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Directed by
Alyssa Rallo Bennett

Writer:
Alyssa Rallo Bennett
Gary Bennett

Producers
Gary P. Adelman ... executive producer
Kira Baskerville-Williams ... executive producer
Alyssa Rallo Bennett ... producer
Steve Donaldson ... executive producer
Barbier Geoffray ... line producer
Josselyne Herman ... producer
Henrik Larsson ... associate producer
Rich Macar ... associate producer
Ed Martin ... co-producer
Vizhier Mooney ... co-executive producer
Zach Pritchett ... line producer
Pierre Romain ... executive producer

Editors
Jeff Turboff

Casting Directors
Josselyne Herman

Cinematographers
George Lyon

Genre
Drama

Taglines
The Pack is a riveting drama where addiction, love and murder are burning issues.

The Pack, an award-winning new independent feature film directed by Alyssa Rallo Bennett and written by Alyssa & Gary O. Bennett of Jamaad Productions & Electric Movies, is a powerful story about a young man who is prosecuting his mother for killing his father via her second-hand smoke.
For more information on hollywood breathes fresh air and "The Pack" click here

To order your copy of "The Pack" today click here

Synopsis

Cast

Press

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The Pack is inspired by real life stories and documented cases where secondhand smoke is believed to be the cause of a loved one´s death.
In the Pack, an ambitious District Attorney prosecutes a wife on three counts of murder after her forty-seven year old husband dies of lung cancer form breathing her secondhand smoke for thirty years. In a wrenching twist, it turns out that the District Attorney is acting at the request of the couple´s twenty year old son. At first, the jury struggles with what appears to be a ridiculous case, but as one juror delves deeper into the facts, the jury finds itself drawn into an intriguing, emotional and complicated choice regarding individual responsibility.

ABC Morning News features the film The Pack selected for the Bayou City Inspirational Film Festival August 9th in Houston, Texas.

Visual Industries, Inc. (PINKSHEETS: VUAL) subsidiary Sterling Worldwide along with Electric Movies and Jamaad Production is proud to announce that The Pack has been featured on ABC Morning News. ABC News personalities Lori Stokes and Sandy Kenyon endorse The Pack and encourage viewers to see the movie, stating, “The Pack is an independent film to look for, an intriguing film, a must-see film that should not get lost in the summer shuffle of the major Hollywood studio releases.”

The Pack will appear next at the Bayou City Inspirational Film Festival August 9th in Houston, TX. The gripping movie has been showcased at film festivals throughout the country in Connecticut, New Jersey, New York, Arizona and Baltimore and was nominated for the Best Feature Audience award at the Hoboken International Film Festival. The Pack has garnered critical acclaim while engaging its audiences and inspiring important discussions about secondhand smoke.

Kira Baskerville-Williams, CEO of Sterling Worldwide Entertainment, states, “The Pack continues to grab the attention of the public as a viable film that speaks volumes to what our moral responsibility is to one another.”

Sterling Worldwide Entertainment is a full-service entertainment company that creates diverse projects through its core divisions: Sterling Pictures, Sterling Television, & Sterling Home Entertainment.

To view a trailer of the movie, please visit www.thepack.info or www.sterlingwwe.com. For more information on the Bayou City Festival, please visit the website, www.bciff.com.

For further information about this release, contact Rich Kaiser, Investor Relations, YES INTERNATIONAL, 800-631-8127.

Safe Harbor: Included in this release are forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1993, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and is subject to the safe harbor created by those sections. Although the companies believe such expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are reasonable, the companies can give no assurance that such expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements will prove correct. The companies' actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in the forward-looking statements as a result of certain internal and external factors.

Contact:

YES INTERNATIONAL

800-631-8127

Woman with lung cancer from secondhand smoke testifies
Testimony to Montgomery County Council, June 12, 2003

This is Alice K. Helm. Most of you know me. This testimony is in the form of an open letter to Mark Doherty, General Manager of the Anchor Inn restaurant, since it probably will be my last public comments about smoke filled restaurants. There are several points I want to make before I die to Mr. Doherty, other owners of smoke-filled restaurants and bars, non-supportive Council members, and County Executive Duncan.
This is an issue of killing people, not whether the Anchor Inn may lose some business.
I never smoked. However, for many of my 75 years I inhaled the carcinogens borne by second hand smoke in restaurants such as the Anchor Inn, in elevators, at meetings, on airplanes, in stores. Health experts say that’s probably why I now have fourth-stage lung cancer that also has spread elsewhere in my body.
Since Mr. Duncan vetoed the smoking ban in restaurants a few years ago, progressive states and local jurisdictions have enacted smoke free legislation such as the bill we passed then in Montgomery County. Those jurisdictions did not see patron flight from their restaurants. Instead, what they did see was a reduced number of health problems that were due to the inhalation of carcinogens that previously permeated their smoke-filled restaurants.
Ventilation does not work. Council members, Mr. Duncan and tobacco companies know this. It is not a compromise. It is a death sentence. It is not Mr. Doherty’s right to poison the air others must breath in order to make a dollar. It is the government’s mandate to protect the public’s health. That’s why they inspect restaurants for rats, contaminated food and certainly the most important should be to prevent death from the carcinogens in second hand smoke.
I probably won’t be here to enjoy Montgomery County’s smoke free restaurants and bars. But you will have the chance to see the lives of workers and patrons last longer. And remember. I’ll be watching!
Alice Helm died last week of lung cancer.

