerging talents to Hollywood heavyweights to help develop short-form video as an entertainment genre.  Metacafe delivers an exceptional entertainment experience by engaging and empowering our audience every step of the way.  Our VideoRank™ technology helps expose the most entertaining content.  Our Producer Rewards® program rewards video creators for their best work as determined by viewer response. And our Wikicafe™ empowers viewers to add and improve the tags, title and descriptions for videos – resulting in better search results and recommendations.  The privately held company is headquartered in Palo Alto, Calif., and has offices in Tel Aviv, New York City and Los Angeles.  For more information – and millions of entertaining videos – visit www.metacafe.com.

Media Contact
Michelle Cox:  michelle@metacafe.com / 415-823-7574

Palo Alto, CA – November 19, 2008 – Metacafe®, the world’s leading short-form video entertainment site, today launched the Metacafe Music Channel.  The channel features established artists and up-and-coming acts in the genres of Pop, Rock, R&B, Hip Hop, Country and Latin.  Metacafe’s more than 38 million unique monthly viewers1 are now invited to watch, comment on and share their favorite music videos.
“Music videos are well-suited to the short-form video entertainment environment, and we expect our new channel to prove exceptionally popular among our large and growing audience,” said Scott Bushman, vice president of content and business development for Metacafe.  “With a dynamic roster of musicians, the channel provides a breadth and depth of content to suit different viewers’ tastes, preferences and moods of the moment.”
Music videos are among the most popular online video content, with 36 percent of respondents to this year’s Magid Media Futures™ study reporting that they frequently watch music videos online – only comedy videos, with 37 percent reporting watching frequently, proved more popular.
Metacafe has signed on to the affiliate program for SONY BMG’s MyPlay Video Network, which enables it to run a wide range of frontline SONY BMG music videos right on its own site.  Additional content partners will be added to the Metacafe Music Channel in the coming months.
Channel sponsorships and custom brand integration opportunities are now available on the Metacafe Music Channel.
About Metacafe®
With more than 38 million unique viewers each month , Metacafe® is the world’s largest video site focused exclusively on short-form entertainment.  The company is teaming with content creators ranging from emerging talents to Hollywood heavyweights to help develop short-form video as an entertainment genre.  Metacafe delivers an exceptional entertainment experience by engaging and empowering our audience every step of the way.  Our VideoRank™ technology helps expose the most entertaining content.  Our Producer Rewards® program rewards video creators for their best work as determined by viewer response. And our Wikicafe™ empowers viewers to add and improve the tags, title and descriptions for videos – resulting in better search results and recommendations.  The privately held company is headquartered in Palo Alto, Calif., and has offices in Tel Aviv, New York City and Los Angeles.  For more information – and millions of entertaining videos – visit www.metacafe.com.

Media Contacts:
Shev Rush:  shev@shevrushpr.com  / 760-567-4321
Shelley Boose:  shelley@shevrushpr.com  / 408-398-6987

Online-Offline Film Festival Honors Six Filmmakers for Outstanding Short Works

Palo Alto, CA – November 17, 2008 – Metacafe® and Microcinema International today announced the winners of MetaFest 2008, a juried online and offline film festival presenting the best in international creative and contemporary short-form video entertainment.

The winners, who collectively earned nearly $10,000 in prizes, include:
•    Grand Prize, selected by the jury, went to “Sunshine Bob” created by Dandy Dwarves, a multidisciplinary production company based in the San Francisco Bay Area.
•    Short-Short Award, selected by the jury, went to “World Water Day” created by Action Against Hunger, an international humanitarian organization founded in 1979.
•    Online Audience Favorite, selected by Metacafe viewers, went to “Out Of Print” created by San Francisco filmmaker Danny Plotnick.
•    Offline Audience Favorite, selected by attendees of the theatrical premiere held at San Francisco’s Roxie Theater, went to “World Was On Fire And No One Could Save Me But You” created by Paris filmmaker Armel Hostiou.
•    Special Jury Mentions went to “Butterfly Man” by Australian filmmaker, Samantha Rebillet and “Triathlon” directed by Bartosz Warwas of Poland.

