NHK Japan to Air Independent America

 (Toronto) Open Door Co., is pleased to announce that its documentary INDEPENDENT AMERICA: THE TWO LANE SEARCH FOR MOM & POP (80’ and 52” versions) has been acquired for broadcast by Japan’s NHK network. It will premiere in prime time March 21, 2006.

INDEPENDENT AMERICA is a co-production between Toronto’s Open Door Co., and Kelowna B.C.’s HRH Media. The film follows Hanson Hosein (Emmy Award winner and former NBC News foreign correspondent) and his wife, journalist Heather Hughes (NBC, CNN among others) as they hit the road and travel 21,000 kilometers through 32 U.S. states in search of "Independent America."  And they do it all by abiding by two simple rules of the road:

1) No interstates: They can only travel on secondary highways and country roads.

2) They can only do business with Mom & Pop. No McDonald's. No Best Westerns. No Wal-Marts.

INDEPENDENT AMERICA uncovers a growing discontent and militancy in Americans against big corporate America. Their winding route through the heartland makes stops at several cities and towns where open battles against big box retail have split communities. They also uncover a growing movement on all sides of the political spectrum toward "local" economies. The filmmakers speak to economists, activists, political leaders, union members, entrepreneurs, and concerned Americans from all walks of life. They also have a frank conversation with a top executive from the planet’s retail overlord, Wal-Mart, who says there's still a place for independent business.

“We are extremely pleased that NHK has acquired this film,” says Open Door’s Producer, Tom Powers. “It is a testament to the strength of this important and thought-provoking film.”

“The dominance of Mega stores in Japan is threatening the vitality and uniqueness of local communities,” says Wataru Moriya, NHK’s programmer. “As in the United States, governments at all levels are considering changing laws to prohibit large retail from destroying the character of these towns and cities. Independent America expertly examines this phenomenon in an entertaining way, from both sides and offers unique lessons to our Japanese viewers. This is particularly true in the way it profiles ordinary Americans, their struggle and their strength in coping with this issue to preserve the uniqueness and local economy of their hometowns.”

INDEPENDENT AMERICA, is a film that encourages citizens in all industrialized countries to think hard about how they spend their money.  And it will offer others a rare view of a complex nation at loggerheads with the free market it so proudly mastered.

Shot in widescreen HD, the film was financed entirely by the producers and is currently on an extensive screening tour of the United States. It is available for purchase at www.independentamerica.net.

About Open Door

Launched in 2005 by veteran entertainment executive Tom Powers, Open Door is in the business of producing, acquiring, distributing and investing in Content That Matters across all media platforms (www.opendoorco.com).

 About HRH Media

Based in Kelowna British Columbia, HRH Media is an independent production company headed by Emmy Award winner and NBC foreign correspondent, Hanson Hosein and his partner, major network news journalist Heather Hughes (NBC, CNN). Independent America is their first feature documentary. (www.hrhmedia.com).

About NHK

NHK (Japan Broadcasting Corporation) is Japan’s sole public broadcaster who operates five television channels. NHK is publicly financed ensuring the Corporation maintains an independence from any governmental or private organization.

For Immediate Release – February 15, 2006

More info, to request a screener or set up an interview:

Ingrid Hamilton – ingrid@gat.ca - h/o: 1-416-482-6142 - cell: 1-416-731-3034

Picture are available for download at www.gat.ca/media - login: username/password = media

Tom Powers, Executive Producer – 1 647 288 2853; tpowers@opendoorco.com

www.opendoorco.com (for trailer)