As you may know, MANNA FROM HEAVEN is opening in the Washington D.C. area on the weekend of October 25th.

MANNA's distribution campaign is totally grass-roots -- and we're asking for your help. If you're in DC, please come to see MANNA this weekend (Oct 25-27), and we'd be grateful if you'd also forward this to any friends/family/colleagues/complete strangers in the D.C. area.

This is an exciting opening, as MANNA has been booked in multiple, mainstream theaters! What's more, it is possible MANNA will be released nationwide in the new year -- but it depends on how the film does in the next few cities, up against the major studio movies.

We really appreciate your support.

--The Burton 5

MANNA FROM HEAVEN is opening in the Washington D.C. area on the weekend of October 25th! It will be in multiple theaters -- check local listings -- including:

AMC Hoffman Center 22
in Alexandria, VA (Eisenhower Ave & Telegraph Rd--206 Swampfox Rd)

AMC Academy
in Beltway Plaza Mall, Greenbelt, MD (6228 Greenbelt Rd)

AMC Potomac Mills
in Woodbridge, VA (2700 Potomac Mills Circle, Ste 707)
FOR AMC THEATERS -- call 703-998-4AMC or see http://www.moviewatcher.com)

Regal Ballston Commons
Ballston Common Mall in Arlington, VA (12 Glebe Rd)
703-527-9466, http://www.regalcinemas.com
Tickets to the film are $8.00 regular, and $6.00 for students and seniors. The movie is rated PG.

If you are in the DC area, please go see MANNA on the opening weekend of Oct 25. Bring friends or tell your DC friends; tell them to bring friends; tell them to bring strangers -- tell them to think: All MANNA All The time!...

1. Help MANNA FROM HEAVEN make it to the rest of the country! Like My Big Fat Greek Wedding, MANNA is relying on grassroots word-of-mouth -- so, by going on the first weekend, you can help the movie get national release! (After MANNA's opening in Kansas City, the independent film impressed theater exhibitors, particularly AMC. They are interested in releasing the film in theaters nationwide. Washington is only the 2nd major city for the independent film; and the next two cities, DC and Buffalo, will be used as proving grounds for theater corporations. Independent movies have to do better than studio films in order to stay in the theaters, and the opening weekend is critical.)

2. Meet the filmmakers at select screenings! -- How often can you go to the movies and then actually talk with the director, actor, producer? Email us sisters if you want to have a special Q&A for a group of friends in the first 2 weeks, and we will arrange to be at the theater. (We sisters will be at the Friday night 7 pm-ish DC theatrical premiere screening to benefit HABITAT FOR HUMANITY, at the AMC Hoffman 22 in Alexandria, VA. We all plan to be at the Arlington, VA Regal theater on Saturday evening.)

3. VOTE AT THE BOX OFFICE. With a ticket purchase, you can affect the future of MANNA FROM HEAVEN, but, more importantly, we all can impact the movie business. If this film does well, more independent, feel-good films with quirky casts will be made.

4. See something good and do some good. Select screenings benefit HABITAT FOR HUMANITY! (see below for more info.)

Thanks so much for your support, and we'll see you at the movies!

Maria,
Jennifer,
Ursula,
Gabrielle,
Charity Burton
FIVE SISTERS PRODUCTIONS
http://www.fivesistersproductions.com

More information on MANNA FROM HEAVEN and the Five Sisters:

The delightful third film from the five Burton sisters of FIVE SISTERS PRODUCTIONS...
An intelligent, feel-good movie about rediscovering hope at any age.

What happens
when you get a gift from God (a financial windfall)
but, many years later, find out
it was just a loan-- and it's due immediately!

