Former Associate DIrector of the Mentors in Violence Prevention (MVP) Program, and gender violence education and prevention program of Northeastern University's Center for the Study of Sport in Society, to produce Hip-Hop Documentary for PBS.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

August 28, 2002

CONTACT:
Byron Hurt
631-234-1719
[email protected]

THE INDEPENDENT TELEVISION SERVICE TO FUND FORMER NU QUARTERBACK BYRON HURT FOR PBS HIP-HOP DOCUMENTARY

As Byron Hurt neared his 30th birthday, he decided to quit his job as a media relations specialist at Northeastern University (NU) in July 1999, and move back home with his parents to build his own documentary film production company, God Bless The Child Productions, Inc.

Three years later, Hurt, a former NU quarterback on the Husky football team, is finally realizing his dream. The Independent Television Service (ITVS) and God Bless the Child Productions, Inc. reached an agreement on August 15, 2002 that will provide independent documentary filmmaker Byron Hurt with completion funds for his second film, Beyond Beats and Rhymes.

ITVS selected six projects for funding through its 2002 Open Call, out of a pool of 640 submissions. ITVS funds less than 2% of its Open Call Applicants. In May 2001, the National Black Program Consortium (NBPC) selected the Beyond Beats and Rhymes project for Program Development Funds from of a pool of 77 submissions.

Beyond Beats and Rhymes will be an ITVS/NBPC co-presentation, and will be offered to PBS for a national airdate. The film is schedule to be completed in August 2003.

Hurt also used the internet as a fundraising tool. During the 2001 Christmas Holiday Season, Hurt requested monetary gifts of at least $1 per person to help fund the Beyond Beats and Rhymes project. Called the "A Friend of A Friend $1 Email Campaign", 39 family members, friends, and other supporters responded by sending small donations to God Bless the Child Productions, Inc. The e-fundraising campaign yielded more than $2,000.

Beyond Beats and Rhymes will take an in-depth look at "machismo" in rap music and hip-hop culture within the context of American patriarchy and capitalism.

The film will trace Hurt's quest to reconcile his love for the exciting creativity, addictive rhythms and intoxicating beats of rap music and some of its violent, sexist, and homophobic expressions.

Award-winning documentary filmmaker Stanley Nelson of Firelight Media will serve as the film's executive producer.

Hurt quarterbacked the Northeastern University Husky football team from 1988-1991. Hurt also worked at the NU-based Center for the Study of Sport in Society from 1993-1997, and the Office of Public Relations as a Media Relations Specialist at NU from 1998-1999.

For more information about Byron Hurt and God Bless the Child Productions, Inc., visit www.bhurt.com.

For more infomation about ITVS and NBPC, visit to itvs.org and nbpc.tv.

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