For Immediate Release:

Virgil Films & Entertainment and National Geographic Entertainment Present

THE DVD DEBUT OF THE INTERNATIONALLY ACCLAIMED AND AWARD-WINNING FILM

AMREEKA

DVD AVAILABLE NATIONWIDE JANUARY 2010

**THREE TIME SPIRIT AWARD NOMINEE**

INCLUDING

BEST FEATURE

BEST FEMALE LEAD

BEST FIRST SCREENPLAY

DVD Bonus Extras: Deleted Scenes, Bloopers, Short Film and More!

“Cherien Dabis’ “Amreeka” stands alongside “The Visitor” and “Maria Full of Grace” as one of the most accomplished recent films about a non-European immigrant coming to the United States.”

- The New York Times

“…engaging and authentically observed.”

- USA Today

“Amreeka balances a serious eye with a feeling for warm and affectionate human comedy.”

- Kenneth Turan, NPR’s Morning Edition

New York City (December 8, 2009) - The critically acclaimed indie sensation and winner of the FIPRESCI Award at 2009 Cannes International Film Festival, AMREEKA makes its anticipated DVD debut this upcoming New Year.  The heart-warming tale of an immigrant mother and her teenage son’s new life in the U.S. premiered at the 2009 Sundance Film Festival, and immediately garnered accolades via the film festival circuit.  Newcomer Director Cherien Dabis took home the “Best Director” award at the Beirut International Film Festival and received widespread critical acclaim. USA Today stated, “The beauty of AMREEKA is in first-time director Cherien Dabis’ nimble touch.”

Bonus features on the disc include: Deleted Scenes; Bloopers; and special short film by the Director.  AMREEKA will be available on DVD beginning January 12, 2010 by Virgil Films & Entertainment.

National Geographic Entertainment released the film, which was screened in over 40 markets nationwide this past Spring, and won numerous awards this year including: the Audience Award for ‘Best Feature’ at the New Orleans Middle East Film Festival;  ‘Best Feature Film’ and ‘Best Screenplay’ at the Cairo International Film Festival; the Adrienne Shelley Award at the Nantucket Film Festival; the Audience Award for ‘Best Film’ at the Beirut International Film Festival; and was nominated for ‘Best Feature’ at the IFP Gotham Awards, as well as for the ‘Grand Jury’ award at Sundance Film Festival.

Entertainment Weekly praised AMREEKA’s Director, exclaiming, “the good humor, generosity, and love Dabis bestows on her characters in this assured first feature are uniquely hers - the mark of a talent to watch.” Christian Science Monitor hailed the film as “A charming, humorous spin on the classic immigrant story…” while the Los Angeles Times exclaimed the film is, “funny and playful.” The Austin Chronicle, favored the lead actress, stating, “Faour, in an Oscar-worthy performance, renders Muna in shades of love and hope.”

AMREEKA- Synopsis

AMREEKA chronicles the adventures of Muna, a single mother who leaves the West Bank with Fadi, her teenage son, with dreams of an exciting future in the promised land of small town Illinois. Told with heartfelt humor by writer-director Cherien Dabis in her feature film debut, AMREEKA is a universal journey into the lives of a family of immigrants and first-generation teenagers caught between their heritage and the new world in which they now live, and the bittersweet search for a place to call home.

About Virgil Films & Entertainment

Virgil Films & Entertainment, formerly Arts Alliance America, was founded in 2003 as Hart Sharp Video by Joe Amodei to develop, acquire, market and distribute DVD product in the theatrical feature film, documentaries, special interest and sports categories. The company has built partnerships with Sundance Channel Home Entertainment, The National Geographic Cinema Ventures, ESPN, MLB Productions, Bombo Sports and Entertainment, TV Guide, NESN, and other high profile entertainment brands since their inception. Recent releases from Virgil Films & Entertainment include I Am Because We Are, the documentary produced by Madonna; A Good Life: The Joe Grushecky Story; the third season of the legendary The Donna Reed Show; and the behind-the-scenes documentary on Lil Wayne, The Carter.  For more information, please visit: www.VirgilFilmsEnt.com

About National Geographic Entertainment

National Geographic Entertainment (NGE) combines into a single operating group National Geographic’s Cinema Ventures, Films, Kids Entertainment, Home Entertainment and Music & Radio. NGE is part of National Geographic Global Media, bringing together all of National Geographic’s editorial platforms in order to streamline collaboration and further support the Society’s mission. Founded in 1888 to “increase and diffuse geographic knowledge,” National Geographic works to inspire people to care about the planet. It reaches more than 360 million people worldwide each month through magazines, books, digital media, television, radio, music and film. It funds more than 250 scientific research, exploration and conservation projects each year and supports an education program promoting geography literacy. For more information, visit www.nationalgeographic.com.

NGE includes National Geographic Films (NGF), which co-presented the 2005 Academy Award-winning “March of the Penguins” and 2004 Oscar-nominated film “The Story of the Weeping Camel,” and National Geographic Cinema Ventures (NGCV), which released both domestically and internationally the 3-D concert film “U2 3D” in 2008 to critical acclaim. NGCV set giant-screen box office records with “Mysteries of Egypt,” and recently with “Sea Monsters: A Prehistoric Adventure.” David Beal is president, National Geographic Entertainment.  Adam Leipzig is president of NGF, Lisa Truitt is president of NGCV and Mark Katz is president of distribution of NGCV.

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AMREEKA

Virgil Films & Entertainment

Street Date:      1/12/10

SRP:     $24.99

Genre:     Drama

Rating:      PG-13

Run Time:      96 min

UPC:     8-29567-06662-1

Bonus Features:  - Deleted Scenes; Bloopers; ‘Making Of” featurette; special short film by the Director.

Media Contact:

Margarita Sophia Cortes, MSOPHIA PR

Margarita@msophiapr.com, or (917) 474-7292