Four Award-Winning Films from Africa and the African Diaspora

Will Have Their U.S. Premiere on Channel This September

ENGLEWOOD, Colo., Aug. 10 /PRNewswire/ -- Black STARZ! announced today that its widely celebrated Pan African Film Festival (PAFF), featuring award- winning films from Africa and the African Diaspora, will return to the channel for its seventh year. The films will be telecast on each Tuesday in September at 11:30 p.m. (ET/PT) beginning September 7, 2004, with additional playdates throughout the month.

"We are very pleased to offer this unique and exciting viewing experience to our subscribers again this year," said Brett Marottoli, director of multicultural program acquisitions, Starz Encore Group. "The PAFF has become rooted in the Black STARZ! tradition, giving us the opportunity to celebrate the vitality and mastery of filmmakers from Africa and the African Diaspora."

For this year's PAFF, Black STARZ! will present four films from countries around the world. The films are: "Malunde" (South Africa), "Madame Sata" (Brazil), "Tasuma" (Burkina Faso), and "The Killing Zone" (Ghana/Brooklyn).

* In the South African drama "Malunde," an unlikely friendship forms

between two survivors of the Apartheid era: Wonderboy, an eleven-year- old trying to survive on the streets of Johannesburg, and Kobus, a

former soldier of the apartheid army, now shiftless and unemployed.

Their lives become inextricably intertwined when Wonderboy, fleeing

from crack dealers, uses Kobus' van as his getaway vehicle. Kobus

continuously tries to rid himself of the "little gangster," but

Wonderboy's street smarts and Kobus' paternal instincts ultimately keep

the pair together and pave the way for an unexpected journey. Directed

by Stefanie Sycholt. Winner of six awards at the 2001 Avanti (South

African Film) Awards, including Best Film, Best Director, Best

Cinematography and Best Actor.

* "Madame Sata" is a story inspired by the remarkable life of Joao

Francisco dos Santos (1900-1976), a figure rooted in Brazilian popular

culture. As a renowned bandit, transvestite, convict, and father to

seven adopted children, dos Santos embraces the life of a gay performer

in 1932 Rio de Janeiro, and the drag artiste Madame Sata is born.

Directed by Karim Ainouz, "Madame Sata" was the winner of the 2003

Cinema Brazil Grand Prize, the 2004 Glitter Award for Best Feature -

Foreign Film Festival, and the 2002 Gold Hugo Award at the Chicago

International Film Festival.

* From Burkina Faso comes the heartwarming comedy "Tasuma," the story of

a West African village elder who fought with the French army during

World War II. After being denied his military pension for over fifty

years, Sogo Sanon "Tasuma" (Mamadou Zerbo) becomes determined to obtain

the money rightfully due him. After approaching his government, he

becomes certain that he will receive the money shortly and buys his

village a much-needed grain mill on credit. When the money does not

arrive, however, Sogo is put in prison because he cannot reimburse his

loan, and the women of his village rally support to make sure that

justice is served. "Tasuma" is currently enjoying the most successful

theatrical release of all time in Burkina Faso. Directed by Daniel

Kollo Sanou.

* "The Killing Zone" is the story of Dr. Malcolm Ojewku (Isaach de

Bankole), an affluent Harlem psychiatrist whose life is thrown into

turmoil when he witnesses the murder of his adoptive father by a

twelve-year-old in Brooklyn. Compelled to search for the killer of his

father -- who had saved him from a Nigerian refugee camp as a child --

Malcolm obsessively searches the streets of Brooklyn and, in the

process, is forced to confront memories of his own past. Shot on

location in Ghana and Brooklyn. Directed by Joe Brewster. Winner of the

Special Jury Prize at the Lake Placid Film Forum, the Revolution Award

at the Image Nation Film Festival, and 1st Prize Best Film at the Black

Filmmaker's Hall of fame.

Black STARZ! is the only movie channel created exclusively to meet the unique entertainment choices of the African American community. Black STARZ! has produced several original film projects, most recently "The Last of the Mississippi Jukes" and the Peabody Award winning "A Huey P. Newton Story" starring Roger Guenveur Smith and directed by Spike Lee, nominated for two NAACP Image Awards. Other productions include the critically acclaimed "Funny Valentines" (in association with Studio USA Pictures and STARZ! Pictures), starring Alfre Woodard, Loretta Devine and CCH Pounder, and original documentaries "Scandalize My Name: Stories from the Blacklist," hosted by actor Morgan Freeman and the highly regarded "Melvin Van Peebles' Classified X" by the godfather of contemporary African American cinema, Melvin Van Peebles.

Starz is the largest provider of premium movie services in the United States with approximately 164 million pay units. Starz offerings include the Starz Super Pak(R), with up to 13 digital movie channels and more than 750 movies per month, Starz On Demand(R), the only on-demand pay TV subscription service available on the cable and satellite platforms, and its broadband equivalent, STARZ! Ticket(sm). Starz also offers a suite of advanced video offerings, including STARZ! HD(sm), Encore HD(sm), and Starz On Demand HD(sm). Starz is a wholly owned subsidiary of Liberty Media Corporation (NYSE:L; LMCb), http://www.starz.com .

Contacts: Chelsye J. Burrows Michelle Ellis

Starz Encore Group Starz Encore Group

720.852.5838 720.852.6269

chelsye.burrows@starz.com michelle.ellis@starz.com

SOURCE Starz Encore Group

CO: Starz Encore Group

ST: Colorado

SU: BLK

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

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