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FOX SEARCHLIGHT PICTURES PROMOTES NANCY UTLEY AND STEPHEN GILULA TO CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER

LOS ANGELES, CA (January 9, 2006) - Fox Searchlight Pictures President Peter Rice announced today that Stephen Gilula and Nancy Utley have been promoted to Chief Operating Officer from their previous posts as President of Distribution and President of Marketing respectively, thus solidifying the company's upper management for the future. Re-upping their contracts for their newest roles, Ms. Utley and Mr. Gilula along with Mr. Rice will jointly manage all aspects of the company including production, acquisitions, marketing and distribution.

Mr. Rice stated, "Nancy and Steve's campaigns have redefined the specialized film business over the past five years. This promotion allows them to apply their innovation and experience throughout the organization as we gear up to release our most ambitious slate ever."

2006 will mark Fox Searchlight's most aggressive and dynamic slate in its 11-year history offering an eclectic array of drama, comedy, horror and science fiction. Amongst the films to be released are: the smash hit out of the Toronto International Film Festival Jason Reitman's THANK YOU FOR SMOKING, based on Christopher Buckley's acclaimed novel of the same name; NOTES ON A SCANDAL, headlining OscarŽ winners Judi Dench and Cate Blanchett and helmed by Richard Eyre from the acclaimed writer of CLOSER, Patrick Marber; the much-anticipated SUNSHINE, re-teaming the 28 DAYS LATER filmmaking talent of Danny Boyle and Alex Garland; MARGARET, from two-time Oscar-nominated scribe Kenneth Lonergan, produced by Scott Rudin; Academy AwardŽ-nominated director Mira Nair's THE NAMESAKE based on Pulitzer Prize-winning author Jhumpa Lahiri's novel of the same name; THE HILLS HAVE EYES, a newly re-imagined version of Wes Craven's cult classic, directed by Alexandre Aja and produced by Craven; FAST FOOD NATION, Richard Linklater's dramatic feature based on material from the incendiary novel of the same name; Oscar-winning documentary director Kevin Macdonald's THE LAST KING OF SCOTLAND with a powerhouse performance by Forest Whitaker as Idi Amin; THE HISTORY BOYS, re-teaming the award-winning talents of MADNESS OF KING GEORGE director Nicholas Hytner and acclaimed writer Alan Bennett, based on the award-winning play of the same name that will premiere on Broadway in the spring of 2006; WATER, Deepa Mehta's illuminating film that captivated audiences opening night of the Toronto International Film Festival; TRUST THE MAN, directed by Bart Freundlich and featuring a stellar cast including Julianne Moore, David Duchovny, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Billy Crudup and Eva Mendes; NIGHT WATCH (NOCHNOI DOZOR), the highest grossing Russian film of all time and the first of a fantasy-horror trilogy by visionary director Timur Bekmambetov; the sharply affectionate and witty British comedies CONFETTI and IMAGINE ME & YOU; and PHAT GIRLZ, starring the outrageous comedic talents of Mo'Nique.

Additionally, Fox Searchlight recently signed a three-year, first-look feature film production pact with Ad Hominem Films, whose principals are SIDEWAYS Director Alexander Payne and Screenwriter Jim Taylor, as well as veteran film producer Jim Burke. It is expected that Ad Hominem and Searchlight will begin their first production in the 2006 calendar year.

Said Ms. Utley, "I am delighted to be able to expand my role at Searchlight and to continue to work with Peter and Steve. Our joint history on five years of films gives us a great foundation upon which to continue to build the company, and we have developed a shorthand with one another that makes for very effective communication."

Added Mr. Gilula, "Searchlight's strength is due not only to the collaboration amongst Peter, Nancy and me, but to the hard work and dedication of the entire Searchlight team: an extraordinary group of individuals with an unlimited passion and commitment for independent film. We salute each and every member and thank them for their dedication."

Together, Ms. Utley and Mr. Gilula, who were appointed to their presidential posts in 1999 and 2000 respectively, have overseen the marketing and distribution of some of Fox Searchlight's most successful films to date including SIDEWAYS, which won an OscarŽ for Best Adapted Screenplay, earned five Oscar nominations including Best Picture and Best Director, and grossed nearly $72 million domestically to become Searchlight's most successful domestic release ever; 28 DAYS LATER, the smash-hit horror film that earned more than $45 million making it the third most successful release in Searchlight's history; and NAPOLEON DYNAMITE which swept the nation, remaining in theatres for more than 20 weeks and earning more than $45 million. Together, they also oversaw the releases of IN AMERICA, KINSEY, GARDEN STATE, BEND IT LIKE BECKHAM, ANTWONE FISHER, ONE HOUR PHOTO, THE GOOD GIRL, THE DEEP END and SEXY BEAST.

Prior to Fox Searchlight, Ms. Utley had worked since 1986 in a variety of capacities for Twentieth Century Fox including most recently Executive Vice President of Marketing for Twentieth Century Fox Film. In that role, she oversaw all aspects of media, research and publicity and promotion for Twentieth Century Fox's theatrical releases. She also held posts as Vice President of Media, Senior Vice President of Media and Research, and Executive Vice President of Marketing, Media and Research. During her tenure at Twentieth Century Fox, she worked on such films as: INDEPENDENCE DAY, THERE'S SOMETHING ABOUT MARY, THE STAR WARS TRILOGY SPECIAL EDITION, SPEED, DR. DOLITTLE, THE X-FILES, the DIEHARD series, MRS. DOUBTFIRE, WAITING TO EXHALE, WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE'S ROMEO & JULIET and ENTRAPMENT.

Ms. Utley came to Twentieth Century Fox from BBDO where she was Senior Vice President of New Business. Beginning her career at Grey Advertising in New York as an Assistant Media Director, she left eight years later as Vice President, Associate Media Director. Utley holds a Master's degree in Journalism from Northwestern University.

Prior to joining Fox Searchlight, Mr. Gilula served as President and Chief Executive Officer of Landmark Theatres, which he co-founded in 1974. He grew the company from one screen, the NuArt Theatre in West Los Angeles, to a national chain of more than 140 screens, dominating specialty film exhibition. Mr. Gilula spent five years on the Board of Directors and Executive Committee of the National Association of Theatre Owners (NATO) and served as Chairman of NATO of California/Nevada for six years. In that capacity, he supervised the expansion and management of ShoWest, the world's largest convention of theatre owners. Mr. Gilula began his career as a film booker/buyer at United Artists Theatre Circuit in San Francisco.

Fox Searchlight Pictures is a filmmaker-oriented company that focuses on distinctive films helmed by world-class auteurs and exciting newcomers. It has its own marketing, publicity and distribution operations and its films are distributed internationally by Twentieth Century Fox. Fox Searchlight Pictures is a unit of Fox Filmed Entertainment, a unit of Fox Entertainment Group.