MANNA FROM HEAVEN

~A comedic fable ~

with a stellar ensemble cast, including:

URSULA BURTON,
Academy Award nominee SEYMOUR CASSEL,
SHELLEY DUVALL,
JILL EIKENBERRY,
Academy Award winner LOUISE FLETCHER,
FRANK GORSHIN,
FAYE GRANT,
Tony Award nominee HARRY GROENER,
Academy Award winner SHIRLEY JONES,
Academy Award winner CLORIS LEACHMAN,
Emmy Award nominee WENDIE MALICK,
and AUSTIN PENDLETON

Love, laughter, happiness... everything money can't buy.
__________________________________

Liz Smith - NEW YORK POST
“The Burton siblings [had a special screening of] their film, 'Manna From Heaven,' at the Cantor Film Center on East Eighth Street this week, and a great little movie it is. Dig this cast - Ursula Burton, Seymour Cassel, Shelley Duvall, Jill Eikenberry, Louise Fletcher, Frank Gorshin, Faye Grant, Harry Groener, Shirley Jones, Cloris Leachman, Wendie Malick and Austin Pendleton. Several Oscar winners and nominees and even a Tony citation are in this amazing group. You'll be hearing more about the Burtons!”

Ain’t it Cool News
“This movie has it all: a good plot, great characters and performances, hilarious moments, and genuinely touching personal moments... What follows are some hilariously funny actions and reactions between the family members and anyone outside the family who inadvertently gets involved, along with some surprisingly tender moments in which characters think about some of their forgotten dreams and missed opportunities. I'm generally pretty cynical, but I still really enjoyed this movie. I wish more good family movies like this came along.”

Patricia Finneran - IFP, NYC
“A wonderful testament to the generosity of the human spirit - something we are all needing right now!”

Gary Groman, BRANSON COURIER
“MANNA FROM HEAVEN is an entertainment blessing... A story of personal relationships and interactions involving some of funniest and most entertaining characters you will ever meet, human goodness, kindness, faithfulness, and, most of all, the miraculous wonder of dreaming and achieving those dreams.”

Synapsis Digital Magazine
"A truly original comedy, which will have the whole family laughing.... Delightful feel good comedy...[that] explores in a delightful yet insightful way the dynamics of the 'modern family'...This movie has witty and thought provoking dialogue...I recommend [Manna From Heaven] as one...to raise the spirits."

Carl Gottlieb (JAWS, THE JERK)
“MANNA FROM HEAVEN is a marvel of ingenuity, character and comic invention.”

IMDb
“If you liked The Full Monty, you'll love MANNA FROM HEAVEN.”

“An excellently crafted film and a thoroughly enjoyable experience!” (IMDb):
This film is a gem and a true piece of art. On all points of skillful, tasteful filmmaking, "Manna from Heaven" ranks high. The screenplay is superbly written, and it is difficult to imagine a better cast than that utilized by the Burton team. The cinematography and editing demonstrate a firm command of the film medium. If you like your movie-going pleasure laden with charming wit, beautiful scenery, and the right balance of sentimentality, this is the film for you.

“A lovely way to spend an evening” (IMDb):
I had a wonderful time at the show, and my friends and I spent the rest of the evening talking about Manna. Splendid performances, great writing and cinematography: that's what I call a moving picture.

“An uplifting comedy with twists and turns!” (IMDb):
Extremely well written, casted and directed...Dialogue is witty, engaging and funny with characters that are a bit out there. It's great to see a feature film that has a backbone to it and a theme of doing the right thing.

“Two Thumbs Up!” (IMDb):
All in all, this film is fabulous - RUN, don't walk, to go see it!

Audience Comments:
"Magnificent. # 1 Feel Good Flick"
"The Best - I cried with Joy!"
"Fantastic - See it again and again!"
"Reminded me a lot of a Woody Allen film. Great Stuff!"
"FABULOUS! BEST I've seen this year -- maybe ever!"

WINNER Special Audience Award, Sarasota Film Festival
WINNER People's Choice Award, Ft. Myers Beach Film Festival
WINNER Audience Award, Big Bear Film Festival
WINNER NY State Filmmaker's Award, Empire State Film Festival

THE STORY:

MANNA FROM HEAVEN is a witty fable about what happens when you get a gift from God (a financial windfall), but many years later you find out it was a just a loan -- and it’s due immediately.

