Ovation TV, America's only arts network, has acquired the US premiere rights to a hilarious documentary special that follows international superstar Isabella Rossellini (Blue Velvet, Death Becomes Her) around the world as she prepares for and performs her one woman show. Isabella Rossellini's Green Porno Live! is part live performance and part behind the scenes and will debut in the US exclusively on Ovation TV in Spring 2015.
After making 38 short films in the Green Porno series that delve into the mating and sexual habits that animals, insects and marine life exhibit in nature, Ms. Rossellini took her comedic spin on the subject to the stage. Although deemed the world's most beautiful woman, she is not above sporting a unitard or zany costume to show us how houseflies and earthworms reproduce.
"Green Porno started as a little experiment for a two minute short film," Ms. Rossellini says. "I would have never imagined that I would produce almost 40 short films, publish a book, write a monologue with the great Jean-Claude Carriere and perform it in over 40 cities on three continents."
In Isabella Rossellini's Green Porno Live!, we follow Ms. Rossellini's international stage tour from cobblestone piazzas to small and large theaters to outdoor forums, witnessing how she adapts to each location and meets with her amazing fans.
"Don't let Isabella Rossellini's quiet elegance fool you for one second! In her live show, she explains
ANIMAL reproduction like you've never seen it before," says Scott Woodward, SVP, Programming and Production, Ovation TV. "This documentary shows the evolution of her incredibly original Green Pornos, from short films to stage show, and how she prepares her costumes, works on dialogue, and deals with the technical and logistical issues. She controls it all. It's her passion project and
Ovation TV is the perfect home for this wildly comic and entertaining special."
Isabella Rossellini co-wrote Green Porno Live! with Jean-Claude Carriere. The documentary is a production of
Sundance Productions with Laura Michalchyshyn executive producing. Jody Shapiro (Burt's Buzz, How to Start Your Own Country) is directing with Rick Gilbert and
Sundance Productions' Molly O'Keefe producing and Stacey Foster editing. Green Porno Live! is a co-production with Japanese premium pay TV broadcaster WOWOW. International sales company Forward Entertainment has also come on board.
"We are delighted to be working with Isabella and this incredible team of creatives," said Executive Producer Laura Michalchyshyn. "We are nearing the 10 year anniversary of the Green Porno shorts and now is the perfect time to take viewers on the incredible journey with this portrait of an artist."
"The success of our endeavor is also a manifestation of a new interest in the environment, especially among the younger generations. I chose humor as my expression because many taboos or difficult subject matters such as environmental problems or sex and gender definitions are easier to address if we approach them with humor," Ms. Rossellini adds. "Besides, I love to laugh. It's my favorite thing in the world and I am an entertainer."
For more information on Ovation TV's programming lineup, visit www.ovationtv.com.
About Isabella Rossellini
Isabella Rossellini is an internationally renowned and multi?dimensional talent. In the 30 years since starting her career, Isabella has found success as an acclaimed actor, director,
ANIMAL advocate and model. She has starred in films such as Blue Velvet, Fearless, and Death Becomes Her. Most recently, she won accolades for her series of short films entitled Green Porno in which she shares her passion for activism and love of animals. Isabella, known for her beauty as the face of Lancôme for over 10 years, is now active on both sides of the camera.
About
Sundance Productions
Founded in 2012 by Robert Redford with Laura Michalchyshyn,
Sundance Productions develops and produces innovative fiction and non-fiction content for linear and digital platforms. The company partners with leading storytellers, directors, and producers for documentaries, authentic tentpole series and specials across all platforms. Recent productions include: Discovery's All the President's Men Revisited, PBS' The March,
CNN series
CHICAGOLAND and
DEATH ROW STORIES with Alex Gibney. They are currently in production with Stephen David Entertainment on non-scripted series The West for Discovery/DRG. Fall 2014 releases included Robert Redford's The Salk Institute, part of Cathedrals Of Culture with EP Wim Wenders and the feature documentary To Russia With Love, which chronicles the experience of LGBT athletes in Russia during the Sochi games.
About Ovation
Ovation TV is America's only arts network, whose mission is to inspire the world through all forms of art and artistic expression.
Ovation TV programming is a one-of-a-kind mix of original and selectively curated art-centric series, documentaries, films and specials. Ovation TV's signature programming includes The Art Of, A Young Doctor's Notebook, and The Fashion Fund.
Ovation TV reaches a national audience of over 52 million homes and is available on cable, satellite, and telco systems, such as Comcast Cable/Xfinity, DIRECTV, Time Warner Cable, DISH, Verizon FiOS, AT&T U-Verse, Charter, Bright House Networks, RCN, and Hawaiian Telcom.
Ovation TV is also available on VOD (in both standard and high definition). Ovation TV's diversified viewer experiences extend across its linear network, the popular ovationtv.com, and active social presence on Facebook, Twitter,
Youtube and more.
Ovation TV is a cause based-media company and is deeply engaged with the arts both nationally and locally, providing more than $16 million in contributions and in-kind support to community organizations, cultural institutions, and arts education programs. See the
Ovation TV Facebook page for the latest information and conversations happening across the
Ovation TV brand and the arts: www.facebook.com/OvationTV.
Photo credit: Jody Shapiro
