BAFTA/LA 5th ANNUAL TEA PARTY AND 2nd ANNUAL ONLINE AUCTION
Los Angeles, CA, September 4, 2007 - In celebration of the 2007 Primetime Emmy® Awards, The British Academy of Film and Television Arts/Los Angeles (BAFTA/LA) and the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences are hosting their fifth annual Celebrity Tea Party, together with their annual Online Celebrity Auction. The public is invited to bid on the celebrity designed and autographed teapots, gift packages, walk-on television roles and more with all of the proceeds benefiting the Educational Outreach Programs of both the Television Academy Foundation and BAFTA/LA.  These programs benefit inner-city youth, archival and presentation activities, scholarship funds and intern programs.

The online auction features teapots designed and signed by numerous celebrities, including:  Primetime Emmy® nomineeKiefer Sutherland of 24, Primetime Emmy nominee Patricia Arquette of Medium, the judges and host of the Primetime Emmy nominated American Idol, the judges of Dancing with the Stars, choreographers of So You Think You Can Dance and cast members from several shows including, Big Love, Primetime Emmy nominated Brothers & Sisters, Californication, CSI, CSI:  Miami, CSI:  NY,  Dexter, Primetime Emmy nominated House, Jericho, Spinal Tap, The L Word, Primetime Emmy nominated The Office, The Tudors, Primetime Emmy nominated Ugly Betty, and Primetime Emmy nominated Weeds among others.

Hosted online by Charity Folks, the Celebrity Online auction begins on Wednesday, September 5 and will conclude on Friday, September 28.  Bids can be placed at www.charityfolks.com.

Other items up for auction include:

• American Idol Package– The winner will receive two tickets to the 2008 American Idol Finale and after-party.

• Beaulieu Vineyard® Wine Country Getaway – Beaulieu Vineyard, the official wine of the 59th Primetime Emmy Awards, will auction off a Wine Country Getaway package at this year's BAFTA event. BV will provide two nights private accommodation in the Napa Valley, with a gourmet luncheon, VIP tours and wine tasting at Beaulieu Vineyard and three other Napa wineries; Sterling, Acacia and Provenance.

• Dove® Chocolate – As the official chocolatier of the 59th Primetime Emmy® Awards, Dove® Chocolate will be auctioning off a Dove® Chocolate Wine and Chocolate Pairing Basket, which includes a decadent chocolate fountain, new Dove® Dark Chocolate products, a selection of Beaulieu Vineyards’ finest wines, a variety of wine glasses and two wine and chocolate books. 

• Girlfriends– The winner will receive a walk-on role in Girlfriends as well as an autographed script from the cast.

• Jimmy Kimmel Live! Package – The winner will receive four VIP tickets to a taping of Jimmy Kimmel Live!, as well as Jimmy Kimmel goodies.

• Napoleon Perdis Makeup Course for Four –The lucky winner of this gift will experience a six day course that offers an exclusive introduction to the Napoleon Perdis Method with current fashion trends and techniques.  Additionally, the winner will receive product, an Intro Pack Academy Student Kit and Intro Pack Academy Brushes.

• The Game – The winner will receive a walk-on role in The Game as well as an autographed script from the cast. 

The 5th Annual Primetime Emmy® Nominees’ Tea Party will be held on Saturday, September 15 at the Wattles Mansion & Gardens in Hollywood from 2-5pm.  BBC America and British Airways are the presenting sponsors and additional sponsors include American Airlines, Beaulieu Vineyard®, DOVE® Chocolate, GREY GOOSE Vodka, Napoleon Perdis and Voss Artesian Water from Norway®. 

Serving as the bridge between the American and British entertainment communities, BAFTA/LA is a professional non-profit organization founded in California in 1987 to promote and advance original work in film, television and interactive media.

BAFTA/LA’s outreach programs benefit Members and other professionals working within the entertainment industry, as well as the Los Angeles community at large. BAFTA/LA provides exclusive access to screenings, Q&A’s with talent and filmmakers, conversations with leading UK-based film and television executives, and the Heritage Archive, featuring broadcast-quality interviews with distinguished British members of the film and television industries. Educational outreach for students and the Los Angeles community includes an after-school screening program for inner-city youth at the Helen Keller Park Recreation Center and a recent partnership with FilmAid to mentor young filmmakers. Additional programs include seminars in association with local universities and festivals, scholarships for post-graduate programs, and recognizing professional and student talent with awards at film festivals throughout the U.S.

Maintaining a long tradition of recognizing the finest filmmaking and television talent, BAFTA/LA hosts a series of social networking events, including the Annual BAFTA/LA-Cunard Britannia Awards, the BAFTA Film Awards Brunch, the Annual Garden Party, and the Awards Season Film and Television Tea Parties in January and September. BAFTA/LA is affiliated with BAFTA in London, and members vote annually for the prestigious BAFTA Film Awards. BAFTA/LA also presents its annual Britannia Awards every November, where it has honored such luminaries as Clint Eastwood, Tom Cruise, Tom Hanks, Steven Spielberg, George Lucas, Anthony Hopkins, Helen Mirren, Elizabeth Taylor, Michael Caine, and Martin Scorsese with the Stanley Kubrick Britannia Award for Excellence in Film.

For more information on BAFTA/LA, please visit www.baftala.org. 

Established in 1959 as the charitable arm of the Television Academy, the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Foundation is dedicated to utilizing the resources of the Television Academy and the artistry of television to preserve and celebrate the history of the medium and to educate and guide those who will shape its future. The Foundation is responsible for the Archive of American Television, as well as Educational Programs such as the College Television Awards, its renowned Student Internship Program, the Fred Rogers Memorial Scholarship and its annual Faculty Seminar. 

The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences was founded in 1946 just one month after network television was born. It is a non-profit organization devoted to the advancement of telecommunications arts and sciences and to fostering creative leadership in the telecommunications industry. In addition to recognizing outstanding programming through its Primetime Emmy® Awards, the Television Academy publishes emmy® Magazine and stages many industry-related programs, services and year-round events for the television community.

For more information on the Foundation and the Television Academy, please visit www.emmysfoundation.org.

Charity Folks is the leading online marketplace for nonprofit fundraising, corporate cause marketing campaigns and celebrity-driven charity events; a cross-market penetration that has made them the "go-to" in the field of ePhilanthropy.  Among their special partners are hallmark nonprofits, including Entertainment Industry Foundation and The World Wildlife Fund; A-list celebrities, such as Alicia Keys and Morgan Freeman; and top-brand corporations, including Toyota and Esquire Magazine.

For more information on Charity Folks, please visit www.charityfolks.com.