"DISEASE OF THE WIND" DOCUMENTARY DEBUTS NEXT WEEK IN DALLAS AT DEEP ELLUM FILM FESTIVAL, NOV. 20-21

DALLAS, November 13, 2002 — "Disease of the Wind" a documentary that takes viewers to the front lines of Africa with Jane Seymour and eight middle school students to chronicle the tragedy of measles and also the race to eliminate the disease, will debut at the Deep Ellum Film Festival next Wednesday and Thursday evenings, Nov. 20 and 21 at Magnolia Theater, 3699 McKinney Ave. Through a seven day humanitarian journey to Kenya with the American Red Cross, viewers get a glimpse of the tragedy, and also the hope, of a nation riddled with a deadly disease through the eyes of Jane Seymour and the students. Seymour and the students learn first-hand how measles kills a half million children each year in Africa but also learn that with enough hope, care and support, precious lives can and are being saved.

Actress Jane Seymour joined the American Red Cross National Celebrity Cabinet in February 2001 and was asked to support the Measles Initiative, the American Red Cross-led program to eliminate measles from Africa through five years of continued mass measles vaccination campaigns. Seymour volunteered to travel to Kenya last June to take part in the Initiative's largest vaccination campaign to date. To help inform the public about this life-saving endeavor, filmmaker James Keach (also Seymour's husband) suggested inviting eight Los Angeles area middle school students to join Jane in the humanitarian mission and make a documentary of their journey.

The film was written and directed by James Keach, produced by Nicolas Hippisley-Coxe and a film crew from the United States, United Kingdom and Kenya was used to create the documentary. The film is also a family affair as Jane is the presenter, James directed the film, brother Stacy Keach narrated, sons Kalen Keach and Sean Flynn assisted with photography, and brother-in-law Donald created the music.

Seymour said, "In our travels we saw the Measles Initiative at work firsthand. We witnessed schoolchildren singing songs about measles and putting on dramas with a 'devil' character that represented measles to teach mothers and fathers about the importance of vaccination - and most importantly, we talked to families about their daily lives and how measles affects them. I actually heard that some mothers won't name their children until they have had measles because so many children get it and die."

By the end of the week, 13, 302, 991, or 97.9% of Kenyan children received vaccinations, saving 18,000 lives and taking an important step in combating the spread of infectious disease in an increasingly small world. As the young Masai poet says at the film's end, "Perhaps if we shed these words of age, color, tongue or creed; the pleas and the cries of the African child, the world will consider and heed."

BACKGROUND:
The Measles Initiative is focused initially in Africa, where there is the highest risk of death from the disease. The Measles Initiative is a long-term commitment to control measles deaths in Africa by vaccinating 200 million children and preventing 1.2 million deaths over five years. Leading this effort are the American Red Cross, United Nations Foundation, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, United Nations Children's Fund, World Health Organization and Pan American Health Organization. Other key players in the fight against measles include the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies and countries and governments affected by measles. For more information or to make a financial donation, visit www.measlesinitiative.org.

Deep Ellum Film, Music, Arts and Noise (DEFMAN) is a non-profit 501(c)3 organization working to promote the art of filmmaking and the entertainment industry while raising funds to help improve the quality of life by providing relief to individuals fighting cancer. Now in its fourth year, the Deep Ellum Film Festival is Texas' fastest growing film event and the premier independent film festival in Dallas. The 2002 festival is projected to have over 15,000 filmmakers, fans and supporters of the arts. DEFMAN strives to give back to filmmakers, musicians, and artists by providing them with exposure, funding and education. DE/F2 and SM/F2 each mark the first step of DEFMAN in assisting the artistic communities in both Dallas and Los Angeles.

Aside from advancing independent film and filmmakers, the mission of DEFMAN is to aid cancer victims in enduring the unrelenting and unfortunate hardships associated with cancer, by providing them with financial assistance. Monetary aid is generated through events such as DE/F2 and SM/F2 (Santa Monica Film Festival). The funds are then distributed through "Go Deep: The Cancer Relief Fund", which was established by the DEFMAN Board of Directors. Individual donors are also able to contribute to the fund through private donations. For more information visit www.def2.org.

For more information about the Measles Initiative, log on to www.measlesinitiative.org. To make a financial contribution, call 1-800 HELP NOW or to make a secure online donation, log on to www.measlesinitiative.org.

CONTACTS:
Lisa Lemons, Dallas Area Red Cross, office 214/678-4800, pager 214/657-7480
Julie Irby, National American Red Cross, office 202/639-3512, cell 571/236-6172

"DISEASE OF THE WIND" DOCUMENTARY DEBUTS NEXT WEEK IN DALLAS AT DEEP ELLUM FILM FESTIVAL, NOV. 20-21

Documentary chronicles the tragedy of measles and the fight to eliminate the disease through the eyes of eight middle school students and actress Jane Seymour