AOL True Stories Inks ITVS Deal

DULLES, April 23: The documentary site AOL True Stories has
announced a deal to offer expanded preview excerpts of Independent Television
Service’s (ITVS) Sentenced Home and Knocking
before they premiere on PBS.

The two films are set to air on the U.S. public broadcaster
as part of the Emmy-winning Independent Lens series. Sentenced Home,
a film by Nicole Newnham and David Grabius, examines how the U.S. court system
is increasingly sending immigrants back to their homelands, and Knocking, a film by Tom Shepard and Joel Engardio, highlights
how Jehovah Witnesses’ various wins in courts have expanded freedom for
everyone. Both titles are slated to stream on True Stories a month before their
PBS premiere in an effort to build an online community of support for the film
and to galvanize user participation and discussion.

“This partnership with ITVS underscores our ongoing efforts
to establish True Stories as the web’s definitive hub to watch and discuss
distinguished documentary programming,” said Jordan Kurzweil, the VP of
original programming for AOL.

Jim Sommers, the VP of broadcast and communications for
ITVS, added: “Working with AOL through their True Stories supports ITVS’s core
mission of reaching out to new and diverse audiences. By continuing to explore
‘anytime anywhere’ new media platforms, we’re excited to be further expanding
our local and national ITVS Community engagement efforts online.”