Thursday January 11 Press Release SOURCE: Starz Encore BET Movies BET Movies Celebrates Black History Month With 'The Panther Perspective' <http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/010111/co_starz_e.html> Launches New Programming Package - 'The Heritage' Former Black Panther Party Member Kathleen Cleaver Will Be Special Guest Host ENGLEWOOD, Colo., Jan. 11 /PRNewswire/ -- BET Movies, a Starz Encore channel, will celebrate Black History Month in February with "The Panther Perspective." This compelling collection of exclusive documentaries and short films explores the revolutionary movement that late FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover called, "the greatest threat to the internal security of the U.S." -- the Black Panther Party for Self Defense. The programming package, "The Panther Perspective," which airs at 8 p.m. every Friday (see local listings for additional airdates) will introduce the channel's new programming attribute: "The Heritage" which will regularly showcase movies and documentaries that take a historical look at the contributions and experiences of African Americans. "The Heritage: The Panther Perspective" will be hosted by Kathleen Cleaver. Cleaver was the highest-ranking female in the Panthers' hierarchy and was formerly married to the Panther's Minister of Information Eldridge Cleaver. She will provide insightful commentary about the featured documentaries and share her personal experiences and memories about the Black liberation movement that captured the attention of mainstream America. "We are proud to present this powerful collection of documentaries about an important part of not only Black History but American history," said Brett Marottoli, senior manager, multicultural program acquisitions, Starz Encore Group. "This special programming event, 'The Panther Perspective' inaugurates our new package 'The Heritage'which is dedicated to showcase real events about real people and supports BET Movies' commitment to celebrate Black History Month everyday. "We are honored to have Kathleen Cleaver as our special guest host. Kathleen is a writer, historian, and scholar, but not only that, she was a Black Panther. We are pleased to have her share her extraordinary experiences with our viewers," added Marottoli. "I applaud BET Movies for taking the lead in featuring these films in an era where the media concentrates on hype and confusion. It's crucial that people, in particular our youth, develop a sense of history, a history of how Blacks have resisted oppression. There's no better way to do that than with films about the Black Panther Party," said Cleaver. The documentaries to be presented during the month are: "Public Enemy," "All Power to the People" and "Passin' It On." The short films are: "Drive By: A Love Story" and "Da Zone." Below is a synopsis and air dates for documentaries and short films in "The Heritage: The Panther Perspective." All times are ET/PT. "Public Enemy" Produced twenty eight years after the demise of the Black Panther Party, "Public Enemy" takes a personal look at four former members: Bobby Seale, the last surviving founding member of the Black Panther Party; prisoner-turned-playwright Jamal Joseph; musician and record producer Nile Rodgers and Kathleen Cleaver. Combined with footage from the sixties, these four surviving members share their memories and experiences of the radical progressive movement and affectionately talk about their comrades who were killed. "Public Enemy" is directed by Jens Meurer and produced by Denis Freyd and Jens Meurer. Music is by Nile Rodgers and performed by Chic. Air Dates: Friday, February 2, 8 p.m., Tuesday, February 13, 9:40 p.m. "All Power to the People" "All Power to the People" uses the history of the Black Panther Party as a backdrop to examine political issues in the 1960s, including, racism, violence, poverty, drugs, police brutality and their continued relevance today. The riveting documentary features rare film footage, exclusive interviews with former Panthers, members of the FBI and CIA, political prisoners and leaders of the Civil Rights Movement. "All Power to the People" was produced and directed by former Black Panther Party member Lee Lew-Lee. Awards include, "The Critics Award" from the Southern Film Festival Memphis Black Writer's Conference in 1999, "The Black Filmworks Award" from the Black Filmmakers Hall of Fame and "The Best Director, Finalist," Gordon Parks Award from the IFP in 1998. Air Dates: Friday, February 9, 8 p.m. and Monday, February 19, 9:50 