The MetaFest program, featuring 16 films by 14 filmmakers from 7 countries, will now be screened at dozens of “microcinema” events across the U.S. and around the world throughout 2009.  These films were selected from more than 750 entries by jurors Hillman Curtis, an award-winning filmmaker, designer and author whose books include “Creating Short Films for the Web,” and Glenn R. Phillips, who is senior project specialist and consulting curator of contemporary programs for the Getty Research Institute and recently curated the “California Video” exhibition.

About Metacafe®
With more than 38 million unique viewers each month , Metacafe® is the world’s largest video site focused exclusively on short-form entertainment.  The company is teaming with content creators ranging from emerging talents to Hollywood heavyweights to help develop short-form video as an entertainment genre.  Metacafe delivers an exceptional entertainment experience by engaging and empowering our audience every step of the way.  Our VideoRank™ technology helps expose the most entertaining content.  Our Producer Rewards® program rewards video creators for their best work as determined by viewer response. And our Wikicafe™ empowers viewers to add and improve the tags, title and descriptions for videos – resulting in better search results and recommendations.  The privately held company is headquartered in Palo Alto, Calif., and has offices in Tel Aviv, New York City and Los Angeles.  For more information – and hundreds of thousands of entertaining videos – visit www.metacafe.com.

About Microcinema International
Founded in 1996, Microcinema International is a leading international rights manager, exhibitor, and specialty markets distributor of the “moving image arts.” Microcinema International specializes in the acquisition, exhibition, and distribution of independently produced works of an artistic and socially-relevant nature. Our mission is to seek out, curate, exhibit, promote, and distribute compelling works to a broad audience via existing and emerging mediums. This mission is realized through exhibition-based events, web-based platforms, educational outreach, modern marketing techniques, and digital and physical distribution. More information is available at www.microcinema.com.

Media Contacts:
For Metacafe
Shev Rush:  shev@shevrushpr.com  /  760-567-4321
Shelley Boose:  shelley@shevrushpr.com  /  408-398-6987

For Microcinema International
Joel Bachar:  joel@microcinema.com  /  415-447-9750

Palo Alto, CA – November 12, 2008 – Metacafe® enjoyed a record-breaking month in October and solidified its position as the leading independent online video site in the United States, attracting more than 9 million unique U.S. viewers, as reported in the recently released comScore Media Metrix data.

“We are thrilled with our continued momentum, which underscores the fact that U.S. consumers enjoy watching short-form video and are increasingly using the Internet for entertainment,” said Jack Rotherham, senior vice president of strategic sales and partnerships for Metacafe.  “Online video has reached critical mass and presents a powerful opportunity for brand marketers tasked with reaching consumers who now watch less TV and even fewer TV commercials.”

The growth in U.S. Metacafe viewers during the month of October represents a greater than 30% increase since January of 2008 and a greater than 10% increase over the month of September.

About Metacafe®
With more than 38 million unique viewers each month , Metacafe® is the world’s largest video site focused exclusively on short-form entertainment.  The company is teaming with content creators ranging from emerging talents to Hollywood heavyweights to help develop short-form video as an entertainment genre.  Metacafe delivers an exceptional entertainment experience by engaging and empowering our audience every step of the way.  Our VideoRank™ technology helps expose the most entertaining content.  Our Producer Rewards® program rewards video creators for their best work as determined by viewer response. And our Wikicafe™ empowers viewers to add and improve the tags, title and descriptions for videos – resulting in better search results and recommendations.  The privately held company is headquartered in Palo Alto, Calif., and has offices in Tel Aviv, New York City and Los Angeles.  For more information – and millions of entertaining videos – visit www.metacafe.com.

