June 11, 2009 (FinancialWire) — An outstanding performance from actor Dan McCabe as a teenager afflicted with Cerebral Palsy has generated a frenzy of enthusiasm for this Friday’s theatrical opening of War Eagle, Arkansas, from Empire Film Group, Inc. (OTC: EFGU) (http://www.empirefilmgroup.com). The critically praised family feature has earned more than twenty film festival awards, and stars newcomer Dan McCabe in a role described by CBS Television as “an outstanding, Oscar-caliber performance.” Other stars in the film include Luke Grimes (from ABC’s Brothers and Sisters), Academy Award Nominee Mare Winningham (Swing Vote) and Emmy winners Brian Dennehy (Righteous Kill), Mary Kay Place (HBO’s Big Love), and James McDaniel (N.Y.P.D. Blue).

“The performance by Dan McCabe as ‘Wheels’ is the highlight of this wonderful film,” said Eric Parkinson, CEO of Distribution for Empire. “Not since Daniel Day Lewis in ‘My Left Foot’ has an actor delivered such a compelling and believable portrayal of emotional depth and physical impairment. It’s no surprise that there’s an early Oscar buzz as national critics begin to rally behind this amazing, young actor.”

McCabe is a 25-year-old actor, based out of New York City, who has performed in a half-dozen movies in recent years including Brooklyn Rules and A Jersey Christmas. The role of Samuel ‘Wheels’ Macon in War Eagle, Arkansas, is his first as a lead, and ranks among the more challenging roles ever created for any actor. Wheels is a 17-year-old high school senior, who, along with his best friend Enoch, faces the same crossroads in life as many recent graduates, but compounded due to the limitations of Cerebral Palsy. The film is based on real-life incidents affecting Vincent Insalaco III and his wheel-chair bound best friend, Tim Ballany, as they grew-up together in central Arkansas 10 years ago.

War Eagle, Arkansas opens at theaters throughout the state of Arkansas on Friday, June 12, following a star-studded premiere in Fayetteville on Thursday, June 11, to benefit United Cerebral Palsy. Empire plans to expand the release of the film to major markets nationwide throughout the summer.

The film is 93-minutes long, shot in 35mm Panavision, and released in widescreen (scope) Digital Cinema formats. Anticipated MPAA rating is PG-13. The film’s official website is www.WarEagleArkansas.com, and features theater listings, an on-line press kit, a trailer and more.

Empire Film Group, Inc. is one of only 12 full-service film studios and distributors in the U.S. marketplace, controlling its own theatrical, video and television distribution activities in-house, and maintaining independent status.

FinancialWire(tm) is a fully independent, proprietary news wire service. FinancialWire(tm) is not a press release service, and receives no compensation for its news, opinions or distributions. Further disclosure is at the FinancialWire(tm) web site (http://www.financialwire.net/disclosures.php). Contact FinancialWire(tm) directly via inquiries@financialwire.net.

Free annual reports for companies mentioned in the news are available through the Free Annual Reports Service (http://investrend.ar.wilink.com/?level=279).

Legal Disclaimer:

EIN Presswire provides this news content "as is" without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the author above.