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JAMAICA DOGSLED TEAM DOCUMENTARY SUN DOGS TO PREMIERE AT CANADA’S REELWORLD FILM FESTIVAL APRIL 12, 2007
OCHO RIOS, Jamaica
March 26, 2006
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OCHO RIOS, Jamaica (March 26, 2006) – SUN DOGS, the feature documentary chronicling the struggle and adventure of the founding of the Jamaica Dogsled Team, will premiere at the ReelWorld Film Festival (RWFF) on April 12, 2007. The film has been singled out for a Gala Presentation and will be a Festival highlight; the screening will be in Cinema 3 at the Toronto’s Rainbow Cinemas Market Square, 8:30pm – 10:00pm.
The SUN DOGS story began when Jamaican Danny Melville, Chairman and CEO of Chukka Caribbean Adventures, saw a unique sled that was designed for dry-land sleddog racing and thought it would be a great idea for Jamaica. Melville put together a team of dogs -- many of them strays from the Jamaica Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (JSPCA) – convinced Devon Anderson, the Director of Operations for Chukka who has a way with animals, to be a musher and brought singer/songwriter Jimmy Buffett and the popular Margaritaville chain on board as a sponsor – Buffett is the team’s “godfather” and namesake to one of the lead dogs. In December 2005 the Jamaica Dogsled Team was officially launched to the chant now being heard around the world -- “Mush Mon.”
SUN DOGS has been produced and directed by Toronto-based filmmaker, Andrea Stewart and her company Dog Leg Media in association with Palm Pictures, who will also distribute the film worldwide. Executive producers are David Koh, Chris Blackwell, Danny Melville and Leigh Ingleby.
"I'm thrilled that SUN DOGS was invited to be screened as part of the Jamaica Spotlight in the ReelWorld Film Festival in Toronto,” says Stewart. “ReelWorld excels in showcasing thought-provoking cinema that reflects true diversity. It's an honor to be included in this year's excellent program."
“I knew that I must be involved in SUN DOGS when I first heard about the Dogsled Team,” said Chris Blackwell, Founder of Palm Pictures. “My love for Jamaica and the spirit of its vibrant people made this film a perfect fit for me. I am very keen on supporting the people of Jamaica and exposing their talents to the world.”
Shot on High Definition, SUN DOGS was filmed over 10 months in 2005-2006 and follows the team’s progress – the ups and downs of training the rescued Jamaican dogs, their lease on life and the individual stories of novice mushers Devon Anderson and Newton Marshall. Their journey through the sleddog racing scene in Scotland and North America and Melville's desire to showcase the spirit, initiative and potential of Jamaicans and Jamaica provide a dramatic story line around which a larger discussion about Jamaica’s continuing social struggle is wrapped. The film’s energetic soundtrack reflects the flavor of Jamaica, as do short animated vignettes of a cartoon version of the Jamaica Dogsled Team.
Training is currently under way at the Chukka Cove Farm in Ocho Rios in preparation for the launch of the unique Dogsled Tour Experience to be offered by Chukka Caribbean Adventures on April 13, 2007.
For more information about SUN DOGS and the Jamaica Dogsled Team visit:
www.jamaicadogsled.com;
Chukka Caribbean Adventures: www.chukkacaribbean.com;
ReelWorld Film Festival:
www.reelworld.ca;
Palm Pictures:
www.palmpictures.com.
About Chukka Caribbean Adventures
Founded in 1983, Chukka Caribbean Adventures is now the number one land-based nature adventure tour provider in the region, offering thirty-two tours in Jamaica, Belize, The Bahamas, and Turks & Caicos Islands. Collectively, the operations delivered over 250,000 adventure tours to cruise and hotel guests in 2006. With a commitment to deliver the highest quality tours with well trained guides and stringent safety standards, Chukka takes pride in showcasing the natural beauty of the Caribbean through unique and sensational experiences and providing opportunities for local residents and businesses. Awards include “Shore Excursion of the Year 2004/2005” for Montego Bay and Ocho Rios by Princess Cruises and the Jamaica Hotel and Tourist Association “Attraction of the Year Award 2005/2006.”
Chukka Caribbean Adventures – See more. Do more!
About Palm Pictures
Palm Pictures (www.palmpictures.com) is a leader in the converging music, digital media, theatrical and home video markets, emphasizing a compelling slate of music documentaries, arthouse and foreign cinema, and original audio/visual projects. Palm Pictures was founded in 1998 by Chris Blackwell, an innovator in the entertainment business who founded Island Records, Island Pictures and Island Outpost, and who was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2001. Palm Pictures' entertainment properties include a film and music division, Arthouse Films, RES Media Group, sputnik7.com, and epitonic.com. Palm Pictures is headquartered in New York City and has offices in London.
Recent theatrical film releases include Venice and Sundance award winner 13 TZAMETI by Gela Babluani and Independent Spirit Award nominee THE MOTEL, starring Kang Sung, written and directed by Michael Kang. Upcoming theatrical releases include Keven McAlester’s YOU’RE GONNA MISS ME – about the life of Roky Erickson, and Rolf de Heer’s Cannes award winning tale of the Australian aboriginal life, TEN CANOES.
About ReelWorld Film Festival
Touted as the “Sundance of Canada,” the ReelWorld Film Festival has become the portal for emerging Canadian filmmakers. Actress and entrepreneur Tonya Lee Williams, best known for her 15-year starring role on The Young and The Restless, founded RWFF in 2001 in direct response to a lack of positive diverse stories on screen and sustainable opportunities for emerging talent of colour trying to break into the Canadian entertainment industry. Since its inception RWFF the festival has featured 66 world premieres, twenty four international premieres, 147 Canadian premieres, 77 Toronto premieres, and films from 40 countries.
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