Once upon a time, a neighborhood in Buffalo, NY is mysteriously showered with 20-dollar bills. Theresa, a young girl who everyone thinks is a saint, doesn’t have much trouble convincing her loose-knit "family" that the money is a gift from Heaven. Years later, Theresa, who has become a nun, has an epiphany that it is time to pay the money back, so she calls the eccentric group together to repay the “loan.” The problem is, nobody wants to give back the money, nobody has the money, they don’t know to whom it belongs, and most of them can’t stand each other. Theresa has some tall talking to do to get this querulous group on board, but her gift was always to see the best in everyone, and she eventually wins them over. What follows is a rollercoaster of quirky comic twists and turns. Along the way, the characters learn about family, romance, reconciliation and redemption -- and the city's community also blossoms in the process. By working together they begin to realize their full potential, and each person, in a moment of selflessness, finds the dreams they thought the money would buy them.

More information:

MANNA FROM HEAVEN'S WHISTLE-STOP TOUR

• We five Burton sisters (Maria, Jennifer, Ursula, Gabrielle, and Charity) have an independent film company, FIVE SISTERS PRODUCTIONS. We have recently completed our third feature film, the comedic fable MANNA FROM HEAVEN.

• MANNA FROM HEAVEN had its national theatrical premiere in Missouri, with the kick-off at the Branson Meadows Cinema in Branson on August 2 and Olathe, KS's AMC Studio 30 on August 16. Partnering with R.S. Entertainment, we plan to roll out the award-winning feature film nationally over the next year.

• We plan to travel around the country for the film's release in THE MANNA VAN, an "art car" that is part of the 2003 Western New York art project, "Art on Wheels". Like MANNA FROM HEAVEN, THE MANNA VAN has a down-home and amusing appeal, and is also a practical way for us to travel from city to city for the year-long tour.

• With a minimal advertising budget (the average studio movie has $35 million for advertising), we are designing a grassroots campaign to reap the film's positive word-of-mouth. We will be traveling to each new city with the film for the opening week, doing community marketing ranging from visiting local ballroom dance clubs and hair salons (characters in the film play those professions) to giving talks at Rotary Clubs and doing Q&A at the theaters. The film's whistle-stop tour around the country is demonstrating that there is a desire in the marketplace for feel-good movies with a mature cast.

• After MANNA's opening in Kansas City, the independent film impressed theater exhibitors, particularly AMC. They are interested in helping with the release of the film in theaters nationwide. Generally, independent movies have to do better than studio films in order to stay in the theaters, and the opening weekend is critical. We are telling people they can VOTE AT THE BOX OFFICE for more movies like MANNA FROM HEAVEN. There will only be more feel-good, family-friendly, independent movies with a mature cast IF Manna does well.

A FAMILY AFFAIR

• MANNA FROM HEAVEN could be called a truly “family” film -- made and produced by our family. The movie was written by our mother (award-winning novelist and screenwriter Gabrielle Burton); and our father, Roger, retired from his job as a professor at the University of Buffalo to join us in making the film. We filmed MANNA in Buffalo, our hometown, and the whole town came together to make it possible.

AN OPPORTUNITY FOR CHARITY

• We sisters have partnered with HABITAT FOR HUMANITY. A premiere screening in each city will benefit HABITAT with proceeds going to the organization in order to support education on the issues of homelessness and the achievements of the HABITAT program. (One of the themes of the film is community coming together to improve itself.)

MANNA FOR CONGRESS!!

• On October 9, MANNA FROM HEAVEN screened for members of Congress. Jack Valenti, the head of the MPAA (Motion Picture Association of America), is sponsoring a reception and screening for Congress. US Representative Karen McCarthy helped bring the film to screen for Congress, after seeing the film at the Kansas City Filmmakers Jubilee. The screening for Congress also was hosted by US Representative Tom Reynolds and US Senator Charles Schumer, as part of their active support of the film that was shot in Western New York.

