December 15, 2008 (LOS ANGELES) - here!, America's premium gay and lesbian television network, is pleased to announce the new film series Kevin Thomas Presents. Introduced and featuring special commentary by Thomas, this eclectic collection of films boasts a wide array of LGBT works done by pioneering cinematic talents.

Among the titles featured in this collection are the network premieres of the critically-acclaimed "The Amazing Truth About Queen Raquela", "Breakfast with Scot" starring Tom Cavanaugh and Ben Shenkman, the lesbian-themed period piece The World Unseen and the romantic comedy I Can’t Think Straight; both films starring international stars Lisa Ray and Sheetal Sheth. Also included are interviews with some trailblazing behind-the-scenes heavyweights, such as David DeCoteau, director of Leather Jacket Love Story, Jonah Markowitz, director of Shelter, and Sean Reycraft, writer of Breakfast with Scot.

With over 40 years experience as one of gay cinema's primary tastemakers, Thomas expanded the horizons of American moviegoers. He was one of the first critics to provide regular reviews of some of the most notable indie and foreign works to date. His affinity for indie and groundbreaking styles of cinema paved the way for him to be the only Los Angeles Times critic to review films by eccentric avant-garde artists like Andy Warhol and Kenneth Anger. His "Special Screenings" column became a staple of the Los Angeles Times in 1984 and the trigger for venues that exhibit limited release runs in LA and throughout the country. He is also the founding member and past President of the Los Angeles Film Critics Association and the Recipient of the National Lesbian and Gay Journalists Lifetime Achievement Award for his support of gay cinema. Thomas, who retired from the Times at the end of 2005, continues to review movies for the paper as a freelancer and is known as the longest-running film critic for a major American daily newspaper.

“We have such admiration for Kevin; working with him has truly been a delight. Being able to offer our audience his exclusive insight and perspective is a privilege for us,” said Meredith Kadlec, Senior Vice President, Original Programming.

Recent and upcoming here! original films, series and specials include: "The Lair", a provocative and sexy vampire horror series; "Sugar Rush", a British series based on the novel by Julie Burchill chronicling the social dilemmas of a lesbian teen; Dante’s Cove, ranked "Best Soap of the Year" by The Advocate; the critically acclaimed "Ice Blues: A Donald Strachey Mystery", the fourth installment in the series of original films starring Chad Allen as a gay private investigator; the provocative six-part docu-series Lesbian Sex and Sexuality, an unblinking look inside the world of lesbian culture from award-winning producer Katherine Linton; and the original film Shelter, an indie romantic drama about love, family and trying to stay true to yourself. To sample here!'s programming, please visit here! Video, the broadband portal of here! Networks, at www.heretv.com/videoplayer.

About here! Founded in 2002, here! airs on all major U.S. cable systems as a 24-hour subscription service. here! appears in 96 of the top 100 U.S. markets, including every top ten market. here! also was the first gay network originating in the U.S. to launch in Canada. here! offers a wide variety of groundbreaking and acclaimed original movies and series plus the world's largest collection of gay and lesbian films appealing to the broad-based, diverse LGBT audience. here! Video, the broadband portal of here! Networks found at www.heretv.com/videoplayer, provides a broad sampling of here! programming. For more information on how to subscribe to here!, please call our toll free number at 1-888-HERE-NOW.

-------------------------------------------------------
For all press inquiries, please contact:
Josh Rosenzweig
Vice President, Corporate Communications and Marketing
here! Networks
212.920.2857
--------------------------------------------------------