Another study links secondhand smoke to lung cancer
Long-term exposure to smoke increases lung cancer risk by as much as 32%NEW YORK, Dec 10 - Although it can hardly be considered news, a new study from Europe finds that people exposed to tobacco smoke pollution are much more likely to develop lung cancer than others. The study was published in the December 10th issue of the International Journal of Cancer.
The findings are based on an analysis of data from 1,263 lung cancer patients who never smoked and 2,740 control subjects. The analysis focused on smoke exposure from three sources: spousal, workplace, and social settings.
People who were exposed short-term to spousal smoking were 18% more likely to develop lung cancer than people who were not exposed, noted lead author Dr. Paul Brennan, from the International Agency for Research on Cancer. With long-term exposure to spousal smoking the excess risk was 23%.
People who were exposed short-term to smoke in the workplace had a 13% increased risk of lung cancer, the researchers state. Once again, with long-term exposure, the excess risk was higher, at 25%. People who were exposed short-term to smoke in social settings had a 17% increased risk of lung cancer. With long-term exposure, this risk rose to 26%.
As expected, the greatest cancer risks were seen in subjects exposed to smoke from multiple sources. For example, people with long-term exposure to smoke from all three sources were 32% more likely to develop lung cancer than non-exposed individuals.
Sensitivity analysis revealed that, if anything, the researchers’ figures may underestimate the true risk associated with passive smoke exposure.
“Our pooled analysis provides more precise estimates of the effect of secondhand smoke on lung cancer risk than those previously obtained in individual studies and emphasizes the importance of protecting people from tobacco smoke,” the investigators state.
Parts excerpted from Reuters

Compelling and frightening, with an important message, 21 June 2008

Author: larry-411 from United States

"The Pack," directed by Alyssa Rallo Bennett and written by Alyssa and Gary O. Bennett, is a no-holds barred, stark look at the horrors of tobacco use and nicotine addiction. Compelling and frightening, "The Pack" is inspired by true events and dares to ask questions which remain unanswered to this day. Few films deserve the label "important," and this is one of them.

At its center is a portrait of a family torn apart by cancer. Nonsmoker Jack Jordan Sr. (Scott Bryce) has died of lung cancer at the age of 47, presumably brought on by 30 years of breathing his wife Eleanor's (Lucie Arnaz) secondhand smoke. An ambitious Assistant District Attorney (Carlos Leon) brings her to trial on murder charges, and 24-year-old son Jack Jr. (Ryan Homchick) is caught in the middle. The subsequent trial, the role young Jack plays in the proceedings, and the jury deliberations revolve around the questions of who knew what and when did they know it. Unspoken are the obvious political ramifications of the answers.

Arnaz gives a tour-de-force performance as the wife and mother whose only crime was that she was blissfully ignorant (or perhaps not) of the consequences of her actions. Homchick's Jack Jr. is like a puppy constantly on edge from having been beaten by one too many newspapers. The ensemble cast which makes up the jury, veterans as well as newcomers, inhabit their characters seamlessly. To single anyone out is a difficult task. Watch for Adam Ferrara as the maniacal Cassidy, who will not let go of his pro-tobacco stance, and Zach Galligan as Anson, a wide-eyed open book who can play the fool with ease.

"The Pack" cuts back and forth between the flashbacks of the family's past, the trial, and the jury deliberations. If told in linear fashion the film would likely have plodded along at an interminably slow pace. Instead, smart editing decisions placed each jump in time at precisely the right moment, while maintaining just enough consistency to avoid confusion. A careful balance needed to be struck, and kudos to editor Jeff Turboff for pulling it off masterfully. During the deliberation room scenes, cinematographer George Lyon cleverly used slow pans around the table to create a sense of movement where there was none. Occasional jump cuts sliced out the inevitable dead spots. The result puts still life into action -- no small feat.

