Amber Benson

"Tripping Forward" Wins Grand Champion Award for Best Film of 2006!

HOLLYWOOD, CA—(MARKET WIRE)—Aug 25, 2006 — Island Gateway Films, a wholly owned subsidiary of Island Gateway Corp. based in Vancouver, Canada, is proud to announce that its film "Tripping Forward" has been awarded the 2006 Grand Champion Award for Best Film of Festival at the Calgary Fringe Film Festival.

A hilarious buddy comedy, "Tripping Forward" marks the feature film directorial debut of commercial director Marcus Nash of Mania Films Inc. Fun and irreverent, the film follows the lives of two tried and true party boys; a struggling actor and a out-of-the-limelight rock star, who fool-heartedly resort to selling cocaine to supermodels to make rent. Marked by a brilliant cast including Chris Fogleman ("Art School Confidential"), Amber Benson ("Buffy"), William Gregory Lee ("Dark Angel"), MC Gainey ("Lost"), Ed Begley Jr. ("St. Elsewhere"), John Kapelos ("Legally Blonde"), Eric Peter-Kaiser ("Miracle"), Angela Kinsey ("The Office"), Ezra Buzzington ("The Hills Have Eyes"), Sung Hi Lee ("The Girl Next Door"), Billy Morrison ("The Cult" / "Camp Freddy"), Danielle Roberts ("Everybody Hates Chris"), Craig Shoemaker ("Scream 2") and Playboy Playmate of the Year Irina Voronina, the film is expected to be released 2007.

The Calgary Fringe Film Festival is a ten-day festival that showcases and promotes the artistry of independent production, while endeavoring to provide a venue for the productions to screen to the public. The 2006 festival showcased thirty-eight feature films from over 400 international entries.

Island Gateway Films, an independent film finance and production company based in Los Angeles, provided the total financing for "Tripping Forward." The Company is currently in post-production with the feature-length documentary "Mat Men" and is assembling a slate of films for production in 2007.