Sundance Channel Acquires Rights to Controversial Documentary The Origins of AIDS

Multiple Award-Winner to Premiere on February 7th at 9:00pm ET/PT

NEW YORK, Jan. 11 /PRNewswire/ — Sundance Channel has acquired pay television rights to the controversial, award-winning documentary The Origins of AIDS, directed by Peter Chappell and Catherine Peix. The Origins of AIDS premieres on February 7th at 9:00pm. The deal was negotiated by Christian Vesper, Vice President Acquisitions, Sundance Channel and by Julie Goldman, Cactus Three on behalf of the filmmakers.

The Origins of AIDS is also airing in February on the 8th at 5:00pm, the 12th at 11:30am, the 14th at 1:00pm, and the 20th at 2:30pm.

The Origins of AIDS probes one of the most vexing, highly charged areas of AIDS research: how and when the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) was introduced to humans. Research has shown that chimpanzees carry simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV), a close relative of HIV. Science knows that AIDS originated in Africa, and has concluded that at some point SIV crossed over into humans and became HIV. It has been argued that the lethal contact could have come through the food supply, but there is another theory: that SIV was introduced to humans via mass polio immunization programs carried out in Africa the late 1950s. Beginning with a history of the mid-century polio eradication crusade, directors Chappell and Peix (a former biology teacher) take an in-depth look at the polio hypothesis and the furious response it has provoked in the scientific community. Their investigation ultimately leads them to modern-day Congo, site of the polio research camp set up in 1957 by the revered scientist Hilary Koprowski, inventor of an oral polio vaccine.

The Origins of AIDS has received the following awards: Best Direction, 2004 Hot Docs Festival; the Silver Hugo for Documentary: Science/Nature at the 2004 Chicago International Television Awards; and the Rockie Award for Best Popular Science and Natural History Program at the 2004 Banff Television Festival.

Under the creative direction of Robert Redford, Sundance Channel brings television viewers daring and engaging feature films, shorts, documentaries, world cinema and animation, shown uncut and with no commercials. Through its original programs, Sundance Channel connects viewers with filmmakers, the creative process, and the world of independent film. Launched in 1996, Sundance Channel is a venture between NBC Universal, Robert Redford, and Showtime Networks Inc. Sundance Channel operates independently of the non-profit Sundance Institute and the Sundance Film Festival, but shares the overall Sundance mission of supporting independent artists and providing them with wider opportunities to present their work to audiences.

CONTACT: Sarah Eaton, Senior Vice President, Public Relations, +1-212-654-1613, +1-212-654-4738 fax, sarah.eaton@sundancechannel.com , or Katie Lanegran, Director, Public Relations, +1-212-654-3398, +1-212-654-4738 fax, katie.lanegran@sundancechannel.com , both of Sundance Channel

Web site: http://www.sundancechannel.com/