PROMISES, the pre-eminent film about Jewish-Palestinian relationship building, will now provide an Internet Newsletter on its progress and availability around the world. 
     We send you this sample, first publication.  To continue receiving these updates about PROMISES, please write to "Newsletter" at cowboypictures-promises@cowboypictures.com.
     Below is news of the Academy Awards nomination for Best Documentary, and of future showings and availability worldwide.

--L&L

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Dear Friends,

Welcome to the PROMISES Newsletter!

Due to an overwhelming response to the feature documentary film PROMISES, directed by Justine Shapiro, B.Z.  Goldberg, and Carlos Bolado, we here at Cowboy Pictures (The North American distributor of the film) have decided to send you a newsletter with the latest news surrounding PROMISES.  Thank you for your interest!

This newsletter will go out once every 2 weeks or so, depending on breaking news.  To add your name to the mailing list for the newsletter please send mail to:

join-cowboypictures-promises@list.cowboypictures.com

If you are not interested in receiving this newsletter please unsubscribe by sending a blank e-mail to:

leave-cowboypictures-promises@list.cowboypictures.com

***HEADLINE NEWS***

We are proud to announce that PROMISES has been nominated for an Academy Award for Best Documentary.  The winner will be announced on March 24th.

PROMISES is a feature-length documentary that looks at the Middle East conflict and quest for peace through the eyes of seven Palestinian & Israeli children living in and around Jerusalem.  Each child offers dramatic, emotional, and sometimes hilarious perspectives on issues that lie at the heart of the Middle East conflict.  Although they live no more than 20 minutes apart, the children are locked in separate worlds.  PROMISES explores the boundaries that lie between these children and tells the story of a few who dared to cross the lines to meet their neighbors. 

***HELLO FROM JUSTINE, B.Z., AND CARLOS***

Greetings from Justine, B.Z, and Carlos! After a long and quiet sojourn in the San Francisco Bay area, we are globe trotting again.  As we write this, Justine (along with wonder-baby Mateo) is in NYC, working with a 60 Minutes crew on a piece about the film (to air in March), Dada Carlos is in Berkeley editing a demo for a new film, and B.Z.  is in Jerusalem visiting the children from PROMISES and preparing for the arrival of the 60 minutes folks.  Though the situation in the Middle East is getting more painful by the day, we are trying to take a moment to be excited and proud about the Academy nomination.  We are very happy that the film will be released in theatres in North America starting next month.  Hopefully the attention that PROMISES receives will help bring the world's attention to the complexity of the issues that Palestinians and Israelis are facing in their daily lives.  Thank you all for your incredible support!

Thank you for your interest in volunteering! With all of our efforts, we can make the theatrical release for PROMISES an even larger success! Our promotional campaign depends largely on grassroots, word-of-mouth, and people who care about the important issues that are raised in the film.  If you would like to distribute flyers, make phone-calls, or even organize an event in your city, we would love your help.  For more information and to sign up, please visit the Promises website:

http://www.promisesproject.org/help.html

Or, email us directly at:

promisesinfo@cowboypictures.com

**BOOK A SCREENING**

PROMISES is now available for non-theatrical screenings on 35mm, 16mm, and video formats.  Please contact Jeff Reichert at Cowboy Pictures at jeff@cowboypictures.com or 212-925-7800 x107.

**COMING SOON TO A THEATER NEAR YOU**

1.  PROMISES will open in New York City at The Quad on March 15th, 2002.
2.  PROMISES will open in Pleasantville, NY at The Jacob Burns Film Center on
March 22nd, 2002.
3.  PROMISES will open in Chicago at the Music Box on May 3rd, 2002.
Please stay posted for many more theatrical screenings coming soon -
remember to check the website for the latest information:

http://www.promisesproject.org/screening.html

**UPCOMING SPECIAL SCREENINGS**

Prior to its theatrical release in the United States, PROMISES will play at the following film festivals:
1.  San Diego Jewish Film Festival - 2/23-24/02
2.  North Carolina Jewish Film Festival - 2/24/02
3.  Detroit Jewish Film Festival - 3/13/02
4.  Sacramento Jewish Film Festival - 3/24/02

"Extraordinary...  an intensely personal and insightful documentary that...  demonstrates the unusual power of thoughtful, subjective filmmaking." The New York Times

"PROMISES is so good that you want everyone you know to see it...  The film captures the essence of the never-ending war...  but it is also filled with humor." - The Jerusalem Report

"...  deeply humanistic insight into the complexities of the Middle East conflict that political analysis or news coverage often lacks...  This well crafted film surprises with an exhaustive background, a nonpartisan position, a personal, affecting focus and a wrenching sense of stolen innocence." - David Rooney, Variety

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Please visit the official PROMISES website for more information:

http://www.promisesproject.org

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Cowboy Pictures is the US Distribution company for the film PROMISES. If you have any questions regarding, US theatrical or non-theatrical bookings, Please contact:
Jeff Reichert at Cowboy Pictures at jeff@cowboypictures.com
or 212-925-7800 ext. 107 (non-theatrical) or Marisa Kesilica (theatrical)
at Cowboy Pictures at marisa@cowboypictures.com or 212-925-7800 ext. 105.
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PROMISES was produced in association with the Independent Television Service with partial funding provided by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.
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**INTERNATIONAL NEWS**
Upcoming Screenings:

1.  Adelaide Festival of the Arts: Melbourne Australia - 3/2/02
2.  Thessaloniki Documentary Film Festival: Thessaloniki Greece - 3/4-10/02
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PROMISES is currently being distributed in the following territories:

AUSTRALIA
RONIN FILMS
P.O. Box 1005
Civic Square
A.C.T. 2608
info@roninfilms.com.au

BRAZIL
ESTACAO CINEMA E CULTURA
Rua Voluntrios da Ptria, 97 - Botafogo
Rio de Janeiro - 22270-000 - RJ -BRAZIL
films@estacaovirtual.com

FRANCE
SOLARIS DISTRIBUTION
12 rue Calmels
75018 Paris
ATTN: Rodolphe Rouxel
Tel: 01 53 41 89 59
Fax: 01 53 41 89 58
rodolphe.solaris@libertysurf.fr

GERMANY
(Non-Theatrical, Educational, and Institutional)
FWU
Postfach 1261
82026 Grnwald
GERMANY
Info-fwu@t-online.de

ISRAEL
GIL PRODUCTIONS LTD.
136 Rothschild Blvd.
Tel-Aviv 65272
Tel: +972-3-686 9797
Fax: +972-3-686 9898
gilprod@actcom.co.il

ITALY
e.MIK
Viale Vittorio Veneto 24
Milan, 20124
info@emik.it

JAPAN
UPLINK CO.
1-F Meiji-Heights
1-5-15 Jin-nan
Shibuya-ku, Tokyo 150-0041
Tel:03-5489-0755
Fax:03-5489-0754
http://www.uplink.co.jp

THE NETHERLANDS
(INCLUDING BELGIUM & LUXEMBURG)
CINEMIEN DISTRIBUTION
Entrepotdok 66
NL - 1018 AD Amsterdam
Tel 020-6279501
info@cinemien.nl

SWITZERLAND
FILMCOOPI ZRICH AG
Postfach 1366
8031 Zrich
Telefon +41 (0)1 - 448 44 22
Telefax +41 (0)1 - 448 44 28
info@filmcoopi.ch

If you live in a territory not mentioned on this list, please contact COWBOY PICTURES for PROMISES information.  Please contact Jeff Reichert at Cowboy Pictures at jeff@cowboypictures.com or 212-925-7800 x107.
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