OWN acquires three documentaries

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Still reading Jonathan Franzen’s “Freedom”? Well, if you’re reading as part of Oprah’s book club, ya better hurry up! Judging from the book lover’s reading calendar, you should have been long done by now. And time is of the essence because there’s a lot more clubbing to be had.

Back in July came word that the talk-show queen was looking to put her golden touch on the film world with a documentary club. OWN:Oprah Winfrey Network announced partnerships with five Hollywood celebrities — Julia Roberts, Forest Whitaker, Goldie Hawn, Gabriel Byrne and Mariel Hemingway — to produce original, two-hour features for the club.

Now the network has announced it has acquired three films, “One Lucky Elephant,” “65_RedRoses” and “Most Valuable Players,” that will join the upcoming monthly documentary film club lineup.

“OWN seeks to entertain, inspire and inform,” said Lisa Erspamer, the network’s chief creative officer, in a statement. “What better way to further that mission than to provide a mainstream platform for emerging and established documentary filmmakers to present different stories that move the viewer, and then to encourage a dialogue and exchange of ideas.”

-- “One Lucky Elephant” follows circus producer David Balding in his struggle to find a permanent home for an orphaned African elephant that he raised and made the star of his circus.

-- “65_Redroses” highlights the journey of a twentysomething Canadian woman suffering from cystic fibrosis who is awaiting a double lung transplant.

-- “Most Valuable Player” is a 2010 documentary about the Freddy Awards, which honors high school musical theater in New Jersey and the Lehigh Valley region of Pennsylvania.

The club is said to be accepting members -- er, viewers -- in the spring.

--Yvonne Villarreal
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