Lucasfilm Ltd. has teamed up with AtomFilms and Spike TV for the launch of the Star Wars Fan Movie Challenge, and are making a call for immediate submissions at AtomFilms' Star Wars movie website.

The Star Wars Fan Movie Challenge is a new phase in a long-running partnership between Lucasfilm and AtomFilms to celebrate the best in fan made videos and animations. For the 2007 revamp, Spike TV is on board as a television partner to provide on-air exposure for the Challenge's top submissions, as judged by George Lucas, staffers at Lucasfilm and AtomFilms, as well as by the voting of online viewers.

"I'm very happy we're continuing this event, which we began in 2002, because out of the current crop of young moviemakers it's quite possible we'll find some of tomorrow's best writers, producers and directors," said Star Wars creator George Lucas.

Those who enter the Star Wars Fan Movie Challenge and are chosen as finalists will find themselves and their movies in the spotlight. All finalists in the competition will be played at Star Wars Celebration IV in a dedicated track each day of the show. What's more, the best movies of the competition will be recognized at the Sixth Annual Star Wars Fan Movie Challenge Award Ceremony, scheduled for Sunday, May 27.

That's not all. As added exposure for moviemakers, Spike TV will broadcast content from the Challenge.

"As television partner for the Challenge, Spike will extend Star Wars fans' devotion beyond the digital arena by celebrating on-air this incredible movie franchise and showcasing content from its passionate fans," said Kevin Kay, General Manager at Spike TV.

Previously called the Star Wars Fan Film Awards, the name of this long-running program was changed to reflect the fact that most of the submissions are shot, edited and even submitted, digitally. Steve Sansweet, director of fan relations for Lucasfilm Ltd., noted, "There really isn't any 'film' being reviewed anymore. Just as with the Star Wars movies themselves, our annual competition has proudly entered the digital age."

The initial phase of the Challenge culminates May 24-28 at Lucasfilm's Star Wars Celebration IV in Los Angeles, which commemorates the 30th anniversary of the release of Star Wars. Challenge award recipients will be announced during the Celebration IV festivities. Spike TV will give viewers a front-row seat to all the action with on-air programming partially featuring some of the Fan Movie Challenge's best entries. Further details will be announced later this spring.

	Star Wars Fan Movie Competition Award Ceremony Sunday, May 27, 2007 7:30 -- 9:30 PM Concourse Ballroom Los Angeles Convention Center Star Wars Fan Movie Competition Finalists and Previous Winners Thursday, May 24: 12 Noon --12 Midnight -- open only to members of the Official Star Wars Fan Club. Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, May 25-27: 10:00 AM -- 12 Midnight. Open to all CIV attendees. Monday, May 28: 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM. Open to all CIV attendees. Theater 411 Los Angeles Convention Center Time and location might change. Please check www.starwars.com/celebration for updates closer to the show. A valid Celebration IV admission badge is needed to attend the Fan Film Award Ceremony.

	Use Star Wars Galaxies to Create Your Animation Star Wars Galaxies, the massively multiplayer online game from LucasArts and Sony Online Entertainment, is one of the longest-running and most popular online game experiences in the world and is the perfect resource for starting an animated fan film. The free, 14-day downloadable trial version of this game provides you with the tools you need to create a computer-generated Star Wars movie -- settings, characters, props, vehicles and more. Just export in-game footage as a movie, and you're on your way to creating an animated short for consideration in the Star Wars Fan Movie Challenge. You can find out more details on Star Wars Galaxies and download the game demo free trial here. Sony Online Entertainment and its affiliates are not sponsors of this Challenge and are not responsible for any obligations herein.