HBO and Comcast to Host the Richmond Premiere of HBO Films' "LIFE SUPPORT" at the Historic Byrd Theatre on Friday, February 23

HBO and Comcast to Host the Richmond Premiere of HBO Films' "LIFE SUPPORT" at the Historic Byrd Theatre on Friday, February 23

Film Offers a Moving and Candid Look at the African-American Community's HIV Crisis

Film's Executive Producer, Shelby Stone, a Native Virginian, to attend Richmond Premiere. Andrea Williams, whose true story was the inspiration for LIFE SUPPORT, will also attend.

RICHMOND, Va., Feb. 8 /PRNewswire/ -- HBO and Comcast will host the Richmond Premiere of HBO Films' LIFE SUPPORT on Friday, February 23 at 8:00 p.m. at the historic Byrd Theatre. The community partner for the Richmond premiere of LIFE SUPPORT is the Urban League of Greater Richmond. Executive Producer, Shelby Stone, will attend the premiere along with Andrea Williams, whose true story was the inspiration for LIFE SUPPORT.

HBO Films' LIFE SUPPORT, starring Oscar(R) nominee and platinum-selling recording artist Queen Latifah, is a moving and candid look at the African- American community's HIV crisis through the eyes of a survivor who is a mother, a former addict and an AIDS activist. Inspired by the life of his sister, Andrea Williams, and their family, director Nelson George (executive producer of HBO's "Everyday People"), in his directorial debut, co-wrote the screenplay with the writing team of Jim McKay and Hannah Weyer (HBO's "Angel Rodriguez").

Also appearing in LIFE SUPPORT are Anna Deavere Smith ("The West Wing"), Wendell Pierce (HBO's "The Wire"), Evan Ross (the upcoming "P.D.R."), Rachel Nicks, Darrin Dewitt Henson ("Soul Food"), Gloria Reuben ("ER"), Tony Rock ("All of Us") and Tracee Ellis Ross ("Girlfriends").

Shot at various Brooklyn locations, LIFE SUPPORT uses a mix of actors and real people from the HIV/AIDS community to tell the story of HIV-positive Ana Wallace, who channels her energy and regret over her past drug addiction into working for Life Support, an AIDS outreach group. Wallace's obsessive passion for her job puts her health at risk, and her stubbornness threatens to drive her already fractured family away. When her mother announces that she's selling her home and moving South, and plans to take Wallace's daughter with her, Ana is forced to confront her past mistakes and learns a poignant lesson about loving and letting go.

"The impact of HIV on women in the African-American community is a crisis at the heart of contemporary American life that no one is talking about," notes HBO Films president Colin Callender. "We are proud to be working with Nelson George on his directorial debut on a story that is so personal and so timely."

Executive producer Shelby Stone points out that "this is not a 'hood' movie." It's a working-class poor movie, and that's a very important distinction. These are people who are building families and working and having a life, maybe not in the best neighborhoods but with a lot of dignity."

"For over 93 years, the Urban League has been disseminating health education and prevention materials to the community," said Thomas J. Victory, President and CEO of the Urban League of Greater Richmond. "HBO Films' LIFE SUPPORT reinforces health education and prevention guidelines in the areas of HIV/AIDS and encourages testing. Knowing your HIV status is paramount in turning this epidemic around. This film's story is important to men and women from all communities."

"We are pleased to work with HBO and the Urban League to raise awareness of the HIV/AIDS issue throughout our communities," said Kirby Brooks, vice president and general manager for Comcast's Metro Richmond systems."

Executive Producer Shelby Stone, a Virginia native, began her career as an independent film executive, subsequently launching her own production company with Spike Lee's 40 Acres and a Mule production "DROP Squad." Stone's work for HBO includes the acclaimed "Lackawanna Blues," "The Middle Passage," "Boycott" and Lumumba," as well as the Emmy(R)-nominated award-winning HBO public service spots "Peace: Live in It or Rest in It." She also produced Tamara Davis' acclaimed "Skipped Parts."

Andrea Williams is the inspiration for LIFE SUPPORT. A lifelong resident of Brooklyn, where the film is set, she is the mother of three girls, Ebony, Amber and Jade, and has been married to Leslie "Sha" Williams for 18 years. Williams graduated from Sheepshead Bay High School and attended Brooklyn College. Diagnosed with HIV in 1993, she has been a peer counselor for the Brooklyn-based non-profit organization Life Force since 2000.

LIFE SUPPORT is executive produced by Oscar(R)-winning actor Jamie Foxx ("Ray"), Queen Latifah, Shelby Stone (HBO's "Lackawanna Blues"), Jaime Rucker King ("Ray"), Marcus King ("Jamie Foxx: Unpredictable") and Shakim Compere ("Beauty Shop"); Mark A. Baker (HBO's "Oz") produces. HBO Films Vice President Sam Martin is the creative executive in charge of production for HBO.

LIFE SUPPORT airs on HBO On-Demand from February 26 through March 5. It debuts Saturday, March 10 (8:00 p.m.) on HBO, with encores on March 10 (4:30 a.m.), 12 (2:00 p.m., 10:00 p.m.), 18 (2:15 p.m., 11:00 p.m.), 22 (1:00 p.m., 8:30 p.m.), 24 (8:30 a.m., 4:00 p.m.), 27 (10:00 a.m., 7:30 p.m.) and 29 (4:30 p.m., 12:30 a.m.).

The Urban League, established in 1910, is the nation's oldest and largest community-based movement devoted to empowering African-Americans to enter the economic and social mainstream. The Urban League of Greater Richmond, Inc., founded in 1913, is one of 107 Urban League Affiliates located in 40 States. Chief Executive Officer, Thomas J. Victory, has been with the League for 27 years and joined the organization during the administration of Vernon Jordan.

Headquartered in Philadelphia, Comcast Cable is a division of Comcast Corporation, the nation's leading provider of cable, entertainment and communications products and services. With 24.2 million cable customers, 11.5 million high-speed Internet customers and 2.5 million digital voice customers, Comcast is principally involved in the development, management and operation of broadband cable networks and in the delivery of programming content.

Comcast's Eastern Division currently serves more than 5.4 million customers along the New York to DC corridor, including New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Washington, DC, Virginia and North Carolina. The Eastern Division also founded and manages CN8, The Comcast Network, one of the nation's largest and most honored regional 24-hour diversified television networks, seen by more than nine million homes on the East Coast. The Eastern Division is based in Oaks, Pennsylvania.

Source: Home Box Office

CONTACT: Kathleen Neal, +1-404-471-1827, or +1-404-694-3604 (cell), or
Monica Callahan, +1-804-915-5468, both of Home Box Office

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