NY FILM CRITICS NATIONAL SERIES ANNOUNCES SEPTEMBER TO FEATURE RELATIVITY STUDIOS' 'HECTOR AND THE SEARCH FOR HAPPINESS.' WITH LIVE APPEARANCE BY STAR SIMON PEGG

The New York Film Critics Series, one of the leading word-of-mouth screening companies, has partnered with the nation's leading independent cinemas to present live, national, in-theater screenings. The events are moderated by Peter Travers, film critic for Rolling Stone Magazine and ABC's Popcorn, along with additional coverage by Alison Bailes of BBC, More Magazine, WOR Radio, and The Charlie Rose Show. The series presents live, interactive, in-theater; pre-release movies and big screen HD simulcast with the stars and filmmakers.

We're excited to announce our next NYFCS film screening will be Relativity Studios' HECTOR AND THE SEARCH FOR HAPPINESS. The pre-release screening will take place captured live throughout the country on Tuesday, September 16th, 2014. A list of the participating theaters is below. Star Simon Pegg (Hot Fuzz, Star Trek, Mission Impossible, World's End, Shaun of the Dead), and director Peter Chelsom (Shall We Dance, Funny Bones, Hear My Song), will be present for simulcast Q &A with our host Peter Travers immediately after the screening.

HECTOR AND THE SEARCH FOR HAPPINESS is based on the international best seller by Francois Lelord about a psychiatrist who searches the globe to find the secret of happiness. The film also stars: Toni Collette, Rosamund Pike, Stellan Skarsgård, Jean Reno and Christopher Plummer. The films opens in select cities on September 19th and expands nationwide on October 3rd.

The NYFCS event will include an exclusive, live, interactive, HD Simulcast to 50 U.S. locations. The series takes place exclusively in theaters and is never available on TV or the internet.

Up until now, live talent has only been accessible to the public in NY, LA and at festivals. Now everyone throughout the country can enjoy up close and personal moments from major movie stars, producers, writers and directors in the comfort of their own neighborhood theaters. Regional preview screenings are happening all the time, but never with a live, talent conversation component. This is a comprehensive, industry wide turn-key marketing tool complete with robust media and in-theater assets to 400+ screens.

A regular series of ongoing preview screenings is established in 50 select major markets. Audiences experience all of the excitement of live Q &A sessions, hosted by Peter Travers. The big screen events deliver 9-13 curated pre-release films per year to discerning audiences on a monthly basis. Each film in the screening series is introduced live by Peter Travers. Audiences then see the best films prior to their release followed by live, HD Q &A between Travers, audiences and talent from the films. Each piece brings the energy and VIP nature of prestigious, NYC screenings for nationwide audiences to interact with stars and directors via two-way simulcast. The Series is never available on the internet or on TV.

This is the first ever live national in-theater screening series which will entertain, educate, surprise, and refresh the spirit of true independent and foreign language filmmaking through provocative story-telling. The NYFCS is dedicated to producing inspiring events in a collaborative environment and to nurturing the long-term success of movies. Featuring an energetic, creative, and experienced team, the NYFCS exhibits socially and culturally relevant films with live world-class talent in the best independent theaters throughout the US.

The July NYFCS screening series included the films And So It Goes (starring Michael Douglas & Diane Keaton) with a live visit by director Rob Reiner, and What If with live appearances by stars Daniel Radcliffe and Zoe Kazan. The May event featured the movie CHEF with live appearance by filmmaker & star Jon Favreau (Iron Man, Elf, Made, Swingers). The April event was LOCKE, starring Tom Hardy (Bronson, The Dark Knight Rises). The event featured live appearances by Tom Hardy and writer / director Steven Knight (Eastern Promises & Dirty Pretty Things). Other recent films screened at NYFCS include: NEBRASKA, AMERICAN HUSTLE, At Middleton and BREATHE IN.

