DIRECTORS ON CNN

“ABDUCTION” DIRECTORS GO LIVE ON CNN
ISSUE WILL GET BIGGEST AUDIENCE YET


For Immediate Release
April 27, 2006

Washington, DC The abduction of Japanese citizens by North Korea will get its biggest American audience to date when the directors of a new documentary on the subject appear live on CNN’s “American Morning” on Friday, April 28th at 9am. Chris Sheridan and Patty Kim are scheduled to be on the show and will talk about the film “ABDUCTION The Megumi Yokota Story,” the award-winning documentary about a 13-year-old Japanese girl kidnapped by North Korean spies. The film opened in January and has received three awards and rave reviews from critics.
“We’re hoping the CNN interview will help open up the discussion in America about the abduction issue,” said Sheridan. “Many Americans have never heard about the abductions but now we’ve been given a huge opportunity to tell it to hundreds of thousands of them.”
The producers of the show, which gets about half a million viewers every day, called the film’s directors on Wednesday requesting the interview. The interview will follow hearings on Capitol Hill by a Japanese delegation regarding the abduction of Japanese citizens by North Korea. Among those testifying is Sakie Yokota, Megumi’s mother.
Sheridan and Kim will do Friday’s interview from a studio in Toronto, Canada. They will be in Toronto attending the Hot Docs International Film Festival, the largest documentary film festival in North America.
The Executive Producer of “ABDUCTION” is Oscar-winning director Jane Campion. The film is produced in association with the BBC.

For more info on the film, go to www.safarimedia.net

For more info on CNN’s American Morning: http://www.cnn.com/CNN/Programs/american.morning/

BACK FROM BOSTON/ON TO TORONTO

We're back from Boston and have a couple of days before we take off to Toronto for the Hot Docs International Documentary Film Festival. What a great experience in Boston! Teruaki Masumoto and Kenichi Ichikawa joined us for both screenings at the Independent Film Festival of Boston. Masumoto's sister and Ichikawa's brother were on a date at the beach in 1978 when they were both abducted by North Korean spies. To have Masumoto and Ichikawa at the screening was such an emotional moment for both Patty and I. And to make it better, the packed audience on opening night gave them a standing ovation which was one of the most moving moments of our festival experience. Both question-and-answer periods went on forever and continued into the hallways afterwards. Masumoto and Ichikawa are in the US along with a delegation that includes Megumi's mother. They had a demo in DC and got some press last week in the Washington Post. They will testify Thursday before Congress and help bring the story of the abductions to the American people and policymakers. Next stop for us is Toronto. Here are the screening times:

Saturday, April 29th, 6:30pm
Bloor Cinema

Monday, May 1, 9:45pm
Al Green Theatre

www.hotdocs.ca

NEXT STOP BOSTON!!

Just a reminder that the Independent Film Festival of Boston approaches this weekend...

ABDUCTION Screening Times

Saturday, April 22
8:30pm
Somerville Theater

Sunday, April 23
12pm
Coolidge Corner Theatre


www.iffboston.org

"Stunning!" - The Phoenix (Boston)

ABDUCTEES' RELATIVES JOIN FILMMAKERS IN BOSTON

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 6, 2006

Washington, DC Relatives of people abducted by North Korea will be the featured guests of “ABDUCTION The Megumi Yokota Story” in Boston during two screenings of the film. Teruaki Masumoto and Kenichi Ichikawa will be present during the film’s Boston Premiere for a question-and-answer period afterwards. The film will be shown as part of the Independent Film Festival of Boston and will compete for the top prize.
“We’re really excited to have them join us,” said Chris Sheridan, who along with his wife Patty Kim, directed the award-winning documentary film. “Having the relatives there after the film makes the experience of the abductions so much more real to Americans.”
“ABDUCTION” is a 85-minute documentary film that tells the story of Megumi Yokota, a 13-year-old Japanese girl kidnapped by North Korean spies. The film follows her parents’ emotional decades-long quest to bring her home. Yokota was one of 13 Japanese people that North Korea admitted to kidnapping.
Masumoto is the secretary general of the Association of the Families of Victims Kidnapped by North Korea. His sister Rumiko was taken in August, 1978 in Kagoshima. Kenichi Ichikawa’s brother, Shuichi, was dating Rumiko at the time and was kidnapped with her. They were on a date at the beach when it happened. Their story is told, in part, in “ABDUCTION”.
Both Masumoto and Ichikawa will be in the United States as part of a Japanese delegation that will testify before Congress on the abductions the week after the Boston screenings. Those screenings will take place on Saturday, April 22, 8:30pm, at Somerville Theater and Sunday, April 23, 12pm, at Coolidge Corner Theater.
“ABDUCTION” is produced in association with the BBC. Jane Campion, the Oscar-winning director of “THE PIANO,” is the Executive Producer.

For more info on the film, visit www.safarimedia.net
For more info on the festival, visit www.iffboston.org