HBO Latino Presents Exciting New Lineup of Original Entertainment for Spring 2012

NEW YORK, March 22, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- This spring, HBO Latino, Home Box Office's dedicated Spanish-language premium channel, will present an incredible lineup of programs certain to appeal to today's multigenerational and bilingual Hispanic households.  Two new and exciting original series from HBO Latin America, Destino Deporte and Mujer de Fases, will make their U.S. television premieres on the channel along with three new Spanish-language films under the Estrenos Latinos banner.  The HBO Latino lineup will also include Spanish presentations of HBO original programs including the return of Game of Thrones, the new series Girls and Veep, HBO Films' Hemingway & Gellhorn, the HBO Documentary Films presentation of The Weight of the Nation and HBO Sports events.

Series (exclusive to HBO Latino)
Destino Deporte ("Sports Destination") (Mexico)– This international journalistic documentary series goes beyond the scores and statistics to cover the unexplored side of sports.  Stories include the triumphs and tragedy of "lucha libre" in Mexico City, Brazil's preparation for the 2016 Olympic Games, the excessive competitiveness and persistent cases of drug use in sports, and the looming fear of retirement that is a reality for many athletes.  Meet the cliff divers of Acapulco, female bullfighter Lupita Lopez, former Uruguayan soccer idol Dario Silva, Patrick, who sees soccer as the only way out of the "City of God" favela in Rio de Janeiro, and more.  Via in-depth investigations, Destino Deporte delves below the surface to reveal the incredible diversity and the unexpected facets of what is defined as sports. Starring: Interviews by Julieta Camargo, Matias Canillan, Ricardo Puig, and Ruben Espejel. Premiere: Monday, April 9, 8:00 p.m. ET.

Mujer de Fases ("States of Grace") (Brazil) – An all-new, 13-part comedy series from Brazil, Mujer de Fases is a modern chronicle on romantic relationships and the search for love.  Based on the book Louca por Homen (Crazy for Men) by Brazilian author Claudia Tajes, the series follows the adventures of Grace, a recently divorced 30-something woman who is anxious to restart her life.  Along her journey, Grace becomes involved with a number of men, but soon realizes that finding a mate is not an easy task, and unlike a fairy tale, in most cases the prince turns into a frog – not the other way around.  Cast includes Elisa Volpatto, Rodrigo Pando, Antoniela Canto, Mira Haar and Julia Assis Brazil. Premiere: Friday, April 13 at 10:00 p.m. ET. 

Estrenos Latinos (exclusive to HBO Latino)
Cutting edge and critically acclaimed Spanish-language films from Latin America, Spain and the Caribbean take center stage on Friday nights, with a new film making its U.S. television debut on the first or second Friday of every month:

La Isla Interior (Spain) – The imminent death of their father brings together three siblings struggling with a genetic legacy of mental illness.  Martin wants to leave his job as a teacher and become a writer in Paris.  Gracia, an actress, wants to put some reality back into the fictional world her life has become. And Coral seeks love, hiding a dark secret that keeps her from forming healthy relationships.  Brought together by their father's illness, they must confront their inner conflicts to avoid following in his footsteps. Staring Candela Pena, Alberto San Juan and Cristina Marcos. Premiere: Friday, April 13 at 8:00 p.m. ET.

A Tiro de Piedra (Mexico) – After dreaming he will discover a fortune, 21-year-old Jacinto Medina leaves behind his sheepherder life in Mexico and sets off on a mysterious and sobering journey to the northwest United States, where he believes fortune awaits him. Staring Rogelio Medina, Jacinto Medina and Alejandra Espana. Premiere: Friday, May 4 at 8:00 p.m. ET.

Habana Eva (Cuba/Spain) – In a Havana that's been shaken by Fidel's retirement, a young seamstress dreams of becoming a fashion designer.  Frustrated by her lazy but endearing Cuban boyfriend, she meets a sophisticated expatriate Venezuelan photographer who dazzles her with promises of a glamorous future. After many deceptions and surprises, Eva has to choose between the two men she loves, reaching an unexpected decision that is a humorous metaphor for Cuba's options for the future. Staring Prakriti Maduro, Yuliet Cruz, Juan Carlos Garcia and Carlos Enrique Almirante. Premiere: TBD in June, 8:00 p.m. ET.