• MANNA FROM HEAVEN has also received active support from Mayor Anthony Masiello and the City of Buffalo (where MANNA was shot), Erie County Executive Joel Giambra, and the State of New York.

THE MOVIE -- A COMEDIC FABLE WITH A STELLAR CAST

• The star-studded ensemble cast includes Academy Award® winner SHIRLEY JONES (Elmer Gantry, The Partridge Family), Academy Award® winner CLORIS LEACHMAN (The Last Picture Show, Young Frankenstein), Academy Award® winner LOUISE FLETCHER (One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, A Map of the World), Academy Award® nominee SEYMOUR CASSEL (Rushmore, In the Soup), URSULA BURTON (Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood, The Practice), SHELLEY DUVALL (Popeye, The Shining), JILL EIKENBERRY (L.A. Law, The Manhattan Project), FRANK GORSHIN (the Riddler from Batman, 12 Monkeys), three-time Tony nominee HARRY GROENER (Dear John, Buffy the Vampire Slayer), FAYE GRANT (State of Grace, V), WENDIE MALICK (Just Shoot Me, Dream On), and AUSTIN PENDLETON (Oz, What’s Up Doc).

• MANNA is a proven crowd pleaser with audiences and critics. The film appeals to all ages: young viewers, who know these actors through classic TV shows (“The Partridge Family,” “Batman”) and currently popular shows (“Drew Carey Show,” “Just Shoot Me,” “Buffy the Vampire Slayer”), as well as to older audiences more familiar with its stars through classic movies like “Oklahoma” and “The Last Picture Show.” (MANNA is rated PG.)

THE WRITER: An award-winning author… and the Five Sisters’ mother

MANNA FROM HEAVEN was written by Gabrielle Burton, an award winning novelist and screenwriter. In addition to having her novel HEARTBREAK HOTEL republished by the prestigious Dalkey Archive Press last year, Gabrielle has won the Mary Pickford Prize for screenwriting from the American Film Institute and the Austin Film Festival’s top prize for screenwriting. She was one of only eleven writers invited to participate in the Equinoxe screenwriting conference in Bordeaux, France, and was asked to participate in the most recent IFP Screenwriters Lab. Gabrielle has also been awarded the Nicholl Fellowship from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

THE PRODUCERS: Five Sisters Productions

Charity Burton (Producer). Charity's latest Five Sisters Productions feature is MANNA FROM HEAVEN. She also produced TEMPS and is working with the company on developing TEMPS into a TV series. Charity has performed principal roles in many plays including 1776, ALICE IN WONDERLAND, BABY, and THE RESTAURANT, and she wrote, produced, directed, and performed in the well-received play VENUS ON THE HALFSHELL. Charity studied Bhratan Natyum dance in Malaysia while teaching at an Indian orphanage in Kuala Lumpur. At Denison University, she studied dance and theater, as well as anthropology/sociology. Since working for Americorps, organizing and teaching literacy programs in New Orleans and in East Los Angeles, Charity also teaches in the LA Unified School System.

Gabrielle C. Burton (Director, Producer). Gabrielle is traveling with MANNA FROM HEAVEN on its national theatrical release. The movie stars Cloris Leachman, Shirley Jones, Louise Fletcher, Frank Gorshin, Wendie Malick, Jill Eikenberry, Phil LaMarr, Austin Pendleton, Seymour Cassel and Shelley Duvall. She wrote, produced, and acted in the feature film TEMPS, and is currently working on developing it into a television series. Gabrielle also co-produced JUST FRIENDS, now playing on AMC and the WE Channel. As an undergraduate at Harvard/Radcliffe, she wrote and directed the full length plays SAGE AND TIME and CLUB VENUS at the ART's Loeb Ex theater, and was featured on the Voice Of America program and in the Harvard CRIMSON as a talented young artist. She was awarded summa cum laude for her creative writing thesis Where The Best Is Like The Worst. A work-study scholar at the Bread Loaf Writer's Conference in 1995, she was invited back as staff in 1996. After an Isobel Briggs scholarship to study at Berklee College of Music, she won a Rotary Scholarship to study film at the Ecole Superieure d'Audio-Visuel in Toulouse, France, where she received a DEUP degree with High Honors for her work. SAGE AND TIME, one of the shorts she wrote and directed while in France, was selected for the 1996 La Corrida Int'l Film Festival in France. Gabrielle worked on the television program LAW & ORDER, where she trailed two directors in their director training program. She also regularly acts in films, plays, and commercials.

