SHOWTIME ORIGINAL PICTURE FOR ALL AGES PREMIERES  

“EDGE OF AMERICA” ON NOVEMBER 21, 2005

 

Directed By Noted Native American Filmmaker Chris Eyre

Written By Pulitzer Prize Nominated Playwright Willy Holtzman

 

New York, New York(October 7, 2005) — The Showtime Original Picture For All Ages EDGE OF AMERICA will premiere on November 21, 2005 at 8:00 PM (ET/PT). The film stars James McDaniel, best known for his Emmy®-nominated role in “NYPD Blue,” and who appeared in the films “Sunshine State,” “Living for Love: The Natalie Cole Story” and “Deliberate Intent.” Native American actors Irene Bedard (“Lakota Woman: Siege at Wounded Knee,” “Smoke Signals”) and Wes Studi (“Geronimo,” “Skinwalkers,” “Last of the Mohicans” and “Undisputed”) co-star. Executive producer Tim Daly also stars in the film. Daly, who made his directorial debut alongside co-director Clark Mathis for Showtime Independent Films with “BEREFT” (which premiered in New York at The Tribeca Film Festival) was also seen in “Against the Ropes.”

 

Directed by noted Native American filmmaker Chris Eyre, EDGE OF AMERICA is a fictional work that was inspired by actual events and actual people. James McDaniel plays Kenny Williams, an African-American high school teacher who leaves his Texas home to teach at a public high school on Three Nations Consolidated Reservation in Utah. Once there, he takes over as coach of the underachieving girls basketball team. Their pursuit of the state championship is jeopardized by personality conflicts and differing values. As the Lady Warriors advance toward the state tournament, Kenny and the girls learn that success, on and off the court, is a result of mutual respect for their cultural differences and an ability to work together.

 

Director Chris Eyre is no stranger to the film festival circuit. His feature directorial debut, “Smoke Signals,” won the 1998 Sundance Film Festival Audience Award and Filmmaker’s Trophy and his follow-up film “Skins” also premiered at the festival. EDGE OF AMERICA opened the January 2004 Sundance Film Festival and received rave reviews as well as being showcased at The Tribeca Film Festival in May 2004.

 

EDGE OF AMERICA was written by playwright Willy Holtzman whose critically-acclaimed play “Hearts” was nominated for the 2003 Pulitzer Prize. Tim Daly executive produced EDGE OF AMERICA with his producing partner Steve Burleigh. “On one level EDGE OF AMERICA is an uplifting basketball movie,” said Daly. “But the true story is of an American minority who goes to live as a minority amongst another American minority. Everyone is forced to reassess their cultural assumptions in this context.” Daly and Burleigh produced the award-winning Showtime Original Picture EXECUTION OF JUSTICE. EDGE OF AMERICA is a Red House Entertainment production. Chris Eyre and Willy Holtzman serve as the film’s producers.

 

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