Theater Owners Raise $5 million for Disaster Relief

(NORTH HOLLYWOOD, CA) September 26, 2001---Based on early estimatesof movie ticket and concessions sales at participating theatres, theNational Association of Theatre Owners announced today that Victims'Benefit Day at the Movies raised over $5 million for disaster relief.Exact figures will not be available for several weeks as receipts areprocessed.

Theatre owners thank their patrons who supported the effort bycoming to the movies and buying concessions. Participating theatrecompanies also extend their heartfelt thanks to the many motion picturedistribution companies that generously agreed to add their share ofTuesday's movie ticket revenue to the cause by waiving the film rentaldue to them for the day. In the order of the market share of ticketssold on Tuesday, participating motion picture distribution companiesincluded the following:

• Paramount Studios

• Universal Pictures Distribution

• Sony Pictures

• Miramax Films, Inc.

• MGM Distribution Co.

• Warner Bros. Pictures

• New Line Distribution

• Buena Vista Pictures Distribution (Disney)

• Dreamworks Pictures

• Sony Pictures Classics

The members of the motion picture exhibition and distributionindustry continue to recognize and commend the heroic efforts of theindividuals and organizations who have worked so tirelessly in therescue and relief operations. We wish to express our sympathy to allthose whose lives were so painfully altered by the terrible events ofSeptember 11. We hope that our contribution can help ease the pain insome small way.

Background: As announced previously, 100% of Sept. 25 ticketand concession sales at participating movie theatres nationwide isbeing collected and will be donated to the September 11th Fund of theUnited Way, and the American Red Cross to benefit the needs resultingfrom this tragedy. Fifty percent of the proceeds collected will bedonated to the American Red Cross and 50 percent will be donated to theUnited Way.

Over 450 exhibition companies representing over 30,000 screensParticipated in the benefit. Participating exhibition and distributioncompanies are listed on NATO's web site at www.natoonline.org.