Oprah Winfrey's nascent cabler has partnered with indie docu distrib Roco Prods. for a planned monthly docu showcase on OWN and possible theatrical screenings.
Deal with Roco calls for Winfrey's OWN to create a monthly docu showcase on the channel, and it will create a complementary "online community experience" and theatrical screening events built around selected titles.
OWN chief exec Christina Norman said the idea is to set up screenings in various cities around the country and encourage attendees to take part in a moderated panel discussion afterward.
Launched in 2000, Roco has distribbed a number of high-profile docs, including "Born Into Brothels," which earned the 2004 feature docu Oscar; "Jesus Camp"; "No End in Sight"; and "The Weather Underground."
"There is a wide-ranging audience hungry for access to profound documentaries of substance and originality," said Roco founder and managing director Annie Roney. "Our partnership with OWN will bring these films to a broader audience, but it doesn't stop there; community discourse and engagement is encouraged and supported as soon as the final credits roll."
OWN, a joint venture of Winfrey and Discovery Communications, is slated to bow in January 2011.
Contact Cynthia Littleton at
cynthia.littleton@variety.com