ADV Films Announces American Premiere of Original Dark Water

HOUSTON, August 16, 2004?ADV Films, the #1 producer-distributor of anime in the U.S., today announced the American theatrical premier of Hideo Nakata?s acclaimed live action feature Dark Water at New York?s Cinema Village Theatre on Friday, September 24, 2004. Director/Writer Nakata, who gained critical praise for his earlier works, the original Japanese version of Ring (Ringu) and both the U.S. and Japanese versions of Ring 2, brings his unique style of slowly unfolding terror to Dark Water. His first film as a director was Ghost Actress (1996), a horror film, which had a theme set in the studio environment. This was the foundation of his creation of Ring. He then worked on the horror films Ring 2 and The Sleeping Bride. Although he gained his initial reputation as a horror director, his directing talent is now in a broader range, and he is respected as one of Japan?s most sought after visual creators. Nakata was recently listed by Time Magazine as one of the 100 most influential people of 2004. Time Magazine also stated, ?In his thrillers, Nakata concentrates less on the explosion of the time bomb than on the ticking inside it; abstract images on a videotape, an aquarium tank full of dead fish, water stain spreading on a ceiling.? ?Dark Water is a classic example of what a director can do effectively with skill and imagination without spending millions of dollars on special effects,? said John Ledford, president, CEO and co-founder of ADV Films. ?We are proud to present the work of this outstanding director to American moviegoers.? ?This film may do for baths what Psycho did for showers,? said Steve Buck, director for ADV Films Theatrical Division. The Story Yoshimi Matsubara is fighting to gain legal custody of her five-year-ld daughter, Ikuko. Under pressure to find a place of their own, the two settle for a dark and musty apartment. But little do they expect what lies ahead. Already insecure and uncertain about her future with her daughter, Yoshimi is haunted by the life-like murky water dripping through the ceiling and walls which gets worse day by day. Even more bothersome are the random and unlikely reappearances of a small red bag, which once belonged to a little girl who mysteriously disappeared two years before. Though she desperately struggles to find the strength within herself for Ikuko?s sake, her horror intensifies as she comes closer to discovering the connection between these events. She is ultimately tested in an intensely driven climax where she faces the worst of her fears and expectations. ADV Films will be booking Dark Water into major cities in the U.S. following its New York opening. About ADV Films: In the 12 years since its inception, ADV Films has become the #1 producer-distributor of Japanese animation (?anime?) for the North American market and has also developed a leadership position in the UK. With best-selling titles such as Neon Genesis Evangelion, RahXephon, Robotech, Full Metal Panic!, Hello Kitty and Azumanga Daioh, ADV Films' extensive catalog is fueling the popularity of anime around the globe. ADV Films' library also includes popular live-action science fiction programs such as The Jim Henson Company's Farscape, the nationally syndicated Gene Roddenberry?s Andromeda and the Saturn Award-nominated Mutant X. Parent company, A.D. Vision, Inc., encompasses a multitude of complementary media divisions, spanning publishing, theatrical distribution, television, licensing and merchandising and continues to expand into new areas. Its Anime Network? is America's first and only television network dedicated to bringing anime and anime-related programming to consumers nationwide via digital cable 24 hours a day. The company has two publishing arms: Newtype USA, the premier anime and manga monthly magazine, and ADV Manga, dedicated to publishing graphic novels. Most recently, the company formed ADV Toys, creating exclusive toys and collectible merchandise based upon the company's extensive original content holdings. Headquartered in Houston, the company has offices in Europe and Japan. For more information, visit www.advfilms.com. -30-

Posted on Monday, August 16, 2004 (Archive on Thursday, September 16, 2004)