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For Immediate Release
VISA ENTERS ITS FIFTH YEAR AS COLLABORATOR AND EXCLUSIVE CARD OF THE MONTREAL WORLD FILM FESTIVAL
ADVANCE PURCHASE OPPORTUNITY AVAILABLE FROM JULY 27 TO AUGUST 6 FOR VISA CARDHOLDERS ONLY
Montreal, July 27, 2002 — VISA's commitment to both the arts and cinematic excellence is reflected in its continued sponsorship of the Montreal World Film Festival for a fifth consecutive year. Running from August 22 to September 2, the internationally renowned Festival brings films from more than 60 countries and five continents to an enthusiastic and discerning film-going audience. VISA is the exclusive card of the Festival, and is a major contributor to the art of cinema in Canada through its Festival sponsorships, including the Montreal World Film Festival, Toronto International Film Festival, Vancouver International Film Festival and SPROCKETS Toronto International Film Festival for Children. Through the sponsorship of the VISA Screening Room at the Montreal World Film Festival and its advance purchase program for VISA cardholders, VISA is dedicated to furthering the arts, both in Montreal and across the country. July 27th begins a ten-day advance purchase opportunity for VISA cardholders to buy coupon books and passes before they go on sale to the general public. The program has been well-received, with almost half of Festival-goers using VISA cards to purchase their tickets. The exclusive VISA 30-coupon book, priced at $165, is the deal of the Festival and is available for purchase by VISA Gold and VISA Platinum cardholders. It is valid for all screenings, including films in the Official Competition, except Opening Night and Closing Night Galas. Coupons can be exchanged for tickets at the Place des Arts or Parisien Cinema box offices beginning August 17, or at any film festival theatre beginning August 22. The VISA Screening Room, located at the Imperial Theatre on Bleury Street, will once again play host to some of the finest films of the Festival while providing attendees with a rare opportunity to meet with some of the filmmakers and actors. Screenings will begin at nine each morning of the ten-day event and continue well into the evening. Past screenings at the VISA Screening Room have included such critically-acclaimed and highly-memorable films as last year's Academy Award®-nominated works "In the Bedroom," and "Amélie." The tradition of presenting prestigious films at the VISA Screening Room continues in 2002 with a number of this year's Festival entries making their world or North American premieres. A select group of other films will find themselves launched on the international scene for the very first time at the VISA Screening Room. "The Montreal World Film Festival provides us with an incredible opportunity to celebrate artistic achievement from around the world and bring it home to both Canadian and international audiences," said Brenda Woods, Vice President Marketing, VISA Canada. "As such, VISA is extremely proud of its affiliation with this world calibre cinematic cultural event." North America's only competitive film festival, the Montreal World Film Festival holds the distinction of being the largest publicly-attended film festival in the western world, with more than 400,000 movie-goers from around the globe in attendance. As the "World's Best Way To Pay", VISA is the leading credit card payment brand in Canada and around the world. There are more than 24 million VISA cards in Canada accepted at more than 623,000 merchant locations across the country. VISA is accepted at over 24 million locations around the world including over 750,000 ATMs. The Internet address for VISA is www.visa.com. -30-
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