HBO Scores Afghan Star

NEW YORK: HBO Documentary Films has picked up the rights to the Sundance Award-winning doc feature about Tolo TV’s American Idol-style talent competition Afghan Star.

Since 2005, the Afghani broadcaster has been airing the singing competition, which, in allowing viewers to vote for their favorites via cellphone, has given many locals their first taste of the democratic process. The documentary feature, also called Afghan Star, was directed by Havana Marking and is being released theatrically by Zeitgeist Films. It will make its U.S. television premiere on HBO early next year. The film won the directing and audience awards at Sundance’s 2009 World Cinema Documentary competition. It follows the stories of four young finalists on the Tolo TV series.