Journey to Lasta - A world-music film premieres at local Theaters in Washington, DC.

Journey to Lasta, a new independent feature film by Ethiopian director, Wondwossen D. Dikran makes its East Coast premiere in the DC metropolitan area. - October 29, 2004 - at the AFI Silver Theater and Cultural Center located at 8633 Colesville Road, Silver Spring, Maryland at 9:00 pm. Opening night features the director, and the executive producer, Nebiyou Essayas on hand for a Q&A session after the film. - October 31, 2004 - at the Lincoln Theater located at 1215 U Street NW, Washington, DC, at 4:00 pm, with final screenings there on November 7th @ 4:00 pm and 6:00 pm.

(PRWEB) October 17, 2004 -- In the tradition of films like, The Harder They Come, and The Commitments, Journey to Lasta features the amazing Lasta Sound, Quinto Sol, Chakra, Upground, and the legendary Nyabinghi master Ras Michael.

Inspired by a true story, the Lasta journey begins when three childhood friends from Ethiopia reunite at various stages in their mundane lives as struggling musicians. Together, they embark upon a musical mission to bring modern Ethiopian music to the world. Hardships, triumphs, and rude awakenings ultimately test their faith, friendship, and honor to overcome the struggles to make their music a success. Filled with pulsating rhythms, and a colorful cast of characters, Journey to Lasta brings an inspiring story of the "underdog" and vividly paints an honest and vibrant portrayal of the immigrant experience in America.

The group Lasta Sound, comprised of Tsegaye B. Selassie, Kirubel Assefa, and Teferi Assefa came together in 2000 and began to fuse a unique sound with a clever mix of Afro-Caribbean beats of the West, and Amharic lyrics. Each musician takes their performance skills to another level by portraying themselves in the movie. The music and movie are uplifting, inspirational and full of hope," says director, Wondwossen D. Dikran.

A native of Addis Ababa, director, Wondwossen made his way to the United States at the age of twenty. He studied film production and screenwriting at Southern California's Chapman University where he made several experimental shorts, including the award winning Concrete Jungle. Wondwossen worked in production on numerous reality shows for network and cable television such as MTV, NBC,VH1, and The SCI-FI Channel. He made his directorial debut with the music video Fernandomania" by hip-hop artist 2MEX, which quickly climbed the MTVU charts, and hit number 1 for three weeks straight, staying in the top ten for a total of 12 weeks. After the success of the music video Wondwossen reunited with old schoolmates Kirubel, and Teferi and was inspired to write the screenplay about their lives. The story attracted the attention of Reel Image Pictures, President, Nebiyou Essayas with Wondwossen on board to direct.

Essayas, the Executive Producer, is confident that audiences will not only enjoy the unique Lasta sound, but that people from all walks of life will identify with the trials and tribulations that the band goes through to fulfill their dreams. The movies theme and the music is universal and full of life, love and passion," commented Essayas.

The film runs 125 minutes and is presented in English and Amharic with subtitles. It features: Lasta Sound, Johnny Ashenafi, Jessica Beshir, Tsehaie Kidane, and Abbey Lessanu. Journey to Lasta will open in limited release in selected cities across North America, and will screen at selected film festivals, before heading to Ethiopia and other countries worldwide. For more information visit www.journeytolasta.com.

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