ADV FILMS ACQUIRES JAPANESE ANIME SENSATION THE VOICES OF A DISTANT STAR

ACCLAIMED SHORT FILM WILL MAKE ITS NORTH AMERICAN DEBUT IN AUGUST

HOUSTON July 25 2002 - ADV Films is proud to announce the acquisition of ""The Voices of a Distant Star"" one of Japan's most talked-about anime titles of the year from CoMix Wave Inc. ADV plans a DVD-only release for this highly anticipated title.

""The Voices of a Distant Star"" is an extraordinary feat created by Makoto Shinkai who single handedly wrote directed edited and animated the film using a Power Macintosh 7600/120 computer and several consumer- and professional-level design and animation software programs. Shinkai was responsible for every aspect of the film except for the sound music and voice acting.

""'The Voices of a Distant Star' is one of the most incredible works of Japanese anime I've ever seen"" said ADV President CEO and Founder John Ledford. ""It's a brilliant film made all the more impressive by the fact of its single-handed creation. Shinkai-san has really set a new creative standard for the anime industry; he's going to be a major force in the field for years to come.""

About ""Voices?"" creator Makoto Shinkai
Shinkai was born in 1973 in a small town in Japan's Nagano prefecture. He moved to Tokyo after high school and majored in Japanese literature at Chuo University. After graduating he worked for a PC software production company as an art director while working on his own original creative projects in his spare time. Shinkai recently left the PC company in order to devote himself to his projects full time. In February Shinkai won the award for ""Most Valuable Newcomer"" at Tokyo Anime Fair 21.

Release Schedule/Personal Appearance
""The Voices of a Distant Star"" will make its North American premier in August at the San Diego Comic-Con International. At the convention ADV is sponsoring a panel discussion featuring Shinkai who will speak and answer questions through an English translator.

""Voices?"" made its world premiere in January at the Future Film Festival in Italy. It was also screened at February's Tokyo Anime Fair and at the Seoul International Animation Festival in May.

About the Film
""The Voices of a Distant Star"" was made using a breathtaking mix of computer-generated and traditional cel animation deftly weaving thrilling action scenes with awe-inspiring cosmic landscapes and a moving love story creating a deeply personal viewing experience.

The story begins in the year 2046. A mysterious and dangerous creature called Tarcian is lurking on the edge of outer space. The UN Space Force mounts a mission to destroy the deadly creature and Mikako a young schoolgirl is mustered to join the UN force. Unfortunately she must leave her boyfriend Noboru behind on Earth. The couple bridges the gap between outer space and their home by communicating through mobile phone e-mails. But as the miles between them grow the longer it takes to receive each other's messages creating an even larger divide for the young lovers to cross if they're to be back in each other's arms again.

About ADV Films:
ADV Films is Anime-and-more. In 1992 ADV Films (ADV) transformed a niche market into a global industry by bringing Japanese animation to North America and beyond. As the #1 distributor of Japanese animation ADV's holdings include such premier titles as: ""Spriggan"" ""Sailor Moon"" ""Samurai X"" ""Medabots"" ""Robotech"" ""Gasaraki"" and ""Neon Genesis Evangelion."" ADV's commitment to genre programming including popular science fiction programs such as ""Gene Roddenberry's Andromeda"" ""Farscape"" and ""Gamera: Guardian of the Universe"" has helped ADV become a burgeoning entertainment powerhouse. For more information visit ADV on the web at www.advfilms.com.

About CoMix Wave:
CoMix Wave handles copyrights for and manages more than 50 of Japan's top manga artists and illustrators and works to discover and promote new talent within the industry. The company also manages production-in Japan and overseas-of anime projects including Koji Morimoto and Studio 4oC's Clio Award-winning anime-style television advertisements for ""La Saunda"" a Hong Kong shoe franchise. CoMix Wave also produced ""Voices of a Distant Star"" by Makoto Shinkai winner of the award for ""Most Valuable Newcomer"" at Tokyo Anime Fair 21 in February. CoMix Wave also operates www.mangazoo.com the most-accessed anime and manga information portal in Japan.

Posted on Thursday, July 25, 2002 (Archive on Sunday, August 25, 2002)