Amreeka

Amreeka chronicles the adventures of Muna, a single mother who leaves the West Bank with Fadi, her teenage son, with dreams of an exciting future in the promised land of small town Illinois. In America, as her son navigates high school hallways the way he used to move through military checkpoints, the indomitable Muna scrambles together a new life cooking up falafel burgers as well as hamburgers at the local White Castle. Told with heartfelt humor by writer-director Cherien Dabis in her feature film debut, Amreeka is a universal journey into the lives of a family of immigrants and first-generation teenagers caught between their heritage and the new world in which they now live and the bittersweet search for a place to call home. Amreeka recalls Dabis's family's memories of their lives in rural America during the first Iraq War. The film stars Haifa-trained actress Nisreen Faour as Muna, and Melkar Muallen plays her 16-year-old son, Fadi. Also in the cast are Hiam Abbass, Alia Shawkat, Yussef Abu-Warda and Joseph Ziegler. Written and directed by Cherien Dabis, Amreeka was produced by Christina Piovesan and Paul Barkin. Alicia Sams, Dabis and Gregory Keever were executive producers; Liz Jarvis and Al-Zain Al-Sabah were co-producers. Amreeka made its world premiere in dramatic competition at the 2009 Sundance Film Festival, and played as Opening Night of New Directors/New Films, a co-presentation of The Museum of Modern Art and The Film Society of Lincoln Center. Amreeka made its debut internationally in Directors' Fortnight at the Cannes Film Festival.

Actors: Yussuf Abu-Warda, Hiam Abbass, Jeff Sutton, Alia Shawkat, Amer Hlehel
Directors: Cherien Dabis

Dog Named Christmas, A

Bruce Greenwood (Star Trek) plays George McCray, Linda Emond (Julie & Julia) plays his wife Mary Ann, and Noel Fisher (The Riches) plays their son Todd in the 237th Hallmark Hall of Fame presentation, A Dog Named Christmas. Based on Greg Kincaid's novel, the special premieres on CBS Sunday, Nov. 29, 2009, 9-11 p.m. ET/PT. The McCray family is anticipating a happyif uneventful Christmas on their Kansas farm, when an unexpected visitor enters their family. Todd the McCray 20-year-old developmentally-challenged son hears that the local animal shelter is looking for families to foster a pet for the holidays, hoping that some will be permanently adopted. Todd's father, George, is firmly opposed to bringing a dog into the McCray household, either temporarily or permanently. George says he's concerned that Todd won't be able to adequately care for the dog, and that it will be traumatic for him to return the animal to the shelter after Christmas. The real reason for George's stubborn refusal? Bruce Greenwood says, He's had two dogs in his life that he loved deeply, one when he was a child, the other when he was serving in Vietnam. Both experiences ended badly, wounded George psychologically, and he's afraid the same thing will happen again, this time involving his son. Mary Ann, George's insightful wife, understands. Linda Emond says, Mary Ann starts out feeling that a foster dog would be a great thing for her challenged son Todd, but pretty quickly comes to realize that a dog would actually be a great thing for her husband, George. Mary Ann knows that George is in his own way a wounded animal, and that bringing a dog into their home could be a real gift, a real agent of healing.

Invention of Lying, The

Synopsis
In a world where the human race has never evolved the ability to lie, a man who suddenly discovers how will change the world. With this superpower, he can get anything he wants. Well, nearly everything.

Ricky Gervais (Extras, BBC's The Office) displays his hilariously deadpan acting talents in a comedy invention he co-wrote and co-directed. With a star-studded cast including Jennifer Garner, Louis C.K. and Rob Lowe, plus cameos by Tina Fey and Jonah Hill, it's "explosively funny." according to New York critic David Edelstein. Believe it.

Cast & Crew
Actors:
• Jennifer Garner
• Tina Fey
• Rob Lowe
• Jeffrey Tambor
• Ricky Gervais
• Jonah Hill
• Louis C.K.

Writers:
• Ricky Gervais
• Matthew Robinson

Producers:
• Lynda Obst
• Ricky Gervais

Directors:
• Ricky Gervais
• Matthew Robinson

Care Bears: Helping Hearts

Synopsis
Discover the wonders of friendship with a little help from the Care Bears! The gang from Rainshine Meadows is always ready and willing to help a friend in need. Whether it's helping to rebuild an ice cream truck, adopting a glittering baby star, or giving out a little tough love to a friend, Grumpy, Funshine, Oopsy and their pals realize that a happy heart is a helping heart! Get ready to join the Care Bears for more delightful adventures full of good cheer in Care-a-lot!

Banshee!!!

A group of college friends on a spring break camping trip are stalked and slashed by an unknown creature with the ability to make them hallucinate through sound waves. The survivors hold up refuge in an isolated farmhouse, cut off from all communication. Now, they have to come up with a plan to kill this unrelenting creature before it kills them. "Banshee!!!" takes the idea of the legendary Irish myth and spins it around into a terrifying and unstoppable monster!

Actors: Ashley Bates, David McCarthy, Kevin Shea, Kerry McGann, Iris McQuillan-Grace
Directors: Colin Theys

Backyardigans Join The Adventurers Club, The

Synopsis
Follow The Feather
Dragon Express
The Funnyman Boogeyman
Flower Power