Jennifer Burton (Producer). Jennifer is working on the national release of MANNA FROM HEAVEN, which she produced with her sisters in their hometown of Buffalo, NY. While producing Five Sisters Productions' film TEMPS, Jennifer completed her Ph.D. at Harvard in English Literature. She received a Mellen Grant for her dissertation on hope in American film and theater of the 1920s. In addition to being a producer with Five Sisters Productions, she is currently a Du Bois Fellow at Harvard and is working with Henry Louis Gates, Jr. on a book of debates in African-American History. Her theater and film experience includes leading roles in VIEUX CARRE, SPRINGS AWAKENING, THE PARTY, TRAVELER WITHOUT LUGGAGE, and RICHARD II. She has also worked as a jazz singer at THE HOLLYWOOD SAVOY in Paris. As an undergraduate at Harvard/ Radcliffe, she wrote, directed, and acted in the University's first performance thesis. After graduation, she was awarded a Luce Fellowship to study Japanese Theater for a year in Tokyo.

Maria Burton (Director, Producer, Actor). Maria is traveling with the release of MANNA FROM HEAVEN, whose all-star cast includes Academy Award winners Cloris Leachman, Shirley Jones, and Louise Fletcher, as well as Frank Gorshin, Wendie Malick, Jill Eikenberry, Phil LaMarr, Austin Pendleton, Seymour Cassel and Shelley Duvall. Her second feature film TEMPS, which she produced with her sisters under their banner, FIVE SISTERS PRODUCTIONS, is currently being developed into a TV series. Variety called TEMPS a "dead-on take of a generation at the crossroads." Her first feature, the romantic comedy, JUST FRIENDS, was sponsored by Deluxe, Kodak, and Panavision. JUST FRIENDS is distributed worldwide and currently can be seen on AMC and the WE Channel. Variety said JUST FRIENDS, an "...entertaining romantic comedy about commitment in the '90s,... reveals director Maria Burton as talent to watch." Hollywood Reporter said, "Director Maria Burton's affection for the story's characters is infectious and gives the story its strength." Maria graduated from Yale University with a degree in theater and filmmaking. While at Yale, Maria directed plays as well as short films. Her play, THE LITANY OF THE CLOTHES was chosen for the prestigious Yale Dramat Mainstage, and was then selected for production at the Harvard Loeb Theater. It went on to win first prize in the Earth Daughters' playwriting contest and was produced by Lorna Hills' UJIMA Company in Buffalo, NY. In LA, Maria has produced and/or directed numerous theater shows, including the acclaimed and long-running A...MY NAME IS ALICE.

Ursula Burton (Actor, Producer). Ursula co-starred in MANNA FROM HEAVEN with Cloris Leachman, Shirley Jones, Louise Fletcher, Frank Gorshin, Wendie Malick, Jill Eikenberry, Austin Pendleton, Seymour Cassel and Shelley Duvall. She graduated from Yale University with honors, earning degrees in both Theater Studies and English Language and Literature. Working on both coasts, her extensive theater credits include the title role in ANTIGONE, Bridget in Yeats' KATH-LEEN NI HOOLIHAN, Nerrissa in THE MERCHANT OF VENICE, and Wanda in THE BABY DANCE. She produced and acted in the long running LA premiere of the musical, A...MY NAME IS ALICE and won Honorable Mention in Backstage West's Garland Awards for her performance in HEMINGWAY AND THE DOS PASSOS WARS. Among other credits in film and TV, Ursula has appeared in SGT. BILKO with Steve Martin, THE ELLEN SHOW with Ellen DeGeneres, THE PRACTICE, Trimark's CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD, JUST FRIENDS, DEATH OF A SALESWOMAN, STRONG MEDICINE, DIVINE SECRETS OF THE YA-YA SISTERHOOD with Ashley Judd, and Touchstone Pictures' MAFIA! She is currently developing the film TEMPS, in which she starred, into a TV series.

