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SILVERDOCS Announces Opening and Closing Night Films

US Premiere of Lionsgate’s MORE THAN A GAME to Open Festival

World Premiere of HBO’S NINE LIVES OF MARION BARRY to Close SILVERDOCS

AFI-Discovery Channel SILVERDOCS announces the opening and closing night films for SILVERDOCS 2009. The Festival will open on Monday June 15, 2009 with the US Premiere of Lionsgate’s MORE THAN A GAME, directed by Kristopher Belman, and will close on Saturday, June 20, with the World Premiere of the HBO Documentary Film THE NINE LIVES OF MARION BARRY, directed by Dana Flor and Toby Oppenheimer. SILVERDOCS presents eight days of programming showcasing 100 films plus special screenings, music performances and dozens of panel discussions featuring hundreds of filmmakers, subjects and media professionals. Now in its seventh year, SILVERDOCS—along with its concurrent International Documentary Conference—is the pre-eminent documentary Festival in the US.

A remarkable coming of age story about friendship and loyalty in the face of great adversity, Kristopher Belman’s MORE THAN A GAME follows the incredible rise (and occasional fall) of five talented young basketball players from Akron, Ohio. Led by future NBA superstar LeBron James and coached by a charismatic yet initially inexperienced player’s father, Dru Joyce III, the “Fab Five’s” improbable seven-year journey lead them from a decrepit inner-city gym to the doorstep of a national high school championship. Director Kristopher Belman, Coach Dru Joyce and players Willie McGee, Romeo Travis and Sian Cotton will be in attendance. Schedule permitting, LeBron James and other special guests will attend.

The Festival will close with the World Premiere of the HBO Documentary Film THE NINE LIVES OF MARION BARRY, directed by Dana Flor and Toby Oppenheimer. Many people remember Marion Barry as the philandering drug-using mayor of the nation's capital, who was famously caught in a 1990 FBI sting operation. Yet others know him as a folk hero, a civil rights champion and defender of the poor. Barry’s soaring achievements, catastrophic failures and phoenix-like rebirths have made him a symbol of mythic indestructibility. Who is Marion Barry, really? A hero? A scoundrel? Why is he such a polarizing force? And why do people still vote for him? For the first time, THE NINE LIVES OF MARION BARRY reveals the complete unforgettable story. Directors Dana Flor and Toby Oppenheimer are scheduled to attend along with Marion Barry and other special guests.

“We are thrilled to open the 2009 SILVERDOCS Festival with Kristopher Belman’s MORE THAN A GAME,” said Sky Sitney, SILVERDOCS Artistic Director. “With a heart-racing narrative and magnificent cast of subjects, the film addresses both contemporary social issues and personal struggles and triumphs, and is an inspiring message to all.”

Of the closing night film, Sitney said, “THE NINE LIVES OF MARION BARRY is not just a DC story about one man’s rise and fall, but a universal story of promise, disillusionment, and the quest for redemption. While its message speaks globally, we are thrilled to launch the film in the city that serves not merely as an essential backdrop to the story, but as a character itself.”

For further information on Lionsgate’s MORE THAN A GAME please visit: www.lionsgatepublicity.com/epk/morethanagame/

For further information on HBO’s THE NINE LIVES OF MARION BARRY please visit:
www.hbo.com/docs

WHATS NEW FOR SILVERDOCS 2009
The Good Pitch. The Good Pitch, an innovative documentary pitch forum for filmmakers will be featured for the first time in the US at SILVERDOCS. Channel 4 BRITDOC Foundation, in partnership with Sundance Institute Documentary Film Program created The Good Pitch in 2008 to give filmmakers a unique opportunity to pitch social-issue documentary projects with associated campaign strategies to NGOs, Charities, foundations, campaigners, advertising agencies, brands and media. It will make a stop at the Toronto Documentary Forum May 6-7 as part of the Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival ]before coming to SILVERDOCS.

Guggenheim. The Festival’s signature program, the Charles Guggenheim Symposium, honors the legacy of artistic excellence, profound respect for humanity and democratic values of the late four-time Academy Award winning Guggenheim. In 2009, the Symposium will fete the legendary pioneer of “direct cinema” Albert Maysles in person for his extraordinary body of work, including THE SALESMAN, GIMME SHELTER, GREY GARDENS and last year’s THE GATES.

About SILVERDOCS
AFI-Discovery Channel SILVERDOCS Documentary Festival is an eight-day internationally recognized event that honors excellence in filmmaking, supports the diverse voices and free expression of independent storytellers and celebrates the power of documentary to improve our understanding of the world. Now in its seventh year, the festival runs June 15-22 at the AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center in the Washington, DC area. The 2008 Festival featured 108 films from 63 countries presented to over 25,000 attendees, including the influential audiences of the nation’s capital and media professionals from around the world. The concurrent five-day SILVERDOCS International Documentary Conference presents thought-provoking presentations and engages a diverse group of over 1,000 filmmakers and industry leaders concerned with the future of non-fiction storytelling, production and distribution. For more information, go to SILVERDOCS.com.

About the American Film Institute
AFI is a national institute providing leadership in screen education and the recognition and celebration of excellence in the art of film, television and digital media. Additional information about AFI is available at AFI.com.

About Discovery Communications
Discovery Communications is the world’s number-one non-fiction media company reaching more than 1.5 billion cumulative subscribers in over 170 countries. Discovery empowers people to explore their world and satisfy their curiosity through 100-plus worldwide networks, led by Discovery Channel, TLC, Animal Planet, Science Channel, Planet Green, Investigation Discovery and HD Theater, as well as leading consumer and educational products and services, and a diversified portfolio of digital media services including www.HowStuffWorks.com. Discovery Communications is owned by Discovery Holding Company (NASDAQ: DISCA, DISCB), Advance/Newhouse Communications and John S. Hendricks, Discovery's founder and chairman. For more information, please visit www.discoverycommunications.com.