The look of the film ironically contrasts the carefree days of the family's past with the sad reality of the present. Flashbacks are presented through the use of old home movies, bright and colorful and reflective of the myth we all bought into that secondhand tobacco smoke was benign. Scenes which take place in the present day are filled with blues and grays and give a dull, washed-out appearance, as though the air itself is affected by the cancer which struck down Jack Jordan Sr. The courthouse sets, particularly the jury deliberation room, are as cold and stark as can be.

A bit "Silkwood," "The Insider," and "12 Angry Men" all rolled into one, "The Pack" poses the question, "what if your behavior was legally accepted for dozens of years and all of a sudden it came into question?" The answer is not likely to change many viewers' minds about the dangers of smoking but, perhaps, it will.
Long-term exposure to smoke increases lung cancer risk by as much as 32%NEW YORK, Dec 10 - Although it can hardly be considered news, a new study from Europe finds that people exposed to tobacco smoke pollution are much more likely to develop lung cancer than others. The study was published in the December 10th issue of the International Journal of Cancer.The findings are based on an analysis of data from 1,263 lung cancer patients who never smoked and 2,740 control subjects. The analysis focused on smoke exposure from three sources: spousal, workplace, and social settings.People who were exposed short-term to spousal smoking were 18% more likely to develop lung cancer than people who were not exposed, noted lead author Dr. Paul Brennan, from the International Agency for Research on Cancer. With long-term exposure to spousal smoking the excess risk was 23%.People who were exposed short-term to smoke in the workplace had a 13% increased risk of lung cancer, the researchers state. Once again, with long-term exposure, the excess risk was higher, at 25%. People who were exposed short-term to smoke in social settings had a 17% increased risk of lung cancer. With long-term exposure, this risk rose to 26%.As expected, the greatest cancer risks were seen in subjects exposed to smoke from multiple sources. For example, people with long-term exposure to smoke from all three sources were 32% more likely to develop lung cancer than non-exposed individuals.Sensitivity analysis revealed that, if anything, the researchers’ figures may underestimate the true risk associated with passive smoke exposure.“Our pooled analysis provides more precise estimates of the effect of secondhand smoke on lung cancer risk than those previously obtained in individual studies and emphasizes the importance of protecting people from tobacco smoke,” the investigators state.Compelling and frightening, with an important message, 21 June 2008Author: from United States"The Pack," directed by Alyssa Rallo Bennett and written by Alyssa and Gary O. Bennett, is a no-holds barred, stark look at the horrors of tobacco use and nicotine addiction. Compelling and frightening, "The Pack" is inspired by true events and dares to ask questions which remain unanswered to this day. Few films deserve the label "important," and this is one of them.At its center is a portrait of a family torn apart by cancer. Nonsmoker Jack Jordan Sr. (Scott Bryce) has died of lung cancer at the age of 47, presumably brought on by 30 years of breathing his wife Eleanor's (Lucie Arnaz) secondhand smoke. An ambitious Assistant District Attorney (Carlos Leon) brings her to trial on murder charges, and 24-year-old son Jack Jr. (Ryan Homchick) is caught in the middle. The subsequent trial, the role young Jack plays in the proceedings, and the jury deliberations revolve around the questions of who knew what and when did they know it. Unspoken are the obvious political ramifications of the answers.Arnaz gives a tour-de-force performance as the wife and mother whose only crime was that she was blissfully ignorant (or perhaps not) of the consequences of her actions. Homchick's Jack Jr. is like a puppy constantly on edge from having been beaten by one too many newspapers. The ensemble cast which makes up the jury, veterans as well as newcomers, inhabit their characters seamlessly. To single anyone out is a difficult task. Watch for Adam Ferrara as the maniacal Cassidy, who will not let go of his pro-tobacco stance, and Zach Galligan as Anson, a wide-eyed open book who can play the fool with ease."The Pack" cuts back and forth between the flashbacks of the family's past, the trial, and the jury deliberations. If told in linear fashion the film would likely have plodded along at an interminably slow pace. Instead, smart editing decisions placed each jump in time at precisely the right moment, while maintaining just enough consistency to avoid confusion. A careful balance needed to be struck, and kudos to editor Jeff Turboff for pulling it off masterfully. During the deliberation room scenes, cinematographer George Lyon cleverly used slow pans around the table to create a sense of movement where there was none. Occasional jump cuts sliced out the inevitable dead spots. The result puts still life into action -- no small feat.The look of the film ironically contrasts the carefree days of the family's past with the sad reality of the present. Flashbacks are presented through the use of old home movies, bright and colorful and reflective of the myth we all bought into that