HECTOR AND THE SEARCH FOR HAPPINESS participating theaters include:

• AZ Scottsdale HARKINS CAMELVIEW 5
• AZ Surprise Digital Digiplex
• AZ Tucson Loft
• CA Modesto State Theatre
• CA Palm Desert Cinemas Palme d'Or
• CA Corona Del Mar Port Theater
• CA Santa Cruz The Nickelodeon Theatre
• CO Ft. Collins Lyric Cinema Cafe
• CO Boulder Boedecker Theater
• CO Durango Animas Theater
• CT Bloomfield Digiplex Destinations
• DC Washington West End Cinema
• FL Key West Tropic Cinema
• FL Naples Silver Spot
• FL St. Augustine Epic
• FL Fort Lauderdale "FLiFF Cinema Paradiso Hollywood"
• FL Hollywood "FLiFF Cinema Paradiso Hollywood"
• FL Delray Beach Movies of Delray
• GA Atlanta Cinebistro Town Brookhaven
• IA Des Moines The Fleur Cinema
• IL Chicago Music Box Theatre
• IN Fort Wayne Cinema Center
• MA Boston Coolidge Corner Theatre
• MA Martha's Vineyard Marilyn Meyerhoff Theatre
• MI Detroit The Maple Theater
• MI Traverse City The State Theatre
• MO St Louis Chase Park Plaza
• NC Raleigh Durham Carolina Theater
• NH Concord Red River Theatres
• NM Santa Fe The Screen Santa Fe
• NY Malverne Malverne Cinema
• NY Millerton (Dutchess County) The Movie House
• NY Buffalo North Park Theatre
• OH Cleveland Cleveland Cinemas - Cedar Lee Theatre
• PA Camp Hill Digiplex Destinations
• PA Philadelphia "The Ambler"
• SC Columbia Nickelodeon
• SC Charleston The Terrace Theatre
• TX Houston Alamo Drafthouse VINTAGE & MASON PARK
• TX Lubbock Alamo Drafthouse LUBBOCK
• UT Salt Lake City Tower
• VA Ashburn Alamo Draft House Ashburn
• VA Winchester Alamo Drafthouse - Winchester
• WA Bellingham Pickford Film Center
• WA Seattle SIFF FILM CENTER
• WI Milwaukee Fox Bay Grill

About The New York Film Critics Series:

Peter Travers, Host: Peter is an American film critic, who has written for, in turn, People and Rolling Stone. Travers also hosts a celebrity interview show called Popcorn on ABC News Now and ABCNews.com. Travers joined Rolling Stone in 1989 after a four-year stint with People. He's best known for his basic writing style that eschews a more sophisticated analysis for an easy-to-read and often very opinionated form. According to efilmcritic.com, Travers is the nation's most blurbed film critic. Peter has hosted the NYFCS for over 10 years. In addition to Rolling Stone Magazine, ABC-TV, Peter appears regularly on Newsweek & The Daily Beast, The Soho Apple Store, and CNN.

Alison Bailes, Correspondent: Alison is the film critic for BBC, More Magazine and a contributing critic for "Ebert Presents at the Movies" on PBS. She appears on NBC's Today Show as a film critic and industry reporter. Alison also appears regularly on Charlie Rose along with A.O. Scott of the NY times and others. She guest hosts the New York Film Critics Series and maintains her own film website: www.alisonbailes.com

Independent Theaters. The NYFCS network of U.S. theaters are independent partners that are dedicated to presenting the finest films available. These are exhibitors who take great pride in their shows and provide patrons with state-of-the-art, live HD experiences in the comfort of their convenient locations. Each location has been carefully chosen to ensure the best possible experience that is available in domestic, independent cinema today. http://nyfilmcriticsseries.com/Locations.html

Relativity Studios encompasses the company's film and television divisions and is led by Chairman Tucker Tooley. The studio has produced, distributed or structured financing for nearly 200 motion pictures, generating more than $17 billion in worldwide box-office revenue and earning 60 Oscar nominations. Recent releases include Safe Haven, Act of Valor and Immortals, the latter two of which opened at No. 1 at the box office. Relativity's other films include Limitless, The Social Network, which was nominated for eight Oscars and won three, and The Fighter, which was nominated for seven Oscars and won two. Upcoming films include Hector and the Search for Happiness, Beyond the Lights and author Nicholas Sparks' The Best of Me.

Relativity Television is one of the country's largest suppliers of unscripted television and has recently expanded to produce scripted series.

http://www.relativitymedia.com/

http://www.nyfilmcriticsseries.com

Mark Ehrenkranz