HBO, Comcast, Miami International Film Festival and Florida Marlins to Host the Florida Premiere of 'BROOKLYN DODGERS: THE GHOSTS OF FLATBUSH' On Thursday, June 28

HBO, Comcast, Miami International Film Festival and Florida Marlins to Host the Florida Premiere of 'BROOKLYN DODGERS: THE GHOSTS OF FLATBUSH' On Thursday, June 28

HBO Sports Documentary profiles one of the most renowned teams in the history of baseball and celebrates Jackie Robinson's historic role in breaking the color barrier

MIAMI, June 20 /PRNewswire/ -- HBO and Comcast have partnered with the Miami International Film Festival (MIFF) and the Florida Marlins to host the invitation-only Florida premiere of BROOKLYN DODGERS: THE GHOSTS OF FLATBUSH on Thursday, June 28 at 8:15 pm at the Gusman Center for the Performing Arts. Ross Greenburg, president of HBO Sports, will attend along with several Marlins players. Dave Van Horne, the Marlins' lead play-by-play radio announcer, will serve as emcee. Among the audience will be high school students involved in the Big Brothers/Big Sisters program sponsored by Comcast.

Produced in collaboration with Major League Baseball (MLB) Productions, the two-part HBO Sports documentary examines one of the most recognizable teams in MLB history. On April 15, 1947, the Brooklyn Dodgers made sports history when Jackie Robinson became the first African-American to play in the major leagues. From that watershed moment, the Dodgers and Major League Baseball set a new standard for integration and became a national symbol for a cohesive American culture. Young "Knothole Gang" members and diverse fans alike universally embraced the remarkable team. Yet, ten short years later, the team relocated to the West Coast, shocking a borough and forever changing the professional sports landscape.

HBO and Comcast chose to premiere the HBO Sports documentary in Miami because of the city's growth into a major U.S. sports and film hub and its enthusiastic baseball fan base, with many originally from New York, along with its legions of film devotees. The ethnically and culturally diverse city offers attractions for the many sports fans and film enthusiasts who call it home. Further, HBO and Comcast decided to partner with the Florida Marlins and the Miami International Film Festival, with its home at Miami Dade College, due to their strong commitments to the South Florida community.

"The Florida Marlins are proud to support this important documentary," said Marlins President, David Samson. "The Dodgers organization has long been considered one of the most storied franchises in all of sports, and learning about its history including their decision to sign Jackie Robinson to a Major League contract is very important. HBO has again demonstrated that it is the pre-eminent network as far as educating the world about America's National Pastime."

The Miami International Film Festival, which will celebrate its 25th anniversary in 2008, believes this documentary matches the quality of films the Festival endorses. "Our continual goal is to enrich South Florida's film culture," said Patrick de Bokay, Festival Director. "This HBO Sports documentary will educate, enlighten, and bring people closer together around America's oldest pastime-baseball. MIFF is honored to work on this project with HBO, the Marlins and Comcast and we are pleased to support the event with our enthusiastic marketing, publicity, and outreach efforts in Miami."

BROOKLYN DODGERS: THE GHOSTS OF FLATBUSH examines the team's excellence in the National League, as well as their persistent problems competing against their archrivals from the American League, the New York Yankees. Timed specifically to coincide with the 60th anniversary of Jackie Robinson breaking the color barrier and the 50th anniversary of the Dodgers' departure from Brooklyn, the film uses rare footage and revealing interviews featuring: Jackie Robinson's widow, Rachel Robinson; former players Duke Snider, Carl Erskine, Clem Labine and Johnny Podres; former Dodgers general manager Emil J. "Buzzie" Bavasi; former Dodgers owner Peter O'Malley; television commentator Larry King; comedian Pat Cooper; actor Louis Gossett, Jr.; FOX Sports television executive Ed Goren; and columnist Melvin Durslag among others.

Ross Greenburg, president of HBO Sports and co-executive producer of BROOKLYN DODGERS: THE GHOSTS OF FLATBUSH, has largely redefined and reinvigorated the genre of sports documentaries. He is acknowledged as one of sports television's most innovative executives, having won more than 75 major awards. The Brooklyn Dodgers documentary marks the third collaboration between HBO Sports and MLB Productions, following the Emmy(R)-winning "Nine Innings from Ground Zero" and "Wait 'Til Next Year: The Saga of the Chicago Cubs."

"The story of the Brooklyn Dodgers from the years 1947 through 1957 transcends sports and is an entertaining piece of American history," said Greenburg. "Major League Baseball and HBO Sports have partnered on some very compelling documentaries, and we are proud to present this latest offering to our loyal viewership."

HBO Sports has also produced other acclaimed baseball documentaries, including: "Curse of the Bambino," "Shot Heard 'Round the World" and the "When It Was a Game" trilogy, as well as compelling biographies of Babe Ruth, Joe DiMaggio and Mickey Mantle.

The executive producers of BROOKLYN DODGERS: THE GHOSTS OF FLATBUSH are Ross Greenburg and Rick Bernstein; coordinating producer is Brian Hyland; produced by Amani Martin and Ezra Edelman; original musical score by Gary Lionelli; narrated by Liev Schreiber. Produced in association with Major League Baseball Productions. BROOKLYN DODGERS: THE GHOSTS OF FLATBUSH debuts WEDNESDAY, JULY 11 (8:00-10:00 p.m. ET/PT), exclusively on HBO (http://www.hbo.com/).

First Call Analyst:
FCMN Contact:

Source: HBO

CONTACT: Valerie Harris, +1-404-966-2445, for HBO

Web site:

http://www.hbo.com/

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