Emmy(R) Award-Winning Director and Actor Charles S. Dutton ('The Corner,' 'Roc') to Star in and Direct the Lifetime Original Movie 'Racing for Time'

Inspired by the True Story of Noel Chesnut Co-Starring Elizabeth Pena ('Resurrection Blvd')

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif., July 12 -- Emmy(R) Award-winning director and actor Charles S. Dutton ("The Corner," "Roc") will star in and direct the upcoming Lifetime Original Movie "Racing for Time." The inspiring and uplifting story is about a male prison guard who creates an unconventional sports program for some of the toughest and most violent female offenders at a juvenile correctional facility in an attempt to teach them teamwork, discipline and self-esteem. "Racing for Time" will premiere in 2008 on Lifetime Television.

"This is a powerful, uplifting story that demonstrates the difference that one person can make by giving hope to outcasts in society," said Susanne Daniels, President, Entertainment, Lifetime Networks. Adding, "Charles Dutton's incredible passion for this project is truly inspiring."

In "Racing for Time," Cleveland "Stack" Stackhouse (Dutton) is a guard with the Texas Correctional Youth Authority who witnesses the cycle of destructive choices and racial tensions among female teen offenders and decides to do something about it. He gathers African-American, Latina and Caucasian teens, and organizes a multi-racial track team behind the bars of the prison. Participation in Stack's track team not only breaks down the racial divides between the girls, but puts them on a path to turn their lives around.

Charles S. Dutton won two Emmy(R) Awards for guest-starring roles in the dramas "The Practice" and "Without a Trace" and another Emmy(R) for directing the HBO miniseries, "The Corner." He has received Tony(R) nominations for "The Piano Lesson" and "Ma Rainey's Black Bottom." He also received an NAACP Image Award for "DC Sniper" and an Image Award for "Roc," for which he also served as executive producer.

Dutton has numerous feature film credits including "Against the Ropes," which he also directed; "A Time to Kill," "Mississippi Masala," "The Distinguished Gentleman," "Menace II Society," "Rudy," "Cry, the Beloved Country," "Random Hearts" and "Secret Window."

On television, Dutton most recently starred in the CBS series "Threshold." He also starred in the Emmy(R) Award-winning movie "Something the Lord Made" and Emmy(R) Award-winning miniseries "The Murder of Mary Phagan." He appeared in the miniseries "The '60s," "For Love or Country: The Arturo Sandoval Story," "Deadlocked," "The Piano Lesson" and the television movies "Zooman," "10,000 Black Men Named George" and "DC Sniper: 23 Days of Fear."

Elizabeth Pena is an award-winning actress who starred in the Showtime drama "Resurrection Blvd" for three seasons. She also won rave reviews for her starring role in the CBS telefilm "Suburban Madness." Pena just completed the independent film "Por Vida" directed by Alan Jacobs and also starring Danny Glover. Her list of film credits include the award winning "Transamerica," "The Lost City," "Down and Out in Beverly Hills," "La Bamba," "Jacob's Ladder" and "Rush Hour."

"Racing for Time" is produced by von Zerneck Sertner Films, Tiara Blu Films and Harbor Lights Productions for Lifetime Television. Diane Nabatoff ("Take the Lead," "Knights of the South Bronx"), Rocky Lang ("Titanic" - the television miniseries, "White Squall"), Frank von Zerneck and Robert M. Sertner (Lifetime's "Fatal Desire" and "We Were the Mulvaneys") are the executive producers. Charles S. Dutton ("The Corner," "Against the Ropes") directs from a script written by Glenn German and Adam Rodgers ("We'll Take Manhattan"). Dutton is also co-executive producer.

Dutton is managed by Sherry Marsh from Marsh Entertainment and repped by Bob Gersh. Pena is repped by Rugolo Entertainment and Innovative.

Lifetime is the leader in women's television and one of the top-rated basic cable television networks. A diverse, multi-media company, Lifetime is committed to offering the highest quality entertainment and information programming, and advocating a wide range of issues affecting women and their families. Lifetime Television, LMN, Lifetime Real Women and Lifetime Digital (including LifetimeTV.com) are part of Lifetime Entertainment Services, a 50/50 joint venture of The Hearst Corporation and The Walt Disney Company.

SOURCE Lifetime Television
http://www.lifetimetv.com/