HBO's Black History Month Celebration Highlighted by World Premiere of HBO Films' LACKAWANNA BLUES, Saturday, Feb. 12

- Promotion includes sweepstakes and soundtrack CD built around film, plus an offer of one-year subscription to ESSENCE Magazine and historically significant HBO Videos -

NEW YORK, Jan. 18 -- HBO is celebrating Black History Month with the world premiere of the music, dance and energy-filled HBO Films LACKAWANNA BLUES (Feb. 12, 8:00 p.m. ET), the story of an extraordinary woman whose strength and dignity made her the backbone of the community and a source of inspiration for those who knew her.

LACKAWANNA BLUES is based on the critically acclaimed autobiographical one-man show by Ruben Santiago-Hudson, who also wrote, executive produced and stars in the film adaptation. Directed by the Tony(R)-winning director George C. Wolfe and co-executive produced by Oscar(R)-winning actress Halle Berry, Vincent Cirrincione and Shelby Stone, the film features a stellar ensemble cast including S. Epatha Merkerson, Marcus Carl Franklin, Mos Def, Carmen Ejogo, Louis Gossett Jr., Macy Gray, Terrence Dashon Howard, Delroy Lindo, Rosie Perez, Liev Schreiber, Jimmy Smits and Jeffrey Wright.

"HBO's 2005 Black History Month celebration pays homage to the ties that bind the Black community, especially it's sense of family and music," said Olivia Smashum, executive vice president, affiliate marketing at HBO. "The film follows the HBO tradition of bringing stories that capture the heart and vitality of the African-American culture."

In keeping with the spirit of the film, HBO is offering an exciting music- fueled sweepstakes that gives consumers a chance to honor and celebrate Black music at the Essence Music Festival 2005, July 1-3 in New Orleans, LA. The grand prize will include roundtrip airfare for two, with accommodations for four days and three nights, and $250.00 spending money. Two first prize winners will receive a "Lackawanna Blues" cast-signed Gibson guitar, courtesy of Gibson Guitar Corporation, and 50-second prize winners will receive a "Lackawanna Blues" Soundtrack CD, courtesy of Vanguard Records. HBO is a sponsor of the festival.

Consumers can enter the sweepstakes, which is only open to U.S. residents 21 years or older, between now and February 28, 2005, with a limit of one entry per person/household. To enter, consumers should visit http://www.HBO.com and click on the sweepstakes link and follow the onscreen instructions. Winners will be selected in a random drawing on or about March 4, 2005 and will be notified by mail. No purchase is necessary, but other restrictions may apply.

HBO and ESSENCE Magazine are also partnering to offer a free one-year magazine subscription to new HBO and ESSENCE subscribers. To be eligible, new subscribers must order HBO online or through a local service provider by March 15, 2005. For more information consumers can visit http://www.HBO.com/essence or call 1-800-797-7636.

Additionally, HBO Video will pay tribute to Black History Month with the re-pricing and promotion of several historically significant titles from its DVD catalog including Boycott (Jeffrey Wright), Tuskegee Airmen (Lawrence Fishburne), The Josephine Baker Story (Lynn Whitfield), Introducing Dorothy Dandridge (Halle Berry), Miss Evers' Boys (Alfre Woodard, Lawrence Fishburne) and Soul of the Game (Delroy Lindo, Mykelti Williamson, Blair Underwood). HBO Video will also release America's Dream, for the first time on DVD, January 25. Starring Wesley Snipes and Danny Glover, the film adapts three short stories from legendary authors Richard Wright, John Henrik Clarke and Maya Angelou.

For more insight and background on HBO Films' LACKAWANNA BLUES, consumers can visit http://www.HBO.com or read the February issue of ESSENCE magazine.

Home Box Office, Inc. is the premium television-programming subsidiary of Time Warner Inc., providing two 24-hour premium television services, HBO and Cinemax. Together, both networks reach approximately 39 million subscribers in the United States via cable and satellite delivery. Home Box Office's international joint ventures bring HBO branded services to more than 50 countries around the globe.

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SOURCE HBO
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