Fetes Actor Wes Studi With Westerns Channel Award
Celebrates 100th Anniversary of Westerns at Fest With Screenings of Silent
Westerns Plus Original Documentaries and Seminar on Native American
Portrayals in Westerns
ENGLEWOOD, Colo., Oct. 9 /PRNewswire/ -- Starz Encore's Westerns channel
is sponsoring a focus on Western films at this year's 26th annual Starz Denver
International Film Festival (SDIFF) with the anticipation of continuing it on
an annual basis, it was jointly announced by Festival Director Ron Henderson
and Robert Leighton, president of Starz Encore Entertainment. In addition to
this year's film and seminar programming, Starz Encore will present the
Westerns Channel Award to actor Wes Studi. Studi will receive the award
following the screening of his 1993 film "Geronimo: An American Legend" on
Friday, October 17 at the Starz FilmCenter at the Tivoli (9th Avenue and
Auraria Parkway, Denver). Additionally, the Westerns channel will celebrate
the 100th anniversary of the Western film with festival screenings of early
silent Westerns, two original documentaries, plus a seminar on the portrayal
of Native Americans in film.
This year, the Western film celebrates its 100th anniversary, and the
Westerns channel has commemorated this landmark centennial with "A Century of
Westerns," a yearlong retrospective covering this distinctly American genre,
hosted by acclaimed actor James Garner. During SDIFF, the Westerns channel
will present a variety of events at the Starz FilmCenter at the Tivoli,
including the following screenings and seminar:
-- "Go West, Young Man" (2003) -- In this bittersweet documentary, two
Dutch filmmakers inspired by the Western film centennial, take a
journey to Colorado in search of the remains of the once mighty
Western genre (October 13 at 8:30 p.m.).
-- A screening of three silent films: "The Great Train Robbery" (1903),
widely acknowledged as the first Western film, "The Great K & A Train
Robbery" (1926), and "Trail of '98" (1928), hosted by film historian
David Emrich (October 15 beginning at 6:30 p.m.).
-- "Images of Indians: How Hollywood Stereotyped the Native American,"
an original Westerns channel production screens on Saturday,
October 18 followed by a seminar panel with the filmmakers,
actor Studi and Academy Award(R)-winning producer, director, and
Denver resident Donna Dewey (Chiefs). The screening and seminar
takes place on October 18 at 1:30 p.m. (participants subject to
change).
Comments Leighton, "We are very happy and uniquely positioned to help
celebrate Western films and honor the people who made them. The Western film
genre is among the most distinctly American of inventions and its popularity
endures, as is evidenced by the continuing appeal of the Westerns channel.
And what better place for this than Denver, at the annual Starz Denver
International Film Festival?"
About Wes Studi
An American Indian of the Cherokee Nation, Wes Studi began acting after
serving in Vietnam. His work in theater led to roles on television before a
series of groundbreaking Westerns: "Dances with Wolves" (1990), "The Last of
the Mohicans" (1992), and "Geronimo: An American Legend" (1993) catapulted him
to critical acclaim. Studi's other screen credits include "Crazy Horse"
(1996), "Mystery Men" (1999), and "Undisputed" (2002). Most recently, he
appeared as Navajo detective Joe Leaphorn in the television adaptations of
author Tony Hillerman's "Skinwalkers" (2002) and "Coyote Waits" (2003).
The Westerns channel, whose slogan is "Saddle Up with the Legends(R)," is
part of the Starz Super Pak and is available on cable and satellite systems
throughout the country. Film and television cowboy icon Dennis Weaver has
hosted the channel since 1997.
Starz Encore Group LLC (Starz Encore) is the largest provider of premium
movie services in the United States with approximately 142 million pay units.
Starz Encore offerings include the Starz Super Pak(R), with up to 13 digital
movie channels and about 800 movies per month, Starz On Demand(R), the only
on-demand pay TV subscription service available on cable, satellite, and
broadband platforms, and a suite of advanced video offerings, including STARZ!
HD(SM), STARZ! Hi Res(SM), and Starz On Demand HD(SM). Starz Encore is a
wholly-owned subsidiary of Liberty Media Corporation (NYSE: L, LMCb),
http://www.starzencore.com .
For further information, please contact: Steve Belgard of Starz Encore,
+1-720-852-5843, steve.belgard@starzencore.com ; or Britta Erickson of SDIFF,
+1-303-595-3456 ext. 20, britta@denverfilm.com .
SOURCE Starz Encore Group LLC
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Related links:
http://www.starzencore.com
CONTACT:
Steve Belgard of Starz Encore,
+1-720-852-5843, steve.belgard@starzencore.com ; or Britta
Erickson of SDIFF, +1-303-595-3456 ext. 20, britta@denverfilm.com
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