Court TV(R) Presents the World Premiere of On Native Soil: The Documentary of the 9/11 Commission Report

Court TV(R) Presents the World Premiere of On Native Soil: The Documentary of the 9/11 Commission Report

Riveting Feature-Length Documentary Film Narrated by Kevin Costner and Hilary Swank

'Those who died on 9/11 ... deserve that the story of their deaths be told truthfully.' -Sally Regenhard, whose son, Christian, a New York City firefighter, died at the World Trade Center

Searing Film Documents the Untold Story of the Events that Led to the Formation of the 9/11 Commission

Premieres On Court TV Monday, August 21, 10 PM ET/PT

Lionsgate to Release Special Edition DVD with More Than 30 Minutes of Extra Footage and Extensive Extra Features on Tuesday, August 22

PASADENA, Calif., July 14 /PRNewswire/ -- Court TV will world premiere the powerful and critically-acclaimed film On Native Soil: The Documentary of the 9/11 Commission Report on Monday, August 21. Created with the support and involvement of 9/11 victims' families, On Native Soil includes compelling, never-before-seen interviews from victims' family members as it focuses on the actual events of that day. Narrated by Academy Award(R) winners Kevin Costner and Hilary Swank, the documentary thoughtfully details the personal stories of tragedy and triumph that led to the formation of the 9/11 Commission and the publication of the Commission's landmark report.

For Court TV, the acquisition comes as part of the network's initiative to acquire four to six documentary feature films a year. Lionsgate brings an extended version of the revealing documentary to Special Edition DVD the following day, adding more than 30 minutes to the main program. The DVD will also contain extensive extra features including additional interviews with some of the family members from the film, a downloadable 9/11 commission report and interactive photo gallery.

"As a network, we strongly believe in the concept of transparency, and that is what this film is all about: it details how American citizens demanded that their government investigate and explain what went wrong that terrible day," said Court TV President Art Bell. "That the facts and findings of the Commission are presented in a compelling yet completely non-partisan, non-political way underscores the film's importance as a historical document in its own right. We are honored to bring it to a wide audience."

Lionsgate President Steve Beeks added, "September 11, 2001 is the most documented and analyzed event in the history of our nation. This unbelievably important work not only brings the findings of the 9/11 Commission to light, but also reveals the human side of the tragedy through never-before-seen interviews, personal stories of triumph, and one of the most comprehensive collections of 9/11 footage ever assembled on film. This is a program that everyone should see."

Directed by three-time Emmy award-winning news and film producer Linda Ellman, the film faithfully captures the events of that day and our civilian and government response, whose strengths and weaknesses are outlined in The 9/11 Commission Report. On Native Soil: The Documentary of the 9/11 Commission Report has powerful narration from Costner and Swank and includes sit-down interviews with U.S. Senators John McCain, Joe Lieberman and former U.S. Senator and past 9/11 Commissioner Max Cleland. While presenting provocative new details and exclusive interviews, the film focuses on the human side of the largest terrorist assault ever to take place in the United States by examining the treatment of the events that led up to the 9/11 attacks and revealing the efforts by a group of citizens who worked together to ensure that the 9/11 Commission would be convened and information disseminated to the public.

"I was in lower Manhattan that horrible day," said Hilary Swank, "I was drawn to the project by the amazing stories of the 9/11 families and survivors featured in the film, and I am proud that by contributing my voice to the project, I can help their voices be heard."

"I saw this film in a rough cut and wanted to become involved," said Kevin Costner. "It's honest, it's serious and it's not political. This film tells stories every American will and should want to know."

On Native Soil: The Documentary of the 9/11 Commission Report is a Jeff Hays Film and Ellman Entertainment production of a Linda Ellman film. It is executive produced by Jeff Hays and Linda Ellman, and directed by Ellman, whose credits include 13 years with NBC Network News.

Court TV, a Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. company, provides a window on the American system of justice through distinctive programming that both informs and entertains. Seen in 86 million U.S. homes, Court TV Networks(SM) is comprised of Court TV News(SM), which provides live trial coverage in daytime; Court TV: Seriously Entertaining(SM) in prime time, featuring investigative drama, expert reality and compelling non-fiction series; and Court TV Extra(SM), a subscription Web-based service offering viewers an interactive opportunity to watch multiple live trials on the Internet, while accessing the tremendous resources of Court TV Online. The Court TV Web sites can be accessed via http://www.courttv.com/ .

Lionsgate is the leading independent filmed entertainment studio. Fresh off the number one box office hits Madea's Family Reunion, Hostel and Saw II and the Best Picture Academy Award (R)-winning Crash, Lionsgate is a premier producer and distributor of motion pictures, television programming, home entertainment, family entertainment and video-on-demand content. Its prestigious and prolific library is a valuable source of stable, recurring revenue and is a foundation for the growth of the Company's core businesses. The Lionsgate brand name is synonymous with original, daring, quality entertainment in markets around the globe. For more information, visit http://www.lionsgate.com/ .

Contacts:
For Court TV For Lionsgate
Vicky Kahn Jodie Magid
212-973-7944 212-386-6885
kahnv@courttv.comjmagid@lionsgate.com

Alexandra Carlin Adam Fenton
212-973-2805 212-689-6360
carlina@courttv.comadam_fenton@bhimpact.com

For Lionsgate corporate inquiries
Peter D. Wilkes
310-255-3726
pwilkes@lionsgate.com

Source: Court TV

CONTACT: For Court TV: Vicky Kahn, +1-212-973-7944, kahnv@courttv.com,
or Alexandra Carlin, +1-212-973-2805, carlina@courttv.com; For Lionsgate:
Jodie Magid, +1-212-386-6885, jmagid@lionsgate.com, or Adam Fenton
+1-212-689-6360, adam_fenton@bhimpact.com; For Lionsgate corporate inquiries:
Peter D. Wilkes, +1-310-255-3726, pwilkes@lionsgate.com

Web site: http://www.courttv.com/
http://www.lionsgate.com/

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