For immediate release:
February 8, 2010
Press contacts:
Fredell Pogodin/Bradley Jones
Fredell Pogodin & Associates
(323) 931-7300
pr@fredellpogodin.com
OSCAR® NOMINATED DOCUMENTARY "THE COVE" SET TO LAUNCH IN JAPAN
London, UK – The Works International is delighted to announce the acquisition of Academy Award® nominated documentary THE COVE by Japanese distributor Medallion Media which is planning a tentative release date of April 2010 in Japan.
Until now Japanese distributors have shied away from the award-winning documentary which generated huge coverage and controversy in Japan when it was finally included in the line-up of the 2009 Tokyo Film Festival after initially being rejected. Despite threats of legal action by fishermen from the town of Taiji featured in the film, the festival scheduled another screening after the first sold out within hours. Most Japanese are unaware of the annual dolphin cull that takes place in Taiji and also the significant risks of mercury poisoning from the consumption of dolphin meat which the film so effectively exposes. In spite of continued opposition from the Taiji fishermen, Medallion Media recognized there were many people keen to see the film. Says Norio Okahara, Director of Medallion Media: “In distributing THE COVE
we are not taking sides. Rather, we are presenting the film for the Japanese to decide for themselves about the issues it raises. There is a debate to be had here and this important film – and the Academy Award® nomination only serves to reinforce its importance - offers the opportunity for such a debate.”
Joy Wong negotiated the deal with Media Co.'s Norio Okahara. Carl Clifton, Managing Director of The Works International, said of the deal: “Many distributors screened the film and most decided it was simply too hot to handle even if they all felt it must be seen by the Japanese people. Medallion Media has shown real courage in acquiring THE COVE for Japan and we look forward to working with them on it.”
THE COVE plays out both as impassioned activist cinema and a remarkable piece of cinematic entertainment. It follows an elite team of adrenalin junkies, filmmakers and free divers as they embark on a covert mission to expose a shocking secret. What they find is only the tip of the iceberg. Directed by Louie Psihoyos, Executive Director of the Oceanic Preservation Society, the film follows Ric O’Barry, an internationally recognized authority on dolphin training, best known for his work on the 1960’s TV show “Flipper,” as the film exposes the truth about the international dolphin capture trade practiced in Taiji, Japan.
Psihoyos said, “Making THE COVE was personal for me because I was poisoned by mercury from eating too much of the wrong kind of fish. I hope that THE COVE
will prevent people in Japan from getting mercury poisoning caused by eating toxic dolphin meat. When we first went to Taiji, dolphin meat was being distributed in the school systems for children's lunches, which is troubling because mercury has the most deleterious effects on small children. Most disturbing is that much of the dolphin meat, as determined by DNA analysis, was being sold as whale meat. A recent study done by Japanese scientists shows that the residents of Taiji have 10 times the acceptable amount of mercury in their systems. That makes it more then just an animal rights issue – this is a human health concern. I believe in my heart that when the Japanese people see this film, they will be inspired to help solve this issue."
THE COVE, one of five films nominated for Best Feature Documentary for the 2009 Academy Awards® and winner of the Audience Award for Best Documentary at the 2009 Sundance Film Festival, has been honored with numerous accolades including the DGA Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Documentary, the PGA Producer of the Year Award in Documentary Theatrical Motion Pictures, the National Board of Review Best Documentary Award and the BFCA's Critics Choice Award for Best Documentary, among others. Roadside Attractions opened THE COVE in theaters last July and the film was released on DVD by Lionsgate in December 2009.
THE COVE is directed by Louie Psihoyos and produced by Paula DuPré Pesmen and Fisher Stevens. The film is written by Mark Monroe. The executive producer is Jim Clark and the co-producer is Olivia Ahnemann.
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About The Works International
The Works' current slate includes the hugely acclaimed and Oscar®-nominated feature documentary THE COVE, and multi-award winning ANVIL: THE STORY OF ANVIL. The company also recently acquired much praised Tilda Swinton starrer IO SONO L’AMORE (I AM LOVE).
Established in 1986, The Works International is one of Europe's leading sales agents. The company is owned by The Works Media Group plc, a stock market quoted company. Over the last few years, The Works International has cemented its position in the marketplace with a string of commercial and artistic successes.
Highlights over the years have included Oscar® winners MAN ON WIRE, NO MAN'S LAND, THE CRYING GAME and ANTONIA'S LINE; Oscar® nominees VENUS and WHALE RIDER; Golden Globe® nominee and worldwide smash hit BEND IT LIKE BECKHAM; IN THIS WORLD and THE ROAD TO GUANTANAMO, winners of the Berlin Golden Bear and Silver Bear respectively; and Cannes Competition award winners SWEET SIXTEEN and CLEAN.
The Works’ 2009 slate included Stephen Poliakoff’s GLORIOUS 39; MY YEAR WITHOUT SEX - Sarah Watt’s follow up to LOOK BOTH WAYS; BOOGIE WOOGIE, starring Amanda Seyfried, Stellan Skarsgaard and Danny Huston; Rachel Ward’s directorial debut BEAUTIFUL KATE; and controversial thriller LA PRIMA LINEA from the producers of IL DIVO.
For further information please contact The Works International:
Juliette Gill // Juliette.gill@theworksmediagroup.com // T. +44 (0)20 7612 1080
About Medallion Media
Medallion Media Co. was founded in 2001 to distribute and license visual content to all media in Japan. Starting theatrical distribution in 2009, Medallion Media Co. aims to distribute high quality films to the Japanese audience.
About Oceanic Preservation Society
The Oceanic Preservation Society (OPS) is a non-profit organization founded in 2005 by photographers, filmmakers and preservationists. OPS provides an exclusive lens for the public and media to observe the beauty as well as the destruction of the oceans while motivating change.
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