MALIBU, Calif., June 9, 2009 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- An outstanding performance from actor Dan McCabe as a teenager afflicted with Cerebral Palsy has generated a frenzy of enthusiasm for this Friday's theatrical opening of War Eagle, Arkansas, from Empire Film Group, Inc. (Pink Sheets:EFGU) (http://www.empirefilmgroup.com). The critically praised family feature has earned more than twenty film festival awards, and stars newcomer Dan McCabe in a role described by CBS Television as "an outstanding, Oscar-caliber performance." Other stars in the film include Luke Grimes (from ABC's Brothers and Sisters), Academy Award Nominee Mare Winningham (Swing Vote) and Emmy winners Brian Dennehy (Righteous Kill), Mary Kay Place (HBO's Big Love), and James McDaniel (N.Y.P.D. Blue).
"The performance by Dan McCabe as 'Wheels' is the highlight of this wonderful film," said Eric Parkinson, CEO of Distribution for Empire. "Not since Daniel Day Lewis in 'My Left Foot' has an actor delivered such a compelling and believable portrayal of emotional depth and physical impairment. It's no surprise that there's an early Oscar buzz as national critics begin to rally behind this amazing, young actor."
McCabe is a 25-year-old actor, based out of New York City, who has performed in a half-dozen movies in recent years including Brooklyn Rules and A Jersey Christmas. The role of Samuel 'Wheels' Macon in War Eagle, Arkansas, is his first as a lead, and ranks among the more challenging roles ever created for any actor. Wheels is a 17-year-old high school senior, who, along with his best friend Enoch, faces the same crossroads in life as many recent graduates, but compounded due to the limitations of Cerebral Palsy. The film is based on real-life incidents affecting Vincent Insalaco III and his wheel-chair bound best friend, Tim Ballany, as they grew-up together in central Arkansas 10 years ago.
The convincing and heartwarming performance by Dan McCabe was acknowledged by multiple film festivals, which awarded him their Best Actor accolades. Prior wins for McCabe include the Breckenridge Film Festival, the California Independent Film Festival, the Schweitzer Lakedance Film Festival and the Bend International Film Festival.
War Eagle, Arkansas opens at theaters throughout the state of Arkansas on Friday, June 12, following a star-studded premiere in Fayetteville on Thursday, June 11, to benefit United Cerebral Palsy. Empire plans to expand the release of the film to major markets nationwide throughout the summer.
The film is 93-minutes long, shot in 35mm Panavision, and released in widescreen (scope) Digital Cinema formats. Anticipated MPAA rating is PG-13. The film's official website is www.WarEagleArkansas.com, and features theater listings, an on-line press kit, a trailer and more.
Empire Film Group, Inc. is one of only 12 full-service film studios and distributors in the U.S. marketplace, controlling its own theatrical, video and television distribution activities in-house, and maintaining independent status. In addition to War Eagle, Empire will be releasing new theatrical titles throughout the summer and fall of 2009, under the direction of David Magedman, former VP of Warner Independent Pictures. The company has recently acquired 17 new films, including several high-profile titles from the Cannes Film Festival, and owns Hannover House, a book publisher and DVD distributor formed in 1993, with an active library of over 170 titles.
Learn more about Empire Film Group at www.empirefilmgroup.com
To interview Dan McCabe or for more information, contact Eric Parkinson, 818-481-5277 / EmpireFilmGroup@aol.com.