ABDUCTION Wins Austin Film Festival!!

ABDUCTION WINS SIXTH AWARD IN THE US
Directors prepare for Washington theatrical premiere


For Immediate Release
10/23/06


Washington, DC An award-winning film that’s captured the attention of audiences around the world has won its sixth award. “ABDUCTION The Megumi Yokota Story” won the award for Best Documentary Feature at the prestigious Austin Film Festival.
Directors Chris Sheridan and Patty Kim were at the awards ceremony on Saturday, October 21st in Austin to accept their prize. With some of Hollywood’s most recognized names in attendance, including Sydney Pollack (director, Out of Africa, Tootsie, Absence of Malice), Shane Black (writer, Lethal Weapon, Last Action Hero) and Ian McShane (actor, Deadwood), Kim and Sheridan accepted the award and paid tribute to the two people featured in the film: Megumi Yokota’s parents. “This film is an incredible story about how two parents turned their grief into something positive,” said Kim. “We’re inspired every day by their courage.”
The Austin Film Festival is considered one of the best and most competitive in the country. “ABDUCTION The Megumi Yokota Story” beat out hundreds of films for the top prize.
The documentary feature tells the story of Megumi Yokota, a 13-year-old Japanese girl kidnapped by North Korean spies. The film follows her parents’ incredibly emotional struggle to try to get her back. Hailed by the Los Angeles Times as “extraordinary” and Variety as “exceptional”, ABDUCTION also received accolades from the Austin Chronicle which praised the directors for doing a “wonderful job”.
Recently, “ABDUCTION The Megumi Yokota Story” was featured on CNN’s Anderson Cooper 360, one of the cable station’s most popular shows.
The film will open theatrically in Washington, DC on November 24th at the E Street Cinema and across Japan on November 25th. There will also be a special red carpet screening hosted by the Japanese Embassy on November 20th in Washington, DC at the National Geographic Society.
“ABDUCTION The Megumi Yokota Story” is produced in association with the BBC. The Executive Producer is Jane Campion, Academy-Award-winning director of “The Piano”.

For more info on the Austin Film Festival, visit www.austinfilmfestival.com
For more info on the film, visit www.abductionfilm.com
For media inquiries, please contact Yuko Kawabe at 1-703-350-3616