Sebastian Gutierrez is quickly becoming one of my favorite directors, and the guy is clearly loved in Hollywood, which is obvious just by looking at the impressive ensembles casts he repeatedly assembles.  We’ve already been showing love again and again to his film ELEKTRA LUXX, which hits March 11, 2011.  That film is a follow up to Sebastian’s previous effort, WOMEN IN TROUBLE.  Both movies feature fantastic ensemble casts, and entertaining adult humor.  So where does someone like Gutierrez go from here?  How about a free movie, packed with celebs, which premieres on YouTube?  That’s exactly what is happening, thanks to Lexus and Shangri-La Entertainment.  On March 11, which happens to be the same day ELEKTRA LUXX opens, you’ll be able to watch his newest movie free on YouTube, and from the looks of the trailer this will be worth the internet time.  Sebastian’s previous collaborating actors Carla Gugino and Emmanuelle Chriqui join recognizable faces like Danny DeVito, Zach Quinto, Josh Hartnett, and Rosario Dawson, complimenting a cast that you’d expect to see in any $100 million flick.  Check out the press release below, followed by the trailer, and tell us your thoughts in the comments.  I wonder if YouTube is ready for the inevitable word-of-mouth traffic this baby is bound to get… let’s spread the word!

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Shangri-La Entertainment Announces Sebastian Gutierrez Feature Film “Girl Walks Into a Bar” to Premiere March 11 Exclusively on YouTube

Lexus Presents First Major Motion Picture Created
Specifically for Web Distribution

Ensemble Cast Includes Carla Gugino, Zachary Quinto, Danny DeVito, Josh Hartnett, Rosario Dawson, Emmanuelle Chriqui, Aaron Tveit, Robert Forster, Amber Valletta, Gil Bellows, Kevin Zegers and Alexis Bledel

LOS ANGELES, February 17, 2011 – Shangri-La Entertainment announced today it has entered into an agreement with YouTube and Lexus to present the Sebastian Gutierrez film “Girl Walks Into a Bar” free, exclusively on YouTube premiering Friday, March 11 at http://www.youtube.com/screeningroom. The presentation marks the first time a major motion picture was created exclusively for Web distribution.

“Girl Walks Into a Bar” will premiere in the YouTube Screening Room, a platform designed to showcase top films from around the world.

“With ‘Girl Walks Into a Bar,’ the cast and crew came together to create something different – a high quality, really fun character-driven film that we could present to audiences for free using a new distribution model,” said Gutierrez. “We found great partners in Lexus and YouTube to support the film while providing us with the stage to draw the largest audience possible.”

“Girl Walks Into a Bar” marks Lexus’ first entry into film presentation, however, it is not the automaker’s first initiative in the entertainment space. In addition to sponsoring and supporting events in the arts and entertainment arena, Lexus created LStudio.com, a broadband channel that features original content, in 2008.

“The movie escapes the confines of traditional film production and is a bold undertaking that is set to transform the film industry,” said Dave Nordstrom, vice president of marketing, Lexus. ”It seems fitting to support this initiative as we launch our most unconfined vehicle yet—the CT 200h hybrid —in a space that we know will reach an unconventional, sophisticated audience.”

“Girl Walks Into A Bar” is a feature-length film that follows a series of characters in interlocking stories taking place in ten different bars during the course of one evening in Los Angeles. By turns funny and heartbreaking, this sharp-witted comedy is written and directed by Sebastian Gutierrez (“Women in Trouble,” “Elektra Luxx”) and is produced by Steve Bing (“The Polar Express,” “Shine A Light”), Richard Rosenblatt and Gutierrez.

Zachary Quinto stars as a dentist who teams up with a feisty would-be assassin (Carla Gugino) to put the final touches on the plan to kill his wife. Once he makes a play for the assassin’s payment, he unknowingly sets off a chain of events that fuels a cross-town journey through the many lounges, bars, strip clubs and the occasional nudist ping pong club scattered across Los Angeles. Along the way, we are introduced to a series of idiosyncratic characters, from pickpocket and gangsters ( Aaron Tveit, Danny DeVito) to exotic dancers (Emmanuelle Chriqui, Alexis Bledel), from ex-cons (Robert Forster) to cops (Josh Hartnett, Gil Bellows), with the odd hatcheck girl (Rosario Dawson) and bartender (Amber Valletta) thrown in for good measure.

The exclusive trailer for “Girl Walks Into a Bar” can be seen on YouTube at: http://www.youtube.com/shangrila

“Girl Walks Into a Bar” is co-produced by Zach Schwartz. The film’s director of photography is Cale Finot and is edited by Lisa Bromwell A.C.E. The film’s music is by Grant Lee Phillips.

About Shangri-La Entertainment
Shangri-La Entertainment films include “Beowulf,” “CSNY: Déjà Vu,” “For Your Consideration,” “Heart of Gold,” “Looking for Comedy in the Muslim World,” “The Polar Express,” and “Shine A Light”

About YouTube
YouTube is the world’s most popular online video community allowing millions of people to discover, watch and share originally-created videos. YouTube provides a forum for people to connect, inform and inspire others across the globe and acts as a distribution platform for original content creators and advertisers large and small. YouTube, LLC is based in San Bruno, CA and is a subsidiary of Google Inc.

About Lexus
Lexus is the leading luxury automaker in the United States. With its reputation for high-quality products and exemplary customer service from its 229 dealers, Lexus has been the top-selling luxury automaker for 11 years in a row. In addition, Lexus is the luxury hybrid leader, offering five hybrids that provide the best in innovative technology and first-class luxury. When Lexus was established in 1989, it offered two models of vehicles. Now, more than 20 years later, Lexus offers variations of 10 vehicles, from the sporty CT 200h hybrid to the V10 supercar, the LFA.

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