..Gary Dretzka
..Noah Forrest
..Leonard Klady
..R.J. Matson
..David Poland
..Douglas Pratt
..Ray Pride
..Michael Wilmington

February 14 , 2004

For Immediate Release

PRODUCER DEBORAH SCHINDLER AND
FORMER N.Y. TIMES FILM CRITIC ELVIS MITCHELL
JOIN COLUMBIA TO OVERSEE EAST COAST
OPERATIONS AS EXECUTIVE PRODUCTION CONSULTANTS

Culver City, CA February 14, 2005 – Producer Deborah Schindler (Maid in Manhattan, Mona Lisa Smile) and former New York Times film critic Elvis Mitchell have joined Columbia Pictures to oversee the studio's New York development and production office as executive production consultants, it was announced today by Doug Belgrad and Matt Tolmach, Co-Presidents of Production for Columbia Pictures.

Based at the studio's corporate headquarters in Manhattan, Schindler will be Columbia's principal liaison in New York, serving as a fully integrated member of the Los Angeles production and development team. She will draw upon her longstanding relationships with talent, filmmakers, writers, managers and agents as she oversees the development of projects and supervises the studio's East Coast-based productions. Schindler was pivotal in securing motion picture remake rights to Dan Klores' acclaimed documentary Ring of Fire: The Emile Griffith Story.

As for Mitchell, Columbia will tap into his unique perspective and experiences as a former film critic and creative executive. Mitchell will canvas the film festival circuit and evaluate the Columbia library for potential remakes. Additionally, Mitchell will use his vast network of contacts as he serves as a consultant to the studio's acquisitions team. He will also operate as an executive supervising projects.

"Establishing a strong film presence in New York has been a longtime goal of mine and I can't think of two people who can execute my vision better than Deb and Elvis," said Amy Pascal, Chairman of the Sony Pictures Entertainment Motion Picture Group. "Deb and Elvis have complementary talents and a wide range of skills. Each is accomplished and respected in their own right and each adds a powerful new voice to our process. We couldn't be more thrilled to have them represent us in New York."

"Having Deb as a member of our team is a coup for Columbia Pictures and this hire says everything we want to say about our commitment to New York," said Tolmach. "She began her career working with Martin Scorsese on Raging Bull and she has been a respected part of the New York film community ever since. Her relationship with Dan Klores was critical in our acquisition of Ring of Fire and this deal is a great example of what we intend to accomplish together."

"Elvis has one of the most discerning eyes in the industry today," continued Belgrad. "He has an encyclopedic knowledge of our business and there is no one who knows new and emerging talent better."

"Having worked with Sony through my association with Revolution and Red Om, I saw first-hand how this team works. For the past three years, they have been one of the most successful studios in the business and they have created a working atmosphere that is exciting and too irresistible to turn down," Schindler said.

Schindler was most recently head of the New York-based Red Om Films and Julia Roberts' producing partner. Red Om Films was based at Revolution Studios East where Roberts and Schindler worked in association with Revolution Studios partner Elaine Goldsmith-Thomas, producing three features Maid in Manhattan, Mona Lisa Smile and Little Black Book, as well as the TV movie "American Girl/Samantha."

Previously, Schindler produced How Stella Got Her Groove Back and Waiting to Exhale. Prior to Red Om Films, Schindler enjoyed a 10-year relationship with 20th Century Fox that began in 1990 when Joe Roth, then president of the studio, made an overall deal with her. She had previously served as Vice President of Creative Affairs, East Coast, for Columbia Pictures under David Puttnam and as associate producer on Prelude to a Kiss. Schindler began her film career as an assistant to Martin Scorsese, with whom she worked on Raging Bull, The King of Comedy, The Last Temptation of Christ and The Color of Money. She served as associate producer on Scorsese's After Hours.

Mitchell was a film critic for the New York Times for four years, starting in January 2000. Prior to that, he was film critic for the Fort Worth Star-Telegram for two years, starting in December 1997; there, he won the 1999 AASFE Award for criticism. He was film critic for the Detroit Free Press, the LA Weekly and California magazine. In 1993, he was nominated for a Writer's Guild of America award for his contributions to "The AFI Achievement Award Tribute to Sidney Poitier."

Mitchell is a Visiting Lecturer on African and African American Studies and on Visual and Environmental Studies at Harvard University. In October of 2002, at the invitation of Dr. Henry Louis Gates, he gave the Alain Leroy Locke lectures for the African American studies department at Harvard University.

A graduate of Wayne State University with a degree in English literature, Mitchell hosts the "Independent Focus" interview program for the Independent Film Channel. And since April 1995, he has hosted KCRW's The Treatment. He has been entertainment critic for NPR's Weekend Edition with Scott Simon since the show's inception in 1985.

Mitchell was editor-at-large for Spin magazine, and has also written for Interview, Esquire and the New York Times Sunday Magazine.

About Columbia Pictures

Columbia Pictures, part of the Columbia TriStar Motion Picture Group, is a Sony Pictures Entertainment company. Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE) is a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America (SCA), a subsidiary of Tokyo-based Sony Corporation. SPE's global operations encompass motion picture production and distribution; television production and distribution; digital content creation and distribution; worldwide channel investments; home entertainment acquisition and distribution; operation of studio facilities; development of new entertainment products, services and technologies; and distribution of filmed entertainment in 67 countries. Sony Pictures Entertainment can be found on the World Wide Web at http://www.sonypictures.com.

#####