Media Contacts:
Shev Rush:  shev@shevrushpr.com  / 760-567-4321
Shelley Boose:  shelley@shevrushpr.com  / 408-398-6987

26 Films by 23 Filmmakers from 10 Countries – Judging Now Open for $1,000 Online Audience Favorite Award

Palo Alto, CA – October 10, 2008 – Metacafe® and Microcinema International today unveiled finalists for MetaFest 2008, a juried online and offline film festival presenting the best in international creative and contemporary short-form video entertainment.  Short-film enthusiasts are invited to vote for their favorite between now and October 31, 2008 at 11:59 p.m. PDT at www.metacafe.com/metafest/finalists/.   The filmmaker whose work is chosen as the Online Audience Favorite will be awarded $1,000 cash and DVD selections from the Microcinema catalog worth $250.

MetaFest finalists – 26 films by 23 filmmakers from 10 countries – were selected from more than 750 entries by jurors Hillman Curtis, an award-winning filmmaker, designer and author whose books include “Creating Short Films for the Web,” and Glenn R. Phillips, who is senior project specialist and consulting curator of contemporary programs for the Getty Research Institute and recently curated the “California Video” exhibition.

“We were thrilled with the quantity and quality of MetaFest submissions,” said Mark Poggi, senior manager of content marketing for Metacafe.  “There are so many filmmakers creating innovative and entertaining short-form works that engage the imagination, tell great stories and are well-suited to the interactive environment.  The finalists selected by the jury are exceptional examples of this, and I look forward to seeing which our audience likes most.”

MetaFest combines the best of the interactive online video-viewing experience with the best of the live-audience offline film festival experience.  Select films will have a theatrical premiere at San Francisco’s Roxie Theater on November 13, 2008 and will be screened at dozens of “microcinema” events across the U.S. and around the world through the first half of 2009.

“We’ve been working with filmmakers for nearly 15 years, and the digital entertainment evolution has opened up some exciting new opportunities,” said Patrick Kwiatkowski, co-founder and CEO of Microcinema International.  “MetaFest is all about marrying the best of the online and offline worlds and celebrating the works of talented creators making outstanding short films.  The program we’ll screen at the Roxie is sure to entertain, amaze and inspire.”

At the theatrical premiere, one jury-selected Grand Prize winner will be awarded $5,000 cash, a “Short-Short” Award winner will receive $2,000 cash, and the Offline Audience Favorite will win $1,000 cash and DVD selections from the Microcinema catalog worth $250.  All award winners will be prominently featured on the Metacafe home page for 10 days and receive additional exposure through marketing and publicity efforts.  Additionally, the creator of each film selected for the MetaFest offline program will receive a cash honorarium of $50.

About Metacafe®
With more than 37 million unique viewers each month , Metacafe® is the world’s largest video site focused exclusively on short-form entertainment.  The company is teaming with content creators ranging from emerging talents to Hollywood heavyweights to help develop short-form video as an entertainment genre.  Metacafe delivers an exceptional entertainment experience by engaging and empowering our audience every step of the way.  Our VideoRank™ technology helps expose the most entertaining content.  Our Producer Rewards® program rewards video creators for their best work as determined by viewer response. And our Wikicafe™ empowers viewers to add and improve the tags, title and descriptions for videos – resulting in better search results and recommendations.  The privately held company is headquartered in Palo Alto, Calif., and has offices in Tel Aviv, New York City and Los Angeles.  For more information – and hundreds of thousands of entertaining videos – visit www.metacafe.com.

About Microcinema International
Founded in 1996, Microcinema International is a leading international rights manager, exhibitor, and specialty markets distributor of the “moving image arts.” Microcinema International specializes in the acquisition, exhibition, and distribution of independently produced works of an artistic and socially-relevant nature. Our mission is to seek out, curate, exhibit, promote, and distribute compelling works to a broad audience via existing and emerging mediums. This mission is realized through exhibition-based events, web-based platforms, educational outreach, modern marketing techniques, and digital and physical distribution. More information is available at www.microcinema.com.

Media Contacts:
For Metacafe
Shev Rush:  shev@shevrushpr.com  /  760-567-4321
Shelley Boose:  shelley@shevrushpr.com  /  408-398-6987

For Microcinema International
Joel Bachar:  joel@microcinema.com  /  415-447-9750