Discovery Communications Inc.: Award-Winning INSIDE STORY Set for Pan-African Broadcast and Theatrical Distribution
Much-Anticipated Feature Film Will Entertain Millions Across Sub-Saharan Africa, Makes World Broadcast Premiere on SABC1 on Saturday, December 8
Silver Spring, Md., December 3, 2012 /3BL Media/ - On the heels of 12 festival appearances around the world and six awards -three for "best feature," INSIDE STORY will make its broadcast debut in South Africa on December 8, in addition tonumerous theatrical and broadcast premieres across sub-Saharan Africa beginning next month.
INSIDE STORY brings together an all-star, pan-African cast in a compelling story of football, love, and HIV/AIDS. The film, produced by the nonprofit Discovery Channel Global Education Partnership in conjunction with Quizzical Pictures, is unparalleled in its scope and craft, showing audiences both football and HIV in a way they have never seen before. Sophisticated cameras captured the sports action at 1,000 frames/second while state-of-the-art animation brings HIV to life from the inside out.
The film, which is available in English, French, Swahili and Portuguese, will reach audiences across the continent through a multi-pronged distribution effort, including:
- World AIDS Day 2012 premiere on December 1at Silverbird Cinemas in Lagos, Nigeria - followed by theatrical screenings beginning December 14 at eight Silverbird Cinemas across Nigeria
- World broadcast premiereon SABC1 in South Africa on Saturday, December 8 at 8pm (local time)
- Ugandan broadcast premiereon NTV in December
- Cameroonian broadcast premiere in Frenchon Canal 2 in December
- Congo-Brazzaville broadcast premiereon MN CON starting in December
- Digital distribution and community-based effortsbeginning in April 2013
"INSIDE STORY, like all good stories, contains a lesson for all of us - something that makes this much more than entertainment," said Aric Noboa, President, Discovery Channel Global Education Partnership and Executive Producer, INSIDE STORY. "Through committed distribution partners, including SABC, Silverbird, NTV, Canal 2 and MN CON, digital efforts through SEACOM and grassroots outreach, we will be entertaining audiences across Africa wherever and however they consume media."
Directed by Rolie Nikiwe (Tsha Tsha,The Lab,Intersexions) and filmed in Kenya and South Africa, INSIDE STORY stars Kevin Ndege Mamboleo (Changing Times) as Kalu, a gifted footballer who moves from rural Kenya to urbanJohannesburg to follow his dream and support his family. His path becomes more challenging when he falls in love with the coach's daughter, Ify (Kendra Etufunwa), and subsequently finds out he is HIV-positive. Mamboleo and Etufunwa (Jacob's Cross) are joined by international stars including Hakeem Kae-Kazim (Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End,Hotel Rwanda, 24) as Kalu's mentor and tough-as-nails coach, Fana Mokoena (Blood Diamond, Hotel Rwanda) as the ruthless team owner, and Regina-Re as Kalu's mother, Miriam.
"I am extremely proud to have worked with a great cast and innovative producers to bring INSIDE STORY to so many across Africa," said Rolie Nikiwe, Director, INSIDE STORY. "The performances are powerful and the message is clear - knowledge is power."
INSIDE STORY already has dazzled audiences at 12 international film festivals and has been hailed byLA Weeklyas "a rousing success." Additionally, the film received aJury Awardat theKenya International Film Festival, won Zuku Awards forBest African FilmandBest Actor(for star Kevin Ndege Mamboleo) at the Zanzibar International Film Festival, was given aSpecial Jury Award - Narrative Featureat the Pan African Film Festival, was namedBest Narrative Featureat the Montreal International Black Film Festival.
INSIDE STORY was produced with the support of the U.S. President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), Chevron, Discovery Communications, Access Bank, the South African Department of Trade and Industry,SEACOM and the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS). The trailer for the film and regular updates on the project can be found at insidestorythemovie.organd facebook.com/insidestory.
About Quizzical Pictures
Quizzical Pictures is known for being one of the South Africa's leading film and television producers, with 19 years experience in production and a solid reputation as a creative innovator in the industry. The company was established in 1993 - first as Weekly Mail Television, then Mail and Guardian Television. In 1999 it separated from the Mail and Guardian and was renamed Curious Pictures and in 2012 changed names to Quizzical Pictures. The Quizzical signature is defined by quality, rigorous research methods, uncompromising attention to detail and a commitment to telling resonant and relevant stories. This is evident across the range of work, which spans every genre. Drama series include the 2012 Peabody Award-winningIntersexions,Soul City,Hard Copy,The Lab,Tsha Tsha,4play: Sex Tips for Girls,Heartlines, Rose d'Or winnerHopevilleand the wildly popular soap opera -Rhythm City. Documentary series includeTobias's Bodies,Real Lives,Ordinary PeopleandA Country Imaginedpresented by Johnny Clegg. Quizzical Pictures also produces advertiser-funded programmes and reality television series - such asMasterChef South Africa,The Big Break,Top ShayelaandClass Act, a reality show for SABC 1 and Amstel. Dramatic feature films includeHeartlines,Hopeville,Inside StoryandiNumber Number.
