PRESS RELEASE

"A view of Israel that defies conventional expectations." -- The Hollywood Reporter

HART SHARP VIDEO PRESENTS THE HOME VIDEO PREMIERE OF A CRITICALLY-ACCLAIMED HIDDEN GEM THAT DARES TO EXPOSE LIFE IN JERSUALEM AFTER DARK

THE HOLY LAND

Arabs, Americans & Jews Come Together In This Bold Drama That Captured The 2002 Best Film Award At The Slamdance & Avignon/ New York Film Festivals

Contains A Host Of Bonus Features Including Director And Cast Commentary, Behind The Scenes Footage, & Interviews; Debuts On DVD & VHS On September 7

New York , August 24, 2004 - Hart Sharp Video proudly presents the home video release of the award-winning The Holy Land .  A gritty coming-of-age story set against the tense backdrop of Arab-Israeli politics, The Holy Land tells the story of a young rabbinical student who becomes immersed in Jerusalem 's dark underworld when he searches to learn about life outside his structured studies.  Hailed by the Detroit Free Press as, "One of the freshest, most original movies you'll see this year," The Holy Land received the Best Film Award from the Avignon /New York Film Festival and The Grand Jury Prize for Best Film from the Slamdance Film Festival in 2002. The Holy Land that was released theatrically by CAVU Pictures, will be available on DVD September 7 for suggested retail price of $24.98 and VHS is priced for rental.

Written and directed by Eitan Gorlin, the film features an outstanding ensemble cast including Oren Rehany, in his feature film debut, Tchelet Semel ( Russian Dance , Aviv ), Saul Stein ( He Got Game, Money Train ), Albert Illouz ( Hellbound, Delta Force 3) and Ariel Moskona ( Kazablan, Diamonds ). The Holy Land DVD includes a bevy of extra features including director and cast commentary, behind the scenes footage and director's interviews.

SYNOPSIS: Set in Israel , the film explores the life of Mendy (Rehany), a young rabbinical student who ventures outside the safety of his regimented religious life to experience the secular world.  Mendy falls in love with Sasha (Semel), a nineteen-year-old Russian prostitute he meets in Tel Aviv, but his love turns obsessive. As he pursues Sasha, Mendy is befriended by Mike (Stein), a former American war photographer who owns "Mike's Place," a Jerusalem dive bar where Jews and Arabs drink side by side.  There he meets a gun-touting American-born settler, a shady entrepreneurial Arab and a slew of American expatriates.  As Mendy becomes more and more involved with his new world, he begins to question his future and faith.  But when Mike and Razi involve Mendy and Sasha in a shady smuggling scheme it proves to be the ultimate turning point in all of their lives.

DVD EXTRAS: The Holy Land DVD is presented in widescreen format and features a plethora of special features including:

•  Commentary by Director and Cast

•  Interview with the Director

•  Photo Album Narrated by Director

•  IFC at the Angelika: TV Talk Show Interview with the Director

•  Opening night premiere party

•  Theatrical Trailer

•  Scene Selection

For more information, please contact:

Lynne Hillman Hart Sharp Video

PH: (917) 847-2918 E-MAIL: lynne.hillman@hartsharpvideo.com