secondhand tobacco smoke was benign. Scenes which take place in the present day are filled with blues and grays and give a dull, washed-out appearance, as though the air itself is affected by the cancer which struck down Jack Jordan Sr. The courthouse sets, particularly the jury deliberation room, are as cold and stark as can be.A bit "Silkwood," "The Insider," and "12 Angry Men" all rolled into one, "The Pack" poses the question, "what if your behavior was legally accepted for dozens of years and all of a sudden it came into question?" The answer is not likely to change many viewers' minds about the dangers of smoking but, perhaps, it will., 21 June 2008Author: from United States"The Pack," directed by Alyssa Rallo Bennett and written by Alyssa and Gary O. Bennett, is a no-holds barred, stark look at the horrors of tobacco use and nicotine addiction. Compelling and frightening, "The Pack" is inspired by true events and dares to ask questions which remain unanswered to this day. Few films deserve the label "important," and this is one of them.At its center is a portrait of a family torn apart by cancer. Nonsmoker Jack Jordan Sr. (Scott Bryce) has died of lung cancer at the age of 47, presumably brought on by 30 years of breathing his wife Eleanor's (Lucie Arnaz) secondhand smoke. An ambitious Assistant District Attorney (Carlos Leon) brings her to trial on murder charges, and 24-year-old son Jack Jr. (Ryan Homchick) is caught in the middle. The subsequent trial, the role young Jack plays in the proceedings, and the jury deliberations revolve around the questions of who knew what and when did they know it. Unspoken are the obvious political ramifications of the answers.Arnaz gives a tour-de-force performance as the wife and mother whose only crime was that she was blissfully ignorant (or perhaps not) of the consequences of her actions. Homchick's Jack Jr. is like a puppy constantly on edge from having been beaten by one too many newspapers. The ensemble cast which makes up the jury, veterans as well as newcomers, inhabit their characters seamlessly. To single anyone out is a difficult task. Watch for Adam Ferrara as the maniacal Cassidy, who will not let go of his pro-tobacco stance, and Zach Galligan as Anson, a wide-eyed open book who can play the fool with ease."The Pack" cuts back and forth between the flashbacks of the family's past, the trial, and the jury deliberations. If told in linear fashion the film would likely have plodded along at an interminably slow pace. Instead, smart editing decisions placed each jump in time at precisely the right moment, while maintaining just enough consistency to avoid confusion. A careful balance needed to be struck, and kudos to editor Jeff Turboff for pulling it off masterfully. During the deliberation room scenes, cinematographer George Lyon cleverly used slow pans around the table to create a sense of movement where there was none. Occasional jump cuts sliced out the inevitable dead spots. The result puts still life into action -- no small feat.The look of the film ironically contrasts the carefree days of the family's past with the sad reality of the present. Flashbacks are presented through the use of old home movies, bright and colorful and reflective of the myth we all bought into that secondhand tobacco smoke was benign. Scenes which take place in the present day are filled with blues and grays and give a dull, washed-out appearance, as though the air itself is affected by the cancer which struck down Jack Jordan Sr. The courthouse sets, particularly the jury deliberation room, are as cold and stark as can be.A bit "Silkwood," "The Insider," and "12 Angry Men" all rolled into one, "The Pack" poses the question, "what if your behavior was legally accepted for dozens of years and all of a sudden it came into question?" The answer is not likely to change many viewers' minds about the dangers of smoking but, perhaps, it will.
Watch this film!, 21 October 2008

Author: Jenny Levison

The Pack achieves what all social issues films should -- the issue (in this case, tobacco use, and in particular second-hand smoke) -- is contained in the DNA of each and every frame, and yet the story transcends the issue and carries us away in its own right.

In part a court-room drama, and in part a family tragedy, The Pack is directed (by Alyssa Rallo Bennett) with great restraint and a steady hand. In fact, the ensemble cast is excellent, with Lucy Arnaz negotiating the murky territory in her roles as mother, housewife, and murder suspect.

As someone who has been closely affected by the devastating effects of lung cancer, I appreciate this film for standing strong on one of the burning issues of modern times.
, 21 October 2008Author: The Pack achieves what all social issues films should -- the issue (in this case, tobacco use, and in particular second-hand smoke) -- is contained in the DNA of each and every frame, and yet the story transcends the issue and carries us away in its own right.In part a court-room drama, and in part a family tragedy, The Pack is directed (by Alyssa Rallo Bennett) with great restraint and a steady hand. In fact, the ensemble cast is excellent, with Lucy Arnaz negotiating the murky territory in her roles as mother, housewife, and murder suspect.As someone who has been closely affected by the devastating effects of lung cancer, I appreciate this film for standing strong on one of the burning issues of modern times.