About DiscoveryChannel Global Education Partnership
Discovery Channel Global Education Partnership (DCGEP) is a 501 (c) (3) non-profit charitableorganization that for the past 14 years has been working in under-resourcedschools around the world, using the power of television to increase studentlearning, teacher effectiveness and the community's access to information and involvement in their children's schools. The initiative is locally managed, and involves a collaborative process of educational video program development that combines contributions of expertise and high-quality documentary footage from Discovery with the needs of educators in countries where DCGEP is active. In addition, DCGEP provides three years of teacher training and capacity building to ensure their ability to maximize the value of educational television as a tool for teaching and learning. For more information, please visit www.thepoweroftv.org.
About PEPFAR
The U.S. President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) is the U.S. Government initiative to save the lives of those affected by HIV/AIDS around the world. This historic commitment is the largest by any nation to combat a single disease internationally, and PEPFAR investments also help alleviate suffering from other diseases across the global health spectrum. PEPFAR is driven by a shared responsibility among donor and partner nations and others to make smart investments to save lives. For more information about PEPFAR, visit www.PEPFAR.gov, http://twitter.com/pepfarorwww.facebook.com/PEPFAR.
About Discovery Communications
Discovery Communications (Nasdaq: DISCA, DISCB, DISCK) is the world's #1 nonfiction media company reaching more than 1.8 billion cumulative subscribers in 209 countries and territories. Discovery is dedicated to satisfying curiosity through 149 worldwide television networks, led by Discovery Channel, TLC, Animal Planet, Science and Investigation Discovery, as well as U.S. joint venture networks OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network, The Hub and 3net, the first 24-hour 3D network. Discovery also is a leadingprovider of educational products and services to schools and owns and operates a diversified portfolio of digital media services, including Revision3. Formore information, please visit www.discoverycommunications.com.
About Chevron
Chevron is one of the world's leading integrated energy companies, with subsidiaries that conduct business worldwide. The company's success is driven by the ingenuity and commitment of its employees and their application of the most innovative technologies in the world. Chevron is involved in virtually every facet of the energy industry. The company explores for, produces and transports crude oil and natural gas; refines, markets and distributes transportation fuels and other energy products; manufactures and sells petrochemical products; generates power and produces geothermal energy; provides energy efficiency solutions; and develops the energy resources of the future, including biofuels. Chevron is based in San Ramon, Calif. More information about Chevron is available atwww.chevron.com.
About Access Bank
Access Bank Plc is a socially responsible organization; with a clearly developed strategy for facilitating societal development and wellbeing. The Bank is one of Africa's pre-eminent financial services groups, and has a full banking subsidiary in the UK and all monetary zones across sub-Sahara Africa. The Bank is ranked 14thin Africa and amongst the top 500 banks in the world by tier 1 capital as at December2010. For more information visit www.accessbankplc.com.
About SEACOM
SEACOM is a privately financed, developed and owned submarine fibre optic cable network bringing high quality, affordablebroadband capacity to Africa through the sale of wholesale international bandwidth and associated services on an open-access basis since July 2009. Stretching some 17,000km along the eastern and southern African coastlines and onwards to India and Europe, the SEACOM system has already connected many African countries including South Africa, Mozambique, Tanzania, Kenya, Rwanda, Uganda, Djibouti and Ethiopia bringing in many instances previously unavailable access to unrestricted bandwidth.
The SEACOM network offers bundled backhaul, open-access points of presence and global partnerships, to provide high quality, cost effective, end-to-end connectivity. Tiered pricing coupled with open access system integration solutions means that SEACOM has moved beyond the cable to become a major pan-African network with a full suite of IP services and unprecedented benefits for customers. SEACOM believes in a world where the African Internet experience is interconnected and characterized by abundantlocal content, minimal latency as well as fast download and streaming speeds. This vision is at the heart of SEACOM's commitment to Building the African Internet. For more information, please visit www.seacom.mu.
About UNAIDS
UNAIDS, the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS, is an innovative United Nations partnership that leads and inspires the world in achieving universal access to HIV prevention, treatment, care and support. Learn more at unaids.org.