The Weinstein Company Collaborates With eBay Giving Works Around The Release Of "Mandela: Long Walk To Freedom" For An Exclusive 27 Day Charity Auction Series

NEW YORK, Nov. 29, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- The Weinstein Company (TWC) and eBay, the world's largest online marketplace and a leading platform for charitable giving, have teamed up this holiday season to offer VIP experiences and one-of-a-kind items for the 27 days following the Thanksgiving release of TWC's highly anticipated film, Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom. The packages, including meet & greets, curated experiences, original signed memorabilia and more, will be auctioned through eBay's Giving Works platform with 100 percent of the proceeds going to support the legacy work of Nelson Mandela at the Nelson Mandela Foundation – a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting its Founder's work in the promotion of social justice and democracy.

Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom – starring Idris Elba and Naomie Harris – is based on Nelson Mandela's biography of the same name and chronicles the life journey of South Africa's first democratically elected president, from his childhood in a rural village through his inauguration. In recognition of the 27 years that Mandela spent imprisoned prior to his political ascendance, the donated items will be auctioned over the course of the 27 days between Thanksgiving and Christmas.

"We are thrilled to partner with eBay Giving Works to support the Nelson Mandela Foundation's excellent work in preserving the memory of one of the world's most iconic and inspirational figures, surrounding the release of Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom," said Lance Still, EVP Promotions & Integrated Marketing for The Weinstein Company.

The partnership kicks off on November 29^th with the first wave of auction items, which range from an American Idol Season 13 finale experience package provided by Ryan Seacrest and an AMG driving school experience provided by Mercedes-Benz, to exclusive Kadir Nelson artwork and a style consultation package provided by Marie Claire magazine. The second wave of auctions begins on December 7^th, offering items such as a curated trip to South Africa provided by South African Airways Vacations and South African Airways, an Indianapolis 500 NASCAR experience provided by Chip Ganassi Racing, a Project Runway behind-the-scenes experience, and an original first edition signed copy of Nelson Mandela's book. On December 15^th, the final wave will introduce items including a signed Magic Johnson basketball and jersey, a Le Creuset premium cookware package, a consultation with renowned fitness and nutrition expert and best-selling author, Harley Pasternak, and more, which will bring the bidding to a close on Christmas Day.

For more about the auction series, please visit: www.ebay.com/mandelalongwalktofreedom  

About eBay Giving Works: 
Founded in 1995 in San Jose, Calif., eBay Inc. (NASDAQ: EBAY) is a global commerce platform and payments leader connecting millions of buyers and sellers. As we help to drive the next generation of commerce, we believe in the power of our employees, technologies and global networks to also enable positive social and environmental change in the world. Integrated into eBay's regular buying and selling platform, eBay Giving Works is a program that allows fundraising for nonprofits and fundraising for charity. The eBay Giving Works program is part of a portfolio of programs, resources, and tools across eBay Inc that are intended to enable and inspire online charity donations at a scale never seen before. Learn more at givingworks.ebay.com.

About The Weinstein Company: 
The Weinstein Company (TWC) is a multimedia production and distribution company launched in October 2005 by Bob and Harvey Weinstein, the brothers who founded Miramax Films in 1979. TWC also encompasses Dimension Films, the genre label founded in 1993 by Bob Weinstein, which has released such popular franchises as SCREAM, SPY KIDS and SCARY MOVIE. Together TWC and Dimension Films have released a broad range of mainstream, genre and specialty films that have been commercial and critical successes.  TWC releases took home eight 2012 Academy Awards®, the most wins in the studio's history. The tally included Best Picture for Michel Hazanavicius's THE ARTIST and Best Documentary Feature for TJ Martin and Dan Lindsay's UNDEFEATED. THE ARTIST brought TWC its second consecutive Best Picture statuette following the 2011 win for Tom Hooper's THE KING'S SPEECH. 

Since 2005, TWC and Dimension Films have released such films as GRINDHOUSE; 1408; I'M NOT THERE; THE GREAT DEBATERS; VICKY CRISTINA BARCELONA; THE READER; THE ROAD; HALLOWEEN; THE PAT TILLMAN STORY; PIRANHA 3D; INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS; A SINGLE MAN; BLUE VALENTINE; THE COMPANY MEN; MIRAL; SCRE4M; SUBMARINE; DIRTY GIRL; APOLLO 18; OUR IDIOT BROTHER; I DON'T KNOW HOW SHE DOES IT; SARAH'S KEY; SPY KIDS: ALL THE TIME IN THE WORLD IN 4D; MY WEEK WITH MARILYN; THE IRON LADY; W.E.; CORIOLANUS; UNDEFEATED; THE ARTIST; BULLY; THE INTOUCHABLES; LAWLESS; KILLING THEM SOFTLY; THE MASTER; SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK; DJANGO UNCHAINED; QUARTET; ESCAPE FROM PLANET EARTH; DARK SKIES; THE SAPPHIRES; SCARY MOVIE 5; and KON-TIKI. Currently in release are UNFINISHED SONG and FRUITVALE STATION, LEE DANIELS' THE BUTLER, THE GRANDMASTER and SALINGER. Upcoming releases include 12-12-12, PHILOMENA, MANDELA: LONG WALK TO FREEDOM and AUGUST: OSAGE COUNTY.

About the Nelson Mandela Foundation:
The Nelson Mandela Centre of Memory at the Nelson Mandela Foundation, a registered Trust, is a human rights-oriented not-for-profit organisation. The Centre delivers to the world an integrated and dynamic information resource on the life and times of Nelson Mandela, and promotes the search for sustainable solutions to critical social problems through memory-based dialogue interventions and tangible activations to realise the legacy of Madiba.

www.nelsonmandela.org 
www.facebook.com/NelsonMandelaCentreOfMemory 
@NelsonMandela

SOURCE The Weinstein Company; eBay Giving Works