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Louisiana Senator Mary Landrieu to Introduce Foster Care Legislation in Conjunction With Screening of Lifetime Original Movie 'America'

Posted on: Tuesday, 5 May 2009, 14:28 CDT

Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute to Screen Movie on Capitol Hill with Special Guests SENATOR MARY LANDRIEU and Film's Star/Executive Producer ROSIE O'DONNELL to Highlight National Foster Care Month

WASHINGTON, May 5 /PRNewswire/ -- In conjunction with the Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute's (CCAI) screening of the Lifetime Original Movie America tomorrow, U.S. Senator Mary Landrieu (D-LA) will introduce the Foster Care Mentoring Act of 2009, which seeks to connect foster children with caring mentors. At the request of Senator Landrieu and the CCAI, Lifetime Television and Sony Pictures Television will hold a private screening of the critically acclaimed film on Wednesday, May 6, at 5:30 P.M. at the U.S. Capitol Visitor Center in Washington, D.C. Special guests scheduled to attend the event include Senator Landrieu, America star/executive producer and Emmy(R) Award-winner Rosie O'Donnell as well as three-time Emmy(R) Award-nominated executive producer Larry Sanitsky. May is National Foster Care Month.

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"After seeing America on Lifetime in February, I wanted to screen this important film for other Members of Congress and foster care advocates in our nation's capitol," Senator Mary Landrieu said. "America is a powerful movie that does a great job highlighting some of the perils facing our nation's foster youth - especially those who are on the cusp of aging out of the system - and how critical it is for these young people to have caring mentors while in foster care. With the legislation we are introducing, we are taking steps to ensure that."

O'Donnell executive produced and starred in the powerful film, which premiered on Lifetime Television on February 28, 2009, and was watched by 3.2 million viewers. Upon seeing America, Senator Landrieu, a Board Member of the CCAI, urged the Coalition to host a screening on Capitol Hill for Members of Congress, Congressional staff and foster care and adoption advocates.

In addition to child foster care, Lifetime Networks' advocacy initiatives span a wide range of issues affecting women and their families. Over the past 25 years, the Company's advocacy activities have played integral roles in securing the passage of five major bills into law, including legislation that combats human trafficking, prevents sexual assault and provides services to victims of domestic violence.

O'Donnell will next be seen on July 26 as a guest star in the third episode of Lifetime Television's all-new comedic drama series Drop Dead Diva, premiering on the number one women's network this summer.

ABOUT THE FOSTER CARE MENTORING ACT OF 2009

The Foster Care Mentoring Act of 2009 proposes to connect children in foster care with responsible caring adults by authorizing $15 million to establish statewide foster care mentoring programs, providing $4 million to begin a national public awareness campaign for mentor recruitment programs and allowing loans up to $20,000 in federal student loan forgiveness for those who volunteer to mentor a child in care.

ABOUT THE MOVIE

Based on E.R. Frank's book of the same name, America takes viewers on the emotional journey of the novel's title character, seventeen-year-old America, as he navigates the United States foster care system. O'Donnell leads the movie's cast as a therapist who gives America the support to deal with his troubled past and find the courage to survive against all odds. Newcomer Philip Johnson makes his acting debut in the title role alongside Academy Award(R)-nominee and Emmy(R) Award-winning actress Ruby Dee (American Gangster, Decoration Day).

America reunited O'Donnell with three-time Emmy(R)-nominated producer Larry Sanitsky (The Last Don, Oldest Living Confederate Widow Tells All, Paris Trout) and writer Joyce Eliason (Gracie's Choice), with whom she worked on the 2005 CBS telefilm Riding the Bus with My Sister. Multiple Emmy(R) Award-winner Yves Simoneau (Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee, Napoleon) directed the Sony Pictures Television film.

