Digital entertainment curator FilmBuff announced today that it would release the gripping documentary THE NETWORK, chronicling the birth of the first and most successful media network in Afghanistan, TOLO TV. FilmBuff will release the film theatrically for exclusive engagements in New York and Los Angeles, and then on all VOD platforms October 8.
This compelling and eye-opening doc follows Afghanistan's first independent television network - TOLO TV - and the group of family members and dedicated staff behind it. Launched in 2004, TOLO TV has grown to be Afghanistan's largest and most successful television network. It employs over 800 Afghans and produces a wide range of news, current affairs, drama, comedy, music and lifestyle programs. But, as the country faces the impending withdrawal of foreign troops, and with security rapidly deteriorating, the film reveals an uncertain future for the network and its employees, many of whom are women.
Directed by Oscar-winner Eva Orner (Taxi To The Dark Side), and featuring Saad Mohseni (Chairman of Afghanistan's MOBY Group), Tom Freston (former CEO of Viacom), and others, THE NETWORK had its world premiere at the 2013 SXSW Film Festival and then most recently screened at the 2013 Sheffield Doc/Fest.
"Eva's film paints a vivid and compelling picture of the birth of TOLO TV, a true pioneer in Afghanistan's media landscape," says FilmBuff's Head of Content Partnerships Steven Beckman. "We are thrilled to share this story with the world as it really shows the power of independent media and the impact a small group of dedicated people can have on national political dialogue."
"What really drew me to this story was that it tells a very different narrative of Afghanistan from the one most of us are familiar with" says director Eva Orner. "It is not a story about war and the military but instead a film about the reconstruction of a country and the power of media. It is a story about how a handful of people can completely change a country. And it is the story of a group of brave, young, talented Afghans who just want a chance at life."
THE NETWORK will open in theaters in New York on September 27 and Los Angeles on October 4 with additional markets to follow. FilmBuff will release the film on VOD October 8 in the US and Canada on all leading On Demand platforms including iTunes, Amazon Instant Video, Cable Movies On Demand, YouTube, XBOX, Sony Playstation, Cinemanow and Vudu.
Below is a list of cities and theaters to date:
New York, NY: September 27,
IFC Center
Los Angeles, CA: October 4, Laemmle Music Hall
