ABDUCTION SIGNS DEAL WITH JAPANESE DISTRIBUTOR

“ABDUCTION” FILM TO BE RELEASED IN JAPAN
Japanese title will be “MEGUMI: A Family Tore Apart for 30 Years”

For immediate release
10/22/06


Washington, DC The producers of an award-winning documentary about a Japanese girl kidnapped by North Korean spies announced today they’ve reached a deal with a distributor to bring the film to Japan. Safari Media, the film’s production company, signed a distribution deal last week with Gaga Communications Inc. for rights to ABDUCTION The Megumi Yokota Story. Gaga has acquired theatrical, Internet, DVD and other rights for the Japanese market. The film will be re-titled MEGUMI : A Family Tore Apart for 30 Years for its Japanese release. Gaga plans to open the film theatrically in November in Tokyo where the general public will finally be able to see it.
“Safari Media is very pleased to be working in conjunction with Gaga Communications to distribute this film in Japan,” said Chris Sheridan, who, along with his wife, Patty Kim, directed and produced ABDUCTION The Megumi Yokota Story. “We hope this will help the families of the abductees and allow the Japanese people to understand this very personal, very tragic story.”
ABDUCTION tells the story of Megumi Yokota, a 13-year-old Japanese girl kidnapped by North Korean spies in 1977. The documentary follows her parents’ 30-year struggle to try to bring her home. The film opened at the Slamdance Film Festival in Park City, USA this year winning the Audience Award for Best Documentary. It has since gone on to win other awards as well as receive critical praise from respected newspapers and magazines like Variety which called the film, “exceptional.” The Los Angeles Times recently raved that the film is a work of “narrative mastery”.
Public interest in Japan in the film has been incredibly high. Gaga Communications saw the film in Park City and decided to acquire the rights. "This is a very strong, thought-provoking and moving film,” said Tom Yoda, chairman of Gaga. “We are very happy to distribute this film to Japanese audiences all over Japan.” Gaga Communications Inc. is one of Japan’s largest and most respected distributors. Their documentary films include Cannes-Award-winner FAHRENHEIT 911 and Sundance Award-winner RIZE.
ABDUCTION is produced by Safari Media in association with the BBC with the assistance of Fuji TV.
The Executive Producer of ABDUCTION is Oscar-award winning director Jane Campion.

For more info on ABDUCTION, please visit www.abductionfilm.com
For Gaga Communications Inc., contact Kei Ishikawa at ishikawa@gagaamerica.com
For media inquiries, please contact Yuko Kawabe at kawabe3jp@yahoo.co.jp