Minneapolis, Minnesota- Tim VandeSteeg, the Minneapolis based independent filmmaker and founder of Vandy Productions, has inked a deal with Subway Restaurants, the international sandwich store chain, to finance his debut feature, Mulligan. Mulligan is the first independent feature to be sponsored by Subway Restaurants. Mulligan is directed, produced and co-written by Tim VandeSteeg. Mulligan is a brash, amusing look at the day in the lives of four twenty somethings whose days and dealings on the golf course mirror each character's behavior in every day life. This cross section of four friends- the angst-ridden artist, the enlightened missionary, the Casanova, and the drifter, come together when their golf game turns into an unexpected escapade. Director VandeSteeg states, "To understand the concept behind the film, it is best to understand what mulligan means. Mulligan is a term frequently used in golf, which means to 'do over,' or 'to be given a second chance.'" This concept sets the stage for the theme of this film. The story unfolds as these four life long friends embark on one crazy round of golf in the not so easy game of life.

The film draws its talent and posh backdrop on what the Twin Cities has to offer. Riki McManus, director of the Upper Minnesota Film Office believes VandeSteeg has a winning concept with Mulligan when it comes to promoting Minnesota as a shooting location.

Filmmaker VandeSteeg states, "There's so much talent around here, you just have to organize it and that's what we did." All of the actors and crew are from Minnesota. The filming takes place in the Lutsen-Tofte area, on Superior National Golf Course, Mountain Inn, and other local spots. "Mulligan shows Minnesota in a positive light. The cinematography shows it for its beauty. The characters also steer away from the stereotype that films like Fargo played up. We're not all hicks," comments VandeSteeg. In Subway Restaurants sponsored its first national movie, Terminator 2. Since then, they have sponsored additional features including Happy Gilmore, and Coneheads. When making the decision to finance Mulligan, Richard T. Pilchen, Vice President of Subway Restaurants took a look at the independent film industry, "The movie industry has changed over the years and continues to evolve. Big budget movies like Titanic amass audiences, but last year, the Academy issued its top awards to independent efforts like Shakespeare in Love and Life is Beautiful. We chose to participate in Mulligan because of the production value, the content, the talent of the individuals involved, Tim VandeSteeg's passion, persistence, and determination to make it happen, and the vast exposure Mulligan, as a quality independent film, can derive for Subway Restaurants." VandeSteeg began looking for sponsors after he finished the script in September, 1997. To date, VandeSteeg has landed 27 sponsors, including Adidas; Sun Country Airlines;

Mr. Movies, a regional home video chain; Golf Minnesota; Mail Boxes, Etc., and Lifetime Fitness. Vandy Productions was founded in 1996 by Tim VandeSteeg. Vandy Productions' slate of films includes several short films that aired on the Independent Film Channel including Raging Bowl and For Sale. Mulligan is the first feature length film to be released under the Vandy Productions banner. In addition to Mulligan, Vandy Productions has two other features, currently in development. VandeSteeg looks forward to entering Mulligan into this years' independent film festivals. Mulligan web site: www.allvandy.com Subway Restaurants web site: www.subway.com For further information, please contact Kelly Kimball at 323-692-9999 x14.