HARD ROAD HOME and
Launch of HOMECOMING Outreach Campaign to Faith Communities
at SXSW Festival MARCH 2007

The HOMECOMING Campaign
At the SXSW World Premiere of HARD ROAD HOME on Saturday March 10th, Auburn Media will launch a two-year, nationwide HOMECOMING campaign to American faith communities to enlist them in the struggle to help hundreds of thousands of formerly incarcerated Americans thrive after their release from prison. The HOMECOMING campaign is underwritten by a grant from Steven Spielberg’s Righteous Persons Foundation.

HARD ROAD HOME comes to Austin in March 2007
The real people featured in HARD ROAD HOME will come to Austin for the premiere and the HOMECOMING event series. Julio Medina, the ex-gang chieftain turned nationally-recognized founder of Exodus Transitional Community, and Griffik Negroni, a 21-year-old recently released ex-con and Exodus participant, will headline HOMECOMING outreach campaign events.

Austin Events Calendar
Saturday, March 10, 11 A.M.: HARD ROAD HOME premiere at Paramount Theater. Julio Medina and Griffik Negroni join post-screening Q&A with director Macky Alston and re-entry expert Renata Fletcher of Public/Private Ventures.

Sunday, March 11, 11 A.M.: HOMECOMING Event: Julio Medina conducts Sunday Church Teach-ins throughout Austin at major local churches TBD (coordinated by Austin Area Interreligious Ministries) with Austin ex-cons, clergy and law officers and HARD ROAD HOME subject Griffik Negroni participating.

Sunday, March 11, 6:30 P.M.: Special Invitation Event: Julio Medina presented by the Mustard Seeds, an Austin dialogue group of concerned religious and civic leaders. High-level presentation/discussion among religious leaders, community leaders and re-entry professionals. Location TBD.

For more information about the local and national campaign
Contact Joshua Olesker, Auburn Media’s Outreach Program manager, at 212-870-3175 (direct), 917-833-0937 (cell) or jco@auburnsem.org, or visit the HARD ROAD HOME web site: www.HARDROADHOME.org.

Recently:

• BECOMING THE PROMISED LAND: Faith, Community and The Prison Re-entry Population – June 12 & 13, 2008 in New York City
• Macky and Julio Interviewed on WBAI
• HRH to broadcast March 29th on WNET13
• U.S. Senate Passes the Second Chance Act of 2007!
• Macky Alston on WBAI- Sat March 22 – 12:10 pm
• Pop Matters Review
• Macky and Julio on NPR’s TELL ME MORE
• HARD ROAD HOME to be released on DVD February 2008!
• HARD ROAD HOME at Oakland’s Grand Lake Theater February 12
• INDEPENDENT LENS/PBS-Feb 26 2008 10pm