Military Channel Brings G.I. Film Festival's Best Films to a National Audience Starting Veterans Day Weekend

Military Channel Brings G.I. Film Festival's Best Films to a National Audience Starting Veterans Day Weekend

SILVER SPRING, Md., Nov. 4, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- Military Channel is joining forces with the G.I. Film Festival, the nation's most prestigious film festival devoted exclusively to the heroic service of American service members. Military Channel will feature weekend blocks of some of the G.I Film Festival's award-winning documentary and narrative films showcasing themes ranging from the courage and ingenuity displayed on battlefields throughout history to the struggles of homelessness and post-traumatic stress disorder often encountered on the home front. The G.I. Film Festival block will run on Military Channel from 9-11 PM ET on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays throughout November starting on Friday, November 12, the day after Veterans Day.

"The diverse lineup of the G.I. Film Festival is a natural fit for Military Channel, which prides itself on highlighting the full spectrum of human drama, courage and patriotism intrinsic to the armed forces," said Henry Schleiff, president and general manager of Military Channel. "By providing the G.I. Film Festival a national platform, Military Channel invites its viewers to explore these beautifully produced films that resonate with the creative passion of each independent filmmaker."

"We are proud to provide our filmmakers with a national audience on one of the nation's most respected television networks," said G.I. Film Festival co-founders Brandon Millett and Laura Law-Millett. "We know Military Channel viewers will be touched and inspired by this programming. And we hope that, through our films, they gain a greater sense of appreciation for our nation's men and women in uniform."

"This national television partnership is a landmark event in the history of the G.I. Film Festival," said G.I. Film Festival Chairman Steven K. Bannon. "We now move from a DC-based event to a national organization fostering a positive image for American G.I.'s."

The opening weekend of G.I. Film Festival programming on Military Channel includes:

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 12 from 9-11 PM ET

-- SHAKEY'S HILLIn 1970, CBS News cameraman Norman Lloyd followed a
battalion of American soldiers into the jungles of Cambodia. The
mission was to seek out substantial weapons and supply caches being used
by the North Vietnamese Army during the Vietnam War. As the battalion
closed in on the location of the caches, they encountered a growing
resistance from the North Vietnamese forces. Rarely seen footage and
first-hand accounts take the audience through each firefight leading up
to the operation's climax, which came to be known as the infamous taking
of Shakey's Hill. By melding field interviews from 1970 with
retrospective interviews from 35 years later, SHAKEY'S HILL explores not
only the events leading to this successful mission but the effects of
war decades later. SHAKEY'S HILL, winner of the 2007 G.I. Film
Festival's Best Documentary Award, is produced and directed by Norman
Lloyd.

-- THE SURGE: THE UNTOLD STORYTHE SURGE: THE UNTOLD STORY, the Military
Channel Documentary Award winner at the 2010 G.I. Film Festival, offers
a look into the real story of the troop surge in Iraq, as told by top
U.S. military commanders, policy makers and soldiers on the ground.
Never-before-seen interviews with General David Petraeus, General Ray
Odierno, Ambassador Ryan Crocker and General Nasier Abadi (Iraq), among
others, move the story beyond Washington politics to explore how a
failing mission was transformed into one of the most successful military
operations in a generation of war fighting. This documentary honors the
sacrifice, courage and ingenuity of the military personnel who
confronted nearly impossible circumstances, but found success through
their dedication and hard work. THE SURGE: THE UNTOLD STORY is
presented by the Institute for the Study of War with Kim Kagan and Russ
Schriefer as executive producers and Jason Killian Meath as director.

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 13 from 9-11 PM ET

-- TRIANGLE OF DEATHFirst-time filmmaker Marine Sergeant Folleh Shar Tamba
tells the story of a foreign land engulfed in daily combat in TRIANGLE
OF DEATH, winner of the 2009 G.I. Film Festival Founder's Choice Award.
Living day-to-day and seeing a country that wants to change, the 2nd
Battalion 24th Marines' struggles are chronicled in this poignant film.
TRIANGLE OF DEATH is a story of people helping people, regardless of
politics, presidents or public opinion. Told by the Marines who saw it
firsthand, this is the story of the triangle of death and how its people
chose to participate in Iraq's first democratic national elections.
TRIANGLE OF DEATH is produced by Wolf Dog Films with Folleh Tamba as
director, Juan Montelongo and Thomas Hartmann as producers.

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 14 from 9-11 PM ET

-- L-BIRD: THE LITTLE PLANE THAT DIDThey weighed less than 800 pounds and
were completely unarmed - but these cloth-covered spotter planes, the
L-Birds, created more chaos than any other aircraft used in WWII.
Flying low and slow to see enemy movement, the L-Birds would call in
artillery fire to rain death and destruction onto their targets. Thanks
to an innovative suspended landing system that hung above trees or over
the sides of ships, pilots of these unique planes could land and take
off without even touching the ground. Hosted by Academy-award winning
actor Cliff Robertson, L-BIRD: THE LITTLE PLANE THAT DID profiles this
little-known but astonishing warplane, which earned a reputation as the
deadliest plane used in WWII. L-BIRD: THE LITTLE PLANE THAT DID is
produced by On Air Media from the Drury TV Studios with Brian Shipman as
director.

-- GOD AND COUNTRYIn the spring of 1942, the world was at war. Hitler had
swept unchecked across the European landscape and was pounding at the
doors of Great Britain. To break the stalemate with Great Britain, the
Germans began developing a new weapon at a secret research facility in
Poland. GOD AND COUNTRY is a dramatic film portraying a team of three
Americans who put their lives on the line to stop the German's
diabolical plan. GOD AND COUNTRY, winner of the "Best Narrative Short"
at the 2008 G.I. Film Festival, is executive produced and directed by
Daniel Piatt.

About G.I. Film Festival

The award-winning G.I. Film Festival, which is entering its fifth year, is held annually in Washington, D.C. each May. The festival has featured nearly 150 narrative and documentary full-length and short films that entertain, captivate and inspire audiences by featuring the full range of human emotions experienced by American G.I.'s. From world premiere screenings, panel discussions, congressional receptions, and Filmmaker Boot Camps, the G.I. Film Festival provides the production community, the armed forces and festival attendees with an exciting slate of events each year. In 2010, The G.I. Film Festival was honored with the American Legion National Commander's PR Award for its efforts to foster greater understanding of the successes and sacrifices of American G.I.'s. Past recipients include Tim Russert, Tom Brokaw and Lou Dobbs. For more information on the 2011 G.I. Film Festival, please visit www.gifilmfestival.com.

About Military Channel

The Military Channel brings viewers compelling, real-world stories of heroism, military strategy, and significant turning points in history. Currently available in more than 57 million homes, the network takes viewers "behind the lines" to hear the personal stories of servicemen and women and offers in-depth explorations of military training, aviation technology and cutting-edge weaponry. As the only cable network devoted to military subjects, it also provides unique access to this world, allowing viewers to understand the full spectrum of experiences intrinsic to the armed forces, as well as the long-held traditions of the military. For more information, please visit military.discovery.com.

SOURCE Military Channel

Military Channel

CONTACT: David Schaefer, +1-240-662-2954, David_Schaefer@discovery.com, Brandon Millett, +1-703-597-6226, press@gifilmfestival.com

Web Site: http://www.gifilmfestival.com

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