Latest news with #DOCUMENTARYSHOWCASE
Associated Press
12-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Associated Press
Sisu, a Portrait of Grit, Connection and Triumph, Premieres on Documentary Showcase
LOS ANGELES, Calif., July 11, 2025 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — Scientology Network's DOCUMENTARY SHOWCASE, the weekly series providing a platform for independent filmmakers to air films on important social, cultural and environmental issues, presents the inspiring documentary Sisu on July 11, 2025. DOCUMENTARY SHOWCASE airs Fridays at 8 p.m. ET/PT on Scientology Network. Sisu follows a 10-person amateur cycling team from rural Maine as they race 1,358 kilometers around the edge of Iceland—facing unpredictable weather, minimal sleep and a 72-hour deadline. Named after the Finnish word Sisu, meaning courage and resoluteness in the face of adversity, the film explores why ordinary people take on extraordinary challenges and their unforgettable journeys along the way. Director Jon Mercer captures more than just the finish line—illuminating the bonds and community spirit forged as a team faces challenges and emerges triumphant together. ABOUT JON MERCER Jon Mercer is an award-winning director known for his collaborative and deft approach to filmmaking. His work has been broadcast nationally and creates lasting impact in educational and humanitarian sectors. Jon's films have screened at festivals internationally and received coveted recognition for their influence on issues of human rights and global equality in sports. In an interview with SCIENTOLOGY NETWORK for DOCUMENTARY SHOWCASE, Jon conveyed his approach to the making of Sisu: 'For me as a filmmaker, I'm always looking for that connection to an audience, and even though this film has a cycling element to it, at the core it is about people and relationships. We're happy to be bringing this out into the world. I think even if adventure doesn't speak to you directly, there's going to be something there for you. And it's nice to have, you know, a global network of people to share that with.' ABOUT DOCUMENTARY SHOWCASE Fundamental to Scientology is a humanitarian mission that extends to some 200 nations with programs for human rights, human decency, literacy, morality, drug prevention and disaster relief. For this reason, the Scientology Network provides a platform for independent filmmakers who embrace a vision of building a better world. DOCUMENTARY SHOWCASE debuts films weekly from award-winning independent filmmakers whose goal is to improve society by raising awareness of social, cultural and environmental issues. For more information, visit Scientology Network debuted on March 12, 2018, launched by David Miscavige, ecclesiastical leader of the Scientology religion. Since then, Scientology Network has been viewed in over 240 countries and territories worldwide in 17 languages. Satisfying the curiosity of people about Scientology, the network takes viewers across six continents, spotlighting the everyday lives of Scientologists, showing the Church as a global organization and presenting its Social Betterment programs that have touched the lives of millions worldwide. The network also showcases documentaries by independent filmmakers who represent a cross section of cultures and faiths but share a common purpose of uplifting communities. Scientology Network's innovative content has been recognized with more than 125 industry awards, including Tellys, Communitas and Hermes Creative Awards. Broadcast from Scientology Media Productions, the Church's global media center in Los Angeles, Scientology Network is available on DIRECTV Channel 320, DIRECTV STREAM and AT&T U-verse and can be streamed at on mobile apps and via the Roku, Amazon Fire and Apple TV platforms. MEDIA CONTACT: Media Relations | [email protected] MULTIMEDIA: PHOTO link for media: PHOTO CAPTION: Amateur cyclists from rural Maine tackle a grueling 1,358-kilometer race around Iceland's edge in the inspiring documentary Sisu, premiering on Scientology Network's DOCUMENTARY SHOWCASE on July 11, 2025, capturing the essence of grit and community spirit. NEWS SOURCE: Church of Scientology International Keywords: Religion and Churches, SCIENTOLOGY NETWORK, DOCUMENTARY SHOWCASE, filmmaker Jon Mercer, documentary film SISU, Amateur cyclists from rural Maine, LOS ANGELES, Calif. This press release was issued on behalf of the news source (Church of Scientology International) who is solely responsibile for its accuracy, by Send2Press® Newswire. Information is believed accurate but not guaranteed. Story ID: S2P127665 APNF0325A To view the original version, visit: © 2025 Send2Press® Newswire, a press release distribution service, Calif., USA. RIGHTS GRANTED FOR REPRODUCTION IN WHOLE OR IN PART BY ANY LEGITIMATE MEDIA OUTLET - SUCH AS NEWSPAPER, BROADCAST OR TRADE PERIODICAL. MAY NOT BE USED ON ANY NON-MEDIA WEBSITE PROMOTING PR OR MARKETING SERVICES OR CONTENT DEVELOPMENT. Disclaimer: This press release content was not created by nor issued by the Associated Press (AP). Content below is unrelated to this news story.
