The Dove Foundation Announces New Television Pilot
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Contact: Dick Rolfe
All-New 30-Minute Movie Review Show Sponsored by Zondervan
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich., August 11, 2009 – The Dove Foundation will produce a national television pilot focusing on movie and video game reviews. Storytelling Pictures, a Michigan-based studio, was selected by Dove to film the pilot in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Zondervan, the world's leading Christian communications company, will sponsor the pilot episode.
"We've been planning a television series for years, but never had the interest of distributors until recently. We were contacted by executives of several Christian networks who are looking for a television program that will take the guess work out of the movie-going experience," said Dick Rolfe, co-founder and CEO of The Dove Foundation. "Our goal is to make a high-quality program; essentially a faith and family 'Siskel & Ebert.' We chose to work with Storytelling Pictures because of the vastly superior quality and creativity of their productions. Zondervan is a natural sponsor for the show since their mission and the markets they serve are compatible with Dove."
The pilot, currently unnamed, will be co-hosted by Grand Rapids natives. Rachael Ruiz is a news anchor and reporter with WOOD-TV, a local NBC affiliate station. Brian Burch is a senior associate with Lambert, Edwards & Associates, a Michigan public relations firm. The two will discuss current, mainstream theatrical and DVD releases using The Dove Foundation guidelines as review criteria. Derek Emerson, a full time student at Grand Rapids Community College and part-time actor and model is the show's third host. He will review current videogames across all gaming platforms and will also report on new media technologies.
Filming of the pilot will begin in August and will be broadcast on several national faith-based television networks and streamed on key websites, reaching approximately 46 million households, in early October. Pilots are single shows used to sell a series idea to a television network. If a network likes the pilot, it could lead to further episodes. This is the first television show produced by The Dove Foundation.
Founded in 1991, The Dove Foundation publicly acknowledges motion picture storytelling that exemplifies positive and uplifting values with its familiar blue and white Dove FAMILY APPROVED Seal. The Foundation review board awarded its Seal to 36 feature films representing a wide variety of genres during 2008.
About The Dove Foundation
The Dove Foundation is a nonprofit organization dedicated to encouraging the entertainment industry to create, produce and distribute a greater proportion of movies that are appropriate for family viewing; and to seeing the public better equipped to identify family-friendly movies and more deeply committed to support them. Hundreds of thousands of visitors each month rely on www.dove.org for up-to-date reviews of movies and DVDs.
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