ADV Acquires My Beautiful Girl Mari

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

ADV FILMS ANNOUNCES ACQUISITION OF ACCLAIMED KOREAN ANIMATED FEATURE FILM ?MY BEAUTIFUL GIRL MARI?

WINNER OF GRAND PRIZE FOR BEST FEATURE AT 2002 ANNECY ANIMATION FESTIVAL

HOUSTON September 17 2003?ADV Films Founder President and CEO John Ledford today announced the acquisition of the acclaimed Korean animated feature My Beautiful Girl Mari for North American distribution. The title was named ?Best Feature? at the 2002 Annecy International Animated Film Festival. Held annually in Annecy France the Annecy International Animated Film Festival is the world?s most prestigious festival of animation.

The Korean animation industry long known for the quality of its behind-the-scenes animation work on overseas productions has in recent years begun to gain considerable attention for its original productions. Directed by Lee-Sung Kang and largely animated using digital techniques My Beautiful Girl Mari is widely considered to be the finest original animated work to emerge from Korea.

?We?ve been paying very close attention to Korean animation for some time? said Ledford. ?The industry is not yet as well established as the Japanese animation industry but the quality of the work is very impressive. The recognition that My Beautiful Girl Mari has received is proof of that and we?re excited to have the opportunity to bring the title to North America.?

My Beautiful Girl Mari tells the story of a young boy Nam-woo who escapes from a difficult life (his widowed mother has a new boyfriend his beloved grandmother is gravely ill and his best friend is leaving for school in Seoul) through an elaborate fantasy involving a lovely young girl named Mari. Later in the film the adult Nam-woo looks back at the period and reflects upon the importance of this dream-life in getting through the challenges of his youth. My Beautiful Girl Mari makes extensive use of symbolic magical realism elements in an animation style that is noticeably different from both Disney-style American animation and Japanese animation.

Release Plans
ADV Films plans a limited theatrical release in 2004 for My Beautiful Girl Mari followed by an Anime Network broadcast debut and home video release.

Posted on Wednesday, September 17, 2003 (Archive on Friday, October 17, 2003)