Date: Apr 24, 2009

Hofstra Television Students Raise Money For Their Film Major Peer

Hofstra Film Student Remembered Through Annual Telethon

Hofstra University, Hempstead, NY –Hofstra’s School of Communication will air “The 8th Annual Friends of Max Kolb Telethon” on May 3, 2009 from 10 p.m. to midnight on Hofstra TV channel’s 35. The show will also be streamed live over the Internet at www.streamwrhu.net . The telethon, which is produced and directed exclusively by television students, has raised more than $35,000 for scholarships for Hofstra film students.

“Every year we do the telethon because of what a professor described as 'pouring water back in to the well’.” said Telethon Co-Producer Yana Shif. “It’s an opportunity to directly give back to students who are struggling to finish their film while at the same time remembering and honoring one of our peers.”

The money raised from the telethon is the only source of funds for the Max Kolb Scholarship fund. The students who receive the scholarship are given checks to offset the production costs of their junior or senior films. Last year’s winners included Molly Wedgwood and Bruno Guarana, who both now attend graduate school at Columbia, and, Jeff Billings, who has just wrapped up work on the new Judd Apatow movie.

The telethon and the Max Kolb Scholarship were created to honor Hofstra film student Max Kolb, who died in 2001. The first telethon was a collaboration between Max’s student colleagues and Associate Professor Dr. Peter Gershon. It originally aired with a number of lip- synched, minor acts and has grown to include mainstream musical acts.

This year’s telethon features performances by many local bands including Redhouse, Rachel Zamstein, Living in Polaroids, One L Difference, and Chronicles. Some of the highlighted items being auctioned off include a signed football from CBS Sports as well as Mets and Yankees tickets.

For more information on the telethon and how to contribute to the Max Kolb Scholarship please visit www.friendsofmaxkolb.com .

Student Producer Team Contact Information:

Yana Shif                         Nancy Primavera
Yanashif@gmail.com        Nancy.m.primavera@gmail.com
917-868-5093                 609-602-1199

Hofstra University is a dynamic private institution where students can choose from more than 145 undergraduate and more than 160 graduate programs in liberal arts and sciences, business; engineering; communication; education, health and human services;  and honors studies, as well as a School of Law.