Sundance Channel Ramps up Asia Extreme(TM)

Sundance Channel Ramps up Asia Extreme(TM)

Season Two of ASIA EXTREME Features Thirteen Premieres Exclusive Video-On-Demand Package and Expanded Web Presence

NEW YORK, Oct. 23 /PRNewswire/ -- Based on the success of the first season of Asia Extreme(TM), Sundance Channel has acquired thirteen new titles to be showcased in the network's late night destination devoted to the new wave of cutting-edge genre films emerging from South Korea, Japan, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Thailand. The announcement was made by Laura Michalchyshyn, EVP and GM Programming and Creative Affairs Sundance Channel. Season two of Asia Extreme kicks off February 4, 2007. Three of the new titles will available from November 1-28, 2006, on Sundance Channel-on-Demand in a special Asia Extreme(TM) package available on Comcast, Time Warner Cable, Mediacom, Brighthouse, and Insight systems. A micro site for Asia Extreme will launch on November 1, 2006 on http://www.sundancechannel.com/.

"Asia Extreme is a revelation for fans of Asian action films; these films are reinvigorating the world of genre movies and are definitely some of the most provocative, intense, innovative and thrilling movies out there," commented Michalchyshyn. "In many instances these films did not have a U.S. theatrical release and now audiences can find them on Sundance Channel-on- Demand months before the television premiere."

Sundance Channel has licensed exclusive U.S. television rights to a total of thirteen new films; eleven of which are distributed by Tartan U.S.A., the premiere source for action, horror and crime films from Asia. The other two titles (Three ... Extremes and Dumplings) were licensed from Lionsgate Films(TM). Season two of Asia Extreme will kick off on February 4 with the U.S. television premiere of Jae-yeon Yun's Wishing Stairs. Asia Extreme airs Sunday nights at 12:00am e/p. The deal was negotiated by Christian Vesper for Sundance Channel, Carole Siller from Tartan U.S.A. and Rand Stoll from Lionsgate Films.

In the Sundance Channel-On-Demand package three of the four titles have not been seen on television: Lo Chi-Leung's Koma, Takeshi Shimizu's Marebito, and Shinya Tsukamoto's Vital. All three will be part of season two of Asia Extreme in February. Park Chanwook's Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance was part of the first season of Asia Extreme which debuted in April 2006. The package is available free via Video on Demand on Comcast, Time Warner, Mediacom, Brighthouse and Insight cable systems.

Comcast Senior Vice President and General Manager, Video Services, Page Thompson commented, "Sundance has performed extremely well in the free movies category, and Asia Extreme is a great example of how on demand can bring fans an expanded library of films they can enjoy whenever they want."

The Asia Extreme mini-site housed on http://www.sundancechannel.com/ will feature:

-- Short films by the Asia Extreme directors; exclusive to the website
-- Discussion groups around each film
-- Interactive map of Asia Extreme territories that gives history of genre
by country
-- Filmmaker profiles and interviews
-- DVD-style special features including interviews and featurettes
-- Additional special features for registered users

The lineup for season two of Asia Extreme is as follows:

February 4: Wishing Stairs (Dir. Jae-yeon Yun, Korea)
February 11: Acacia (Dir. Ki-Hyung Park, Korea)
February 18: Marebito (Dir. Takeshi Shimizu, Japan)
February 25: Koma (Dir. Lo Chi-Leung, Hong Kong)
March 4: Three ... Extremes (Dir. Takashi Miike - Japan, Chan-wook
Park - Korea, Fruit Chan - Hong Kong)
March 11: The Heirloom (Dir. Leste Chen, China)
March 18: R-Point (Dir. Su-chang Kong, Korea)
March 25: Vital (Dir. Shinya Tsukamoto, Japan)
April 1: Spider Forest (Dir. Song Il-gon, Korea)
April 8: Unborn But Forgotten (Dir. Chang-jae Lim, Korea)
April 15: Pray (Dirl Yuchi Sato, Japan)
April 22: The Coast Guard (Dir. Kim Ki-duk, Korea)
April 29: Dumplings (Dir. Fruit Chan, Hong Kong)

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 unedited and commercial free. Launched in 1996, Sundance Channel is a venture of NBC Universal, Showtime Networks Inc. and Robert Redford. 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, +1-212-708-8043, sarah.eaton@sundancechannel.com,
or Katie Lanegran, +1-212-708-8044, katie.lanegran@sundancechannel.com, both
of Sundance Channel

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

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