p.m. "Passin' It On" "Passin' It On" examines the troubling case of former Black Panther Party leader Richard Moore, known as Dhoruba Bin Wahad. Wahad served 19 years in prison for allegedly shooting two New York City police officers, a crime he swears he did not commit. "Passin' It On" vibrantly brings to life the history of the Black Panthers and dramatically tells the story of Wahad, whose conviction was overturned on the basis of prosecutorial misconduct. "Passin' It On" has received various awards and honors, including an Emmy nomination for "Best Editing;" USA Film Festival, National Short Film and Video Competition, "Grand Prize" and "First Place, Non-fiction;" San Francisco International Film Festival Golden Gate Awards, "Best of Category: Television (Current Events); and, the Chicago International Film Festival "Gold Plaque Award, Social/Political Documentary Film." The film is directed by John Valadez, produced by Peter Miller and edited by Susanne Rostock. Air Dates: Friday, February 16, 8 p.m. and Tuesday, February 27, 9:30 p.m. "Drive By" and "Da Zone" "Drive By: A Love Story" and "Da Zone" are two short films written and directed by former Black Panther Jamal Joseph. Joseph now teaches film production and writing at Columbia University's School of Arts. "Drive By" tells the story of a woman whose husband, a former Black Panther, was shot by police and her struggle to keep her son safe from the streets of Harlem. "Da Zone" focuses on a young white, struggling, insecure actress who is held hostage in a clothing boutique by a misguided Black Panther wannabe. Air Dates: "Drive By": Friday, February 23, 8:40 p.m. "Da Zone": Friday, February 23, 8 p.m. Kathleen Cleaver is the former communication secretary of the Black Panther Party. Her professional career includes serving as law professor at Emory Law School and Cardozo Law School and as a faculty member at Sarah Lawrence College and Yale University Graduate School. In 1999 she was a fellow at the Center for Scholars and Writers of the New York Public Library. Currently, she is writing "Memories of Love and War," which will be published next year. In addition, she is organizing the 2nd International Black Panther Film Festival and is conducting research about human rights violations by U.S. intelligence and law enforcement agencies that aim to destroy radical movements. BET Movies/STARZ!, a joint venture between BET Holdings II, Inc. and Starz Encore Group LLC (Starz Encore), is the first and only movie channel created exclusively to meet the unique entertainment choices of African-Americans and others with Black interests and sensibilities. Programming includes exclusive first-run theatrical releases, recent popular titles, classic movies, independent films, films from Africa and the African Diaspora and original productions, 24-hours-a-day, seven days a week, uncut and commercial free. BET Holdings II, Inc. is the first African-American owned and operated media and entertainment company to provide quality television programming, entertainment products, publishing and internet services specifically designed to appeal to African-American interests. It is the holding company of Black Entertainment Television (BET), the nation's leading cable network targeted toward African Americans, which currently reaches more than 58.3 million households nationwide according to Nielsen research. Starz Encore Group LLC (Starz Encore) is the largest provider of cable and satellite-delivered premium movie channels in the United States. Starz Encore owns 15 domestic channels and currently counts approximately 74 million pay units. Starz Encore offers up to 14 channels of the Starz Super Pak(SM), which comprises STARZ!, Encore(SM), Action(SM), Mystery(SM), BET Movies(SM), Westerns(SM), STARZ! Family, Love Stories(SM), True Stories(SM), STARZ! Theater, WAM!, STARZ! Cinema(SM) and, to be offered in 2002, STARZ! Comedy(SM) and STARZ! Kidz(SM). Additionally, Starz Encore has the only low priced movie pak for price-sensitive consumers, the Encore Movie Pak(SM), featuring up to seven theme channels. Find programming information on the Web at www.starzencore.com and archived press releases at www.prnewswire.com/micro/NCOR. Starz Encore is a wholly owned subsidiary of Liberty Media Group (NYSE: LMGa - news and LMGb - news). Artwork is available by request. For further information, please contact Chelsye J. Burrows of Starz Encore Group, 303-267-5838, fax, 303-267-4098, chelsye.burrows@starzencore.com.
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