GI Film Festival to air films on cable TV

The GI Film Festival, a showplace for films that focus on the successes and sacrifices of U.S. servicemembers, and which received The American Legion National Commander’s Public Relations Award in March, has announced a new partnership with Discovery’s Military Channel. Starting on Nov. 12, the network will feature weekend blocks of the festival’s award-winning productions.

“We are proud to provide our filmmakers with a nationwide audience on one of the nation’s most respected television networks,” festival co-founder Brandon Millett said. “We know Military Channel viewers will be touched and inspired by this programming. And we hope through our films that they gain a greater sense of appreciation for our nation’s men and women in uniform.”

The Washington-based GI Film Festival, which celebrated its fourth year in May, was founded by Millett and Maj. Laura Law-Millett to counteract what they saw as inaccurate reflections by Hollywood of those in the military. It seeks out and screens films that tell the soldiers’ stories honestly and with respect.

The Military Channel, part of the Discovery family of networks, reaches more than 57 million homes. Its sole focus is military programming, from technology to the history of conflicts, stretching back to the Revolutionary War and even beyond. President and General Manager Henry Schleiff said that, “The diverse lineup of the GI Film Festival is a natural fit for the Military Channel, which prides itself on highlighting the full spectrum of human drama, courage and patriotism intrinsic to the Armed Forces.” The opening weekend will include films such as “Shakey’s Hill,” about the battle to take the famous hill in Cambodia during the Vietnam War; and “L-Bird: The Little Plane That Did,” about the tiny spotter planes that wreaked havoc on the enemy during World War II.

The complete schedule of festival programming on the Military Channel can be found here and here.

In addition to giving the Public Relations Award in March, the Legion passed Resolution 13 at the May NEC meetings in Indianapolis, recognizing “that the GI Film Festival is the preeminent venue for military film screenings and that The American Legion salutes the GI Film Festival.”