SYNOPSIS

Dr. Maureen Brennan (O'Donnell) has spent her career counseling teens as a therapist at Ridgeway, a residential treatment facility for foster kids who are on the cusp of "aging out" of the "system." Her newest patient is seventeen-year-old America (Johnson), a withdrawn and troubled boy who has been in foster care since infancy. As a youngster, America initially found stability in the arms of Mrs. Harper (Dee), an elderly nanny to one of his foster families. A few days before the start of kindergarten, though, America is reunited with his birth mother, only to be abandoned yet again and left at the mercy of an imperfect system. After years of sexual abuse, America is full of anger and confusion and attempts suicide, landing him at Ridgeway. There, Dr. Brennan slowly helps him open up about his painful past and provides him with the support and courage to reclaim his life before the system turns its back.

ABOUT THE PRODUCTION

America was produced by The Sanitsky Company in association with Sony Pictures Television for Lifetime Television. Sanitsky and O'Donnell served as executive producers. Simoneau co-produced and directed from Eliason and O'Donnell's adaptation of the story from E.R. Frank's novel America. David Rosemont (Lifetime's Sex & Lies in Sin City: The Ted Binion Scandal, The Company) was the producer.

ABOUT SONY PICTURES TELEVISION

Sony Pictures Television is one of the television industry's leading content providers. It produces and distributes programming in every genre, including series, telefilms, theatrical releases and family entertainment around the world and for every platform: broadcast and cable television, first-run and off-network syndication and digital distribution. In addition to one of the industry's largest libraries of feature films and television shows, SPT boasts a current program slate that includes the top-rated daytime dramas and game shows, landmark off-network series, original animated series and critically acclaimed primetime dramas, comedies and telefilms. SPT is also a leader in the field of international television production with over 9,000 hours of programming in 13 local languages in over 30 countries. To better serve its clients and partners worldwide, SPT maintains offices throughout the world, including Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Hungary, India, Italy, Japan, Korea, Mexico, the Netherlands, the People's Republic of China, Russia, Singapore, Spain, Venezuela and the United Kingdom. SPT's worldwide television networks portfolio is a key strategy in SPE's long-range commitment to the global marketplace, with over 50 networks in more than 130 countries reaching almost 400 million households worldwide. SPT also creates original content for and manages SPE's premium video website, Crackle. Additionally, SPT is a part owner of cable channel GSN, FEARnet, the premier horror/thriller website and VOD service, and national media sales company ITN Networks, Inc. SPT advertiser sales is one of the premiere national advertising sales companies, handling the commercial inventory in SPT's syndicated series as well as in all of SPE's digital businesses in the United States, and for Sony Music Entertainment. Sony Pictures Television (www.sonypicturestelevision.com) is a Sony Pictures Entertainment company.

ABOUT THE CONGRESSIONAL COALITION ON ADOPTION INSTITUTE

The Congressional Coalition and Adoption Institute (CCAI) is a non-governmental, non-profit organization that strives to be an objective, educational resource for information critical to advancing the efforts of federal policymakers on behalf of children in need of homes. Our mission is to raise awareness of the millions of children around the world in need of safe, loving and permanent families and to eliminating the barriers that hinder children from realizing their basic right to a family. We achieve this mission through five core programs, all designed to provide an up close and personal experience with issues that affect orphans and foster youth.

ABOUT LIFETIME TELEVISION

Lifetime is the leader in women's television and one of the top-rated basic cable television networks. A diverse, multi-media company, Lifetime is committed to offering the highest quality entertainment and information programming, and advocating a wide range of issues affecting women and their families. Lifetime Television, Lifetime Movie Network, Lifetime Real Women and Lifetime Digital (which includes myLifetime.com, Mothersclick.com, Lifetime Games, Roiworld.com and DressupChallenge.com) are part of Lifetime Entertainment Services, a 50/50 joint venture of Hearst Corporation and The Walt Disney Company.

Photography is available at www.lifetimepress.com.

SOURCE Lifetime

Source: PR Newswire

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