Yahoo
13-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Project Home Draws up a Blueprint for Hope On Documentary Showcase
LOS ANGELES, June 13, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Scientology Network's DOCUMENTARY SHOWCASE, the weekly series providing a platform for independent filmmakers to air films on important social, cultural and environmental issues, presents the documentary Project Home on June 13, 2025. DOCUMENTARY SHOWCASE airs Fridays at 8 p.m. ET/PT on Scientology Network. Project Home traces the intersection of innovation and human resilience, exploring how cutting-edge 3D-printing technology may hold the key to solving the global housing crisis. Nonprofits Habitat for Humanity and New Story transform what was once a radical idea into a real-world solution with the creation of whole communities using 3D-printing technology. At the heart of the film, director Laura Waters Hinson unveils the personal stories of those navigating the housing crisis: two single, hardworking mothers—one in a rural Mexican village, the other in Virginia—as they are given a path to homeownership. Their journeys highlight the power of community, entrepreneurship and ingenuity to shape lives. Produced by Moving Pictures Institute (MPI)—a nonprofit that supports independent filmmakers advancing human freedom through film—Project Home premiered at the Heartland International Film Festival in Indianapolis, Indiana. ABOUT LAURA WATERS HINSON Laura Waters Hinson is an award-winning filmmaker and assistant professor in the Film and Media Arts Division of the School of Communication at American University. Her first feature documentary, As We Forgive, about Rwanda's reconciliation movement, won the 2008 Student Academy Award for Best Documentary and the Cinema for Peace Award in Berlin and was broadcast nationally. Project Home is the Winner of Special Recognition Feature Film at the 2023 Justice for All Film Festival International. Laura's films have been screened at the US Congress, the United Nations, the Smithsonian National Gallery of Art and at dozens of international film festivals such as the Big Sky Documentary Film Festival, Santa Barbara International Film Festival and the Seattle Human Rights Film Festival, among many others. ABOUT DOCUMENTARY SHOWCASE Fundamental to Scientology is a humanitarian mission that extends to some 200 nations with programs for human rights, human decency, literacy, morality, drug prevention and disaster relief. For this reason, the Scientology Network provides a platform for Independent filmmakers who embrace a vision of building a better world. DOCUMENTARY SHOWCASE debuts films weekly from award-winning Independent filmmakers whose goal is to improve society by raising awareness of social, cultural and environmental issues. For more information, visit Scientology Network debuted on March 12, 2018, launched by David Miscavige, ecclesiastical leader of the Scientology religion. Since then, Scientology Network has been viewed in over 240 countries and territories worldwide in 17 languages. Satisfying the curiosity of people about Scientology, the network takes viewers across six continents, spotlighting the everyday lives of Scientologists, showing the Church as a global organization and presenting its Social Betterment programs that have touched the lives of millions worldwide. The network also showcases documentaries by independent filmmakers who represent a cross-section of cultures and faiths but share a common purpose of uplifting communities. Scientology Network's innovative content has been recognized with more than 125 industry awards, including Tellys, Communitas and Hermes Creative Awards. Broadcast from Scientology Media Productions, the Church's global media center in Los Angeles, Scientology Network is available on DIRECTV Channel 320, DIRECTV STREAM and AT&T U-verse and can be streamed at on mobile apps and via the Roku, Amazon Fire and Apple TV platforms. View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE Church of Scientology International Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
07-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Zero Gravity Lifts off on Documentary Showcase
LOS ANGELES, June 6, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Scientology Network's DOCUMENTARY SHOWCASE, the weekly series providing a platform for Independent filmmakers to air films on important social, cultural and environmental issues, presents the celestial documentary Zero Gravity on June 6, 2025. DOCUMENTARY SHOWCASE airs Fridays at 8 p.m. ET/PT on Scientology Network. In Zero Gravity, middle school students from San Jose, California, enter a nationwide NASA tournament to code satellites aboard the International Space Station (ISS). Led by an inspiring first-time coach, the team rises from budding digital dreamers to ultimately represent California in the ISS finals tournament—where astronauts execute the young coders' algorithms in orbit, 250 miles above Earth. Directed by Thomas Verrette, the film follows the kids' transformation and serves as a powerful reminder: the future begins with those bold enough to imagine it. An official selection at over 70 film festivals—including DOC NYC, Cinequest and the Cleveland International Film Festival—Zero Gravity has won 18 documentary awards from Audience Choice to Best Editing. Endorsed by scientists and educators, the film has reached more than 10,000 students nationwide through classroom and community screenings. ABOUT THOMAS VERRETTE Thomas Verrette is an award-winning director, producer and editor. A more than 15-year veteran of the film industry, Verrette is a former FOX and Disney creative and post-production executive. He is most known for producing the 20-episode World Cup docu-series Phenoms for FOX Sports. Verrette began his career upon graduating from the Savannah College of Art and Design. Zero Gravity is his first feature documentary as a director. ABOUT DOCUMENTARY SHOWCASE Fundamental to Scientology is a humanitarian mission that extends to some 200 nations with programs for human rights, human decency, literacy, morality, drug prevention and disaster relief. For this reason, the Scientology Network provides a platform for Independent filmmakers who embrace a vision of building a better world. DOCUMENTARY SHOWCASE debuts films weekly from award-winning Independent filmmakers whose goal is to improve society by raising awareness of social, cultural and environmental issues. For more information, visit Scientology Network debuted on March 12, 2018, launched by David Miscavige, ecclesiastical leader of the Scientology religion. Since then, Scientology Network has been viewed in over 240 countries and territories worldwide in 17 languages. Satisfying the curiosity of people about Scientology, the network takes viewers across six continents, spotlighting the everyday lives of Scientologists, showing the Church as a global organization and presenting its Social Betterment programs that have touched the lives of millions worldwide. The network also showcases documentaries by Independent filmmakers who represent a cross section of cultures and faiths, but share a common purpose of uplifting communities. Scientology Network's innovative content has been recognized with more than 125 industry awards, including Tellys, Communitas and Hermes Creative Awards. Broadcast from Scientology Media Productions, the Church's global media center in Los Angeles, Scientology Network is available on DIRECTV Channel 320, DIRECTV STREAM and AT&T U-verse and can be streamed at on mobile apps and via the Roku, Amazon Fire and Apple TV platforms. View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE Church of Scientology International
