Vineyard Productions and Vineyard Distribution Unearth a Piece of History With 'The Work and the Glory: American Zion'

Vineyard Productions and Vineyard Distribution Unearth a Piece of History With 'The Work and the Glory: American Zion'

SALT LAKE CITY, July 22 /PRNewswire/ -- On October 21st, Vineyard Productions along with Vineyard Distribution will unveil "The Work and the Glory: American Zion," divulging a great untold chronicle of American history. Tracing the events leading to the officially sanctioned persecution of the early followers of Mormonism, the film is the account of a people's valiant struggle to exercise the rights promised by their budding nation. "American Zion" unearths the gripping tale of the passion in the face of cruel intolerance which eventually spurred the colonization of the West: the pursuit of a promised land in America.

The first project of the newly launched Vineyard Distribution is groundbreaking in both historical and artistic perspective. Significantly, the film provides insight into real events which were pivotal to the expansion of the American frontier:

"This series tries to draw a persecuted people out of the margins of our cultural memory. Very few people know of the injustices inflicted by the government against a group of its own citizens who wanted only to exercise their first amendment rights. People don't know that this exodus had such a fundamental impact on shaping the West." -- Sterling VanWagenen, Director

Filmed consecutively with the next installment of the series, the film undertakes an articulate narrative style which refrains from over-contextualizing its characters or forcing conclusions:

"What impresses about this film is that it has the same affective appeal as a literary piece of work. It doesn't try to put the motivations of its characters into a formula, and it doesn't smooth out the unfinished edges of history by pushing a pat conclusion. It's a real slice-of-life piece which maintains a compelling authenticity." -- Scott Swofford, Producer

"The Work and the Glory: American Zion" fulfills its ambitions by utilizing an experienced ensemble of actors and award-winning filmmakers. Directed by Sterling VanWagenen, co-founder of the Sundance Institute and the Sundance Film Festival, the cast includes Sam Hennings ("The Aviator"), Brenda Strong ("Desperate Housewives"), Eric Johnson ("Legends of the Fall", "Smallville"), and Jonathan Scarfe (Steven Spielberg's "Into the West"). Filmmakers include Academy Award(R)-nominated producer Scott Swofford ("Mysteries of Egypt"); Director of Photography Reed Smoot, winner of the Kodak Vision Award; and entrepreneur and Executive Producer Larry Miller, owner of the Utah Jazz NBA basketball team (www.lhm.com). Filmed entirely on location in Tennessee, "The Work and the Glory: American Zion" defies by a wide margin precedents of production value and scope set by other independent films of this genre. The film opens on October 21st nationwide.

Source: Vineyard Productions

CONTACT: Angie Thebaud of Vineyard Distribution, +1-801-263-3443, fax, +1-801-263-3191, athebaud@vineyarddistribution.com

Web site: http://www.lhm.com/

------- Profile: Ent