RAISING IZZIE

VANESSA WILLIAMS, ROCKMOND DUNBAR,

VICTORIA STALEY AND KYLA KENEDY

STAR IN THE EMOTIONALLY CHARGED FAMILY DRAMA

PREMIERING SATURDAY, july 21^st AT 7:00 p.m. ET

EXCLUSIVELY ON GMC

GMC TV, America’s favorite channel for uplifting music and family entertainment, presents Raising Izzie, based on David Martyn Conley’s award-winning screenplay and first prize winner in the 2011 inaugural GMC Faith and Family Screenplay Competition, at the American Black Film Festival (ABFF). Raising Izzie makes its world television premiere on Saturday, July 21^st at 7:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m. with encore broadcasts, Sunday, July 22^nd at 7:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m. Monday, July 23^rd at 9:00 p.m. and Friday, July 27^th at 9:00 p.m. and 11:00 p.m. ET.

The story of two orphaned sisters and the caring teacher who changes their lives forever stars Daytime Emmy© nominee and NAACP Image Award© winner Vanessa Williams (“Lincoln Heights,” Soul Food), Rockmond Dunbar (The Family That Preys, “Sons of Anarchy,” Soul Food), Kyla Kenedy (Three Stooges, “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation”), and Victoria Staley (“My Parents, My Sister and Me”, “Surface”).

Producer and former Tyler Perry Studios executive Roger M. Bobb (For Colored Guys, “House of Payne”) produces and makes his directorial debut from David Martyn Conley’s prize-winning script. Brad Siegel serves as executive producer.

“This is a very heartwarming story about family and faith that shows that love transcends all,” says Bobb. “When I saw the table read at last year’s ABFF, I knew right away it was the perfect story for me to tell.”

When their mother passes away, sisters Izzie (Kyla Kenedy) and Gertie Nash (Victoria Staley) are forced to grow up fast. Afraid her daughters will be separated if placed in the foster care system, their mother makes arrangements for Gertie and Izzie to live on their own, with a bank account, apartment and small on-line business to support themselves. Older sister Gertie takes care of Izzie in addition to working and attending school. For a year, the girls are able to hide their predicament from their neighbors, their landlord and even their teachers. But when Tonya Freeman (Vanessa Williams), Gertie’s new teacher, becomes suspicious, the girls have to come up with a new plan to protect their secret. After Tonya confronts the girls and they confess to their situation, Tonya has to decide how to protect them and keep them together against the will of her husband Greg (Rockmond Dunbar).

“Raising Izzie is an inspiring story about the importance of family bonds and maintaining faith in challenging times, and is a story that also reminds us of the greater reward in helping others,” says Brad Siegel, vice-chairman of GMC. “We never dreamed that the first place winner of our GMC Faith and Family Screenplay Competition would be premiering the following year as the Festival’s Closing Night Film and have its World Premiere on GMC the same year.”

Leslie Chesloff, GMC’s executive vice president of programming, adds, “Raising Izzie has all the right elements for a wonderful, uplifting story our viewers will assuredly love. We knew right away we wanted to bring this endearing story to the screen and we are very excited to share it with our GMC family.”

GMC Network Presents a Bobbcat Films production Raising Izzie starring Vanessa Williams, Rockmond Dunbar, Kyla Kenedy, and Victoria Staley. Music by Karen Marie Mason. Casting by Alpha Tyler. Editor is Charles Lemons. Director of Photography is Mark Mervis. Executive Producer is Brad Siegel. Screenplay by David Martyn Conley. Directed by Roger M. Bobb. Executive Producers are Bobb and Brad Siegel.

About GMC

GMC (www.watchGMCtv.com) is America’s favorite television channel for uplifting music and family entertainment. The Parents Television Council™ has twice awarded its Entertainment Seal of Approval™ to GMC for being “an authentic family-friendly cable network.” GMC is the only television network brand to be so honored. GMC can be seen in more than 51 million homes on various cable systems around the country, as well as DISH Network on channel 188, DIRECTV on channel 338 and Verizon FiOS on channel 224. Follow GMC TV on Facebook and Twitter at http://facebook.com/gmctv and http://twitter.com/gmctv.