HBO Original Programming:
Among the HBO original programs that will also be available in Spanish on HBO Latino are the following highly-anticipated series and programs:

Game of Thrones:
Based on the bestselling fantasy book series "A Song of Ice and Fire" by George R.R. Martin, the  Emmy® and Golden Globe®-winning HBO drama series continues the epic story of duplicity and treachery, nobility and honor, conquest and triumph in the land of Westeros.  In the all-new second season, kings from across the land vie for the single, all-powerful throne against the backdrop of a fast-approaching winter – the season of the white raven.  Returning cast members include Emmy® and Golden Globe® winner Peter Dinklage, Emilia Clarke, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Michelle Fairley, Aidan Gillen, Jack Gleeson, Kit Harington, Lena Headley, Isaac Hempstead Wright, Richard Madden, Rory McCann, Iain Glen, Alfie Allen, Sophie Turner and Maisie Williams. Premiere: Sunday, April 1 at 9:00 p.m. ET.

Girls:
Created by and starring Lena Dunham (Tiny Furniture), the new series takes a comic look at a group of 20-something women in New York City who are trying to figure out what they want – from life, from men, from themselves and each other.  Cast includes Jemima Kirke, Allison Williams, Zosia Mamet and Adam Driver, with recurring guest stars including Chris Abbott and Alex Karpovsky. Premiere: Sunday, April 15 at 1:30 p.m. ET.

Veep:
Julia Louis-Dreyfus (Emmy® winner for Seinfeld and The New Adventures of Old Christine) stars in this new series which follows the story of a woman who becomes vice president, only to discover the job is nothing like she expected, but everything she was warned about.  Ensemble cast includes Tony Hale, Anna Chlumsky, Matt Walsh, Reid Scott, Timothy C. Simons and Sufe Bradshaw.  Premiere: Sunday, April 22 at 10:00 p.m. ET.

Hemingway & Gellhorn:
The HBO Films presentation stars Academy Award® nominee Clive Owen (Closer) and Oscar® winner Nicole Kidman (The Hours) in a story about the tumultuous romance and subsequent marriage of literary master Ernest Hemingway and war correspondent Martha Gellhorn.  Premiere: Monday, May 28 at 9:00 p.m. ET.

The Weight of the Nation:
A 4-part, multi-platform project from HBO Documentary Films, this series addresses one of the most pressing health issues in America today – obesity.  Premiere: Monday, May 14 at 8:00 p.m. ET.

An additional 3-part series, The Weight of the Nation for Kids, will look at children who have taken action to prevent obesity in their lives and communities.  Premiere: Wednesday, May 16 at 7:00 p.m. ET.

HBO Sports:
HBO Sports continues to bring some of the best in sports to television – from world championship boxing to compelling all-access reality programming.  Coming up are World Championship Boxing and Boxing After Dark events as well as 24/7 Mayweather/Cotto, premiering Saturday, April 14 at 9:45 p.m. ET, and 24/7 Pacquiao/Bradley premiering Saturday, May 26 at 9:30 p.m.

HBO Latino content will also be featured on HBO On Demand® following their debut on the network. Series can be found in the "Series" category on the HBO On Demand site while Estrenos Latinos will be available under the "HBO Movies" category.

HBO Latino is a dedicated Spanish-language premium channel that delivers compelling and relevant programming to the U.S. Latino market.  Exclusive to the channel are the regular U.S. premieres of Spanish-language series, films, and documentaries acquired from North America, Latin America and Spain, as well as original short-form programming.  Additionally, HBO Latino offers the best Hollywood movies and HBO original programming from the network's main channel in Spanish. Visit http://www.hbolatino.com for more information and scheduling. HBO Latino is included with an HBO subscription.

Check out the latest news and updates, share favorite moments, get sneak peeks, view compelling video content and more, all in Spanish, by following HBO Latino on Facebook (www.facebook.com/hbolatino), YouTube (www.youtube.com/hbolatino) and Twitter (www.twitter.com/hbolatino).

Contact:
Diana Heald, MGSCOMM, 212-204-8378, [email protected]
Laura Young, HBO, 212-512-5948, [email protected]

SOURCE HBO Latino