++++++++++++++++
Here is the review from the film's opening:

“Manna From Heaven” Is An Entertainment Blessing
By Gary J. Groman, Editor
BRANSON COURIER

“Manna From Heaven” is a well told and entertaining comedic fable about
the day money “fell” from the sky and how it impacted the lives of those
it fell upon. But it is much more than that, it is a story of personal
relationships and interactions involving some of funniest and most
entertaining characters you will ever meet, human goodness, kindness,
faithfulness, and, most of all, the miraculous wonder of dreaming and
achieving those dreams.

Theatre goers will not want to miss the first fifteen minutes of this
picture because it gives an initial glimpse of the characters’ desires
before the money enters their life and the analysis and rationalizations
they used to keep that to which they knew they were not entitled. This
initial glimpse provides the perspective for the bulk of the movie,
occurring decades later, when it is laid upon their consciences to repay
the money.

It is, at “one time,” a story of greed and generosity, the worst and
best in people, and of a family divided that unites and comes together
as they work toward a common goal of righting a wrong. A saintly nun,
haunted by the advice she gave decades earlier, an invalid mother who
dares to dream, a loveable conniving scamming rascal who might sell his
whole family out for a buck, the long ago promised “Dancing
Championship,” and “Two Digit Doyle” the resident of a Convalescent Home
provide the central themes around which this very funny, entertaining,
and uplifting movie revolves.

“Manna from Heaven” stars three Academy Award winners, Shirley Jones,
Cloris Leachman, and Louise Fletcher and features Jill Eikenberry and an
outstanding supporting cast. Wendie Malick, as Inez and Frank Gorshin,
as the loveable conniving, Ed Burns, provide enough comedic
entertainment for two movies and were outstanding. Ursula Burton, in the
starring role of Sister Theresa, does a great job of providing the
“saintliness” and pure “drama” around which the rest of the characters
and plot pivot. Cloris Leachman, playing the roll of Helen, plays a
great role going from an invalid who was almost dead, to a vital,
energetic, and definitely live woman by overcoming her fear to dream
and working to achieve them.

Oh yes, this is a “feel good movie” with an obvious ending. Or, is it so
obvious? One of the really neat things about “Manna From Heaven,” is
that, although the “end result” is obvious, the way in which it is
achieved is not. You will walk out of the theatre not only entertained
and feeling good but daring to dream and believing that you can
achieve what you dream if you want to bad enough.

Hey you all! Doing great theatre? Or how about a showcase? Do you have a film that needs casting or are you looking for help on your current creative project? Well, even though we dont have an official chapter of FP in your town, you can start your own. Contact your local Seminole Club for help in setting up you project. They have lists of members and will allow you to attend their events where you can spread the word. The larger the Seminole Club, the better your turnout and assistance may be.

And if you email us what you are up to, we will post it on our site and email the members in the area you live to tell them about the project. It is a win win situation and it only requires a couple of emails and a phone call or two. And it is all free even if you have not paid your FP dues although with all the work we do for you, $20 is an excellent contribution to make in exchange.

If you want stuff posted in our newsletter, you will have to be a member since there are postage and copying expenses involved. However, anything on line for the moment is free of charge as long as it is within reason and given to us in a timely fashion. All of us who volunteer with FP do so while we juggle careers and any money we ask for like dues or donations goes directly to pay for expenses incurred by FP. No volunteer gets paid for services.