OWN in Doc Initiative

LOS ANGELES: OWN: The Oprah Winfrey Network, which is scheduled to launch in January 2011, has inked a partnership with ro*co productions to add a range of independent feature docs to its slate.

ro*co productions is a division of doc film distributor ro*co films international, which has rolled out titles such as Born into Brothels, No End in Sight and The Weather Underground. Billed as a documentary film club, the pact sees OWN airing a prime-time doc every month. There will also be an online community experience and exclusive footage on OWN.tv, as well as the opportunity for some documentaries to be presented as a nationwide theatrical screening event. 

Christina Norman, OWN’s CEO, noted: "OWN’s commitment to self-discovery provides the ideal platform to elevate documentary films and the real, compelling stories they tell. Partnering with ro*co productions, OWN will deliver the very best documentaries to our audience and give them ways to connect through stories that move them."

"There is a wide-ranging audience hungry for access to profound documentaries of substance and originality," added Annie Roney, the founder and managing director of ro*co films international. "Our partnership with OWN will bring these films to a broader audience, but it doesn’t stop there; community discourse and engagement is encouraged and supported as soon as the final credits roll."