iW NEWS | MSNBC Deal for "Witch Hunt" Ahead of AFI Fest Debut

An image from "Witch Hunt." Photo provided by the filmmakers

MSNBC Films announced a deal for Dana Nachman and Don Hardy's "Witch Hunt," on the eve of the U.S. premiere of the film at AFI Fest in Los Angeles. The documentary, executive produced and narrated by Sean Penn, is described as, "the story of eight parents in Bakersfield, CA in 1984 who were falsely accused and convicted of child molestation by an overzealous district attorney."

An Oscar qualifying theatrical run is also in the works for next year, followed by a Spring '09 MSNBC premiere for "Witch Hunt," which debuted earlier this fall at the Toronto International Film Festival.

"What more could you wish for your film than to find a home on a gutsy, issue oriented, national television outlet?" said co-director Dana Nachman, in a statement, while co-directed Don Hardy added, "Their proven track record of hard-hitting, social justice programming provides 'Witch Hunt' the best opportunity to reach the broadest audience of millions of viewers and give them some insight into the potential problems with the criminal justice system in our country and the incredible human cost of wrongful convictions."

Josh Braun of Submarine Entertainment, representing the filmmakers, brokered the deal with Elise Warner and Scott Hooker for MSNBC Films.