Provocative Documentary 'SURFWISE' to Premiere as a Sneak Preview on HDNet Movies - Wednesday, May 7

Director Doug Pray examines the unorthodox upbringing and eccentric lifestyle of the surfing Paskowitz family

DALLAS, May 1 /PRNewswire/ -- Did you ever dream of leaving it all behind to go out and live life on your own terms? Well, one man did, bringing his wife and nine children along for the ride with all eleven of them living in a 24 foot camper! HDNet Movies presents a special Sneak Preview of their story with the documentary SURFWISE which premieres next Wednesday, May 7 at 9:00 p.m. ET.

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SURFWISE is the story of Dorian "Doc" Paskowitz, a one-time successful doctor who, at 51, decided to give it all up, seeking self-fulfillment by taking up the nomadic life of a surfer.

This documentary follows the odyssey of the now 85-year-old surfer Dr. Dorian "Doc" Paskowitz, his wife Juliette, and their nine children -- all of whom were home schooled on the beaches of Southern California, Hawaii, and Mexico. They surfed every day of their lives, and were forced to adhere to a strict diet and the lifestyle of animals in the wild, by their passionate and demanding, health-conscious father.

With a unique style, Director Doug Pray presents the Paskowitz family as a tightly knit unit whose allegiance, though tested at times, is unquestionable.

"It's set in the surfing world, but it's not a surf film," said Pray. "It's really about diet, sex, home schooling, fatherhood, breastfeeding, the holocaust, wild animals, 'the aloha spirit,' family, cults ... and surfing."

SURFWISE is the latest installment in the HDNet Movies "Sneak Preview" series. Only HDNet Movies presents exclusive "Sneak Previews" of films to viewers before they premiere in theaters. All Sneak Preview films are free to HDNet Movies subscribers.

HDNet Movies will offer SURFWISE as a special Sneak Preview on Wednesday, May 7 at 9:00 p.m. ET, with an encore presentation at 11:00 p.m. ET.

About HDNet

HDNet (http://www.hd.net/) provides viewers with the best in original comedy, drama, news, sports and music programming.

HDNet is your exclusive, high definition home for popular, critically acclaimed original programming, including television's only HD news feature programs "HDNet World Report," "Dan Rather Reports" featuring legendary journalist Dan Rather and "NASA on HDNet" (presenting live shuttle launches through 2010). HDNet presents championship sports coverage featuring the National Hockey League, Major League Soccer, the NASCAR Camping World Series, NASCAR Sprint Cup re-broadcasts, boxing and premiere Mixed Martial Arts from "HDNet Fights;" behind-the-scenes sports news with "Inside the NHL" and "Inside MMA;" groundbreaking music programming with the HDNet Concert Series featuring leading artists and bands including Coldplay, Gwen Stefani, Black Eyed Peas and more; entertaining and irreverent lifestyle programming including "Deadline!," "Art Mann Presents," and "Get Out!" HDNet is also the exclusive high definition home to the critically acclaimed and award winning programs such as the Emmy Award winning "Arrested Development," "The Black Donnellys," "Star Trek: Enterprise," "Dead Like Me," "Smallville" and the hit BBC series "Torchwood."

HDNet Movies features a wide selection of major studio theatrical releases -- all uncut, unedited, and appearing in their original aspect ratio so that HDNet Movies viewers get the best possible home theater experience.

Only HDNet Movies' exclusive "Sneak Previews" bring feature films to viewers before they premiere in theaters! Some of the HDNet Movies "Sneak Previews" have included the Academy Award nominated "Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room," Toronto Film Festival nominee "The War Within," and "Bubble," the first of six movies by acclaimed director Steven Soderbergh and produced exclusively for HDNet Films. Other featured films include "Cashback," written and produced by Sean Ellis, "Broken English," from Zoe Cassavetes, starring Gena Rowlands, Parker Posey, Drea de Matteo and Griffin Dunne, the critically acclaimed "Redacted" directed by Brian De Palma and, most recently and "Flawless," starring Michael Caine and Demi Moore. Upcoming "Sneak Previews" include "Quid Pro Quo," starring Nick Stahl and Vera Farmiga, and "Gonzo," the story of the life and death of infamous gonzo journalist Hunter S. Thompson from director Alex Gibney and producer Graydon Carter.

Launched in 2001 by Mark Cuban and General Manager Philip Garvin, the HDNet networks are available on AT&T, Bright House Networks, Charter Communications, DIRECTV, DISH Network, Insight, Mediacom, Time Warner Cable, Verizon and more than 40 NCTC cable affiliate companies. For more information visit http://www.hd.net/.

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Source: HDNet

CONTACT: Colette Carey of HDNet, +1-303-542-5576

Web site: http://www.hd.net/

2008-05-01 17:39:02 0351058 PRNEWSWIRE