Sundance Channel Picks Up Exclusive U.S. TV Rights to Lions Gate Television's New Documentary on Legendary Singer-Songwriter Leonard Cohen

Sundance Channel Picks Up Exclusive U.S. TV Rights to Lions Gate Television's New Documentary on Legendary Singer-Songwriter Leonard Cohen

Bono, Willie Nelson, Emmylou Harris and Marianne Faithful Among the Artists Featured in the Production Slated for 2006 Broadcast

NEW YORK and SANTA MONICA, Calif., June 13 /PRNewswire/ -- Sundance Channel has pre-licensed U.S. exclusive pay television rights to a new documentary on the legendary singer-songwriter Leonard Cohen from Lions Gate's feature length documentary unit, a division of Lions Gate Television. Directed by Lian Lunson (Willie Nelson: Down Home) and executive produced by Lunson, Mel Gibson and Erik Nelson, the film is currently in production and is slated for broadcast in 2006. The announcement was made jointly today by Laura Michalchyshyn, Executive Vice President, Programming & Marketing, Sundance Channel, and Kevin Beggs, President, Programming & Production, Lions Gate Television.

Tentatively titled Came so Far from Beauty, the film will cover the breadth of Cohen's extraordinary career, making use of concert and archival footage, as well as interviews with musicians Bono, Willie Nelson, Emmylou Harris and Marianne Faithful, and filmmakers Robert Altman and Wim Wenders. Lunson will also feature footage from the "Came so Far For Beauty" concert, which was shot live at the Sydney Opera House and produced by Hal Willner. The concert features the works of Leonard Cohen, performed by artists including Nick Cave, Rufus Wainwright, The McGarrigle Sisters, Jarvis Crocker and Teddy and Linda Thompson.

Michalchyshyn said, "Sundance Channel's partnership with Lions Gate Television on this project reflects our ongoing commitment to getting involved with high impact documentaries at the earliest stage. Leonard Cohen is a truly singular and widely influential artist; Sundance Channel is pleased to be able to bring his story to our audience. We're also excited to be working with Lian, Erik and Mel, all such incredibly talented creative forces."

"We're very gratified by Sundance Channel's early enthusiasm and support for this project," said Beggs. "The production is an exciting one, which will offer viewers a fascinating look at the life of one of the most gifted and enduring musical figures of our time."

The documentary is produced by Horse Pictures and Con Artists Productions LLC in association with Lions Gate Television for the Sundance Channel. Lions Gate Television controls worldwide rights to the production.

Came So Far From Beauty is the most recent project from Lions Gate's feature length documentary unit. The unit's first film, Grizzly Man, directed by Werner Herzog and executive produced by Erik Nelson, won a top prize at the 2005 Sundance Film Festival and is scheduled for theatrical release in August.

LIONS GATE TELEVISION

Lions Gate Television is the television production and distribution arm of Lions Gate Entertainment (NYSE and TSX: LGF). Continuing its strategy of being an important supplier of content to cable and broadcast networks, the company has five primetime series on the air or scheduled for launch shortly, including "The Cut" with Tommy Hilfiger for CBS, "The Dead Zone" for USA Network, "Missing" for Lifetime Television, "Wildfire" for ABC Family and "Weeds" for Showtime. Lions Gate Entertainment is the premier independent producer and distributor of motion pictures, television programming, home entertainment, family entertainment and video-on-demand content. Its prestigious and prolific library of approximately 8000 titles is one of the largest in the entertainment industry. The Lions Gate brand name is synonymous with original, daring, quality entertainment in markets around the world.

SUNDANCE CHANNEL

Under the creative direction of Robert Redford, Sundance Channel is the television destination for independent-minded viewers seeking something different. Bold, uncompromising and irreverent, Sundance Channel offers audiences a diverse and engaging selection of films, documentaries, and original programs, all uncut and commercial free. Launched in 1996, Sundance Channel is a venture between NBC Universal, Robert Redford, and Showtime Networks Inc. Sundance Channel operates independently of the non-profit Sundance Institute and the Sundance Film Festival, but shares the overall Sundance mission of encouraging artistic freedom of expression. Sundance Channel's website address is http://www.sundancechannel.com/.

Source: Sundance Channel

CONTACT: Sarah Eaton, +1-212-654-1613, sarah.eaton@sundancechannel.com,
or Katie Lanegran, +1-212-654-3398, katie.lanegran@sundancechannel.com, both
of the Sundance Channel; Leah Krantzler for Lions Gate Television,
+1-323-965-1990, lkrantzler@lippingroup.com

Web site: http://www.sundancechannel.com/

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