ADV Films, Geneon Strike Exclusive Anime Distribution Deal

HOUSTON, August 30: Geneon Entertainment (USA) has appointed
ADV Films as the sole distributor of its anime catalogue in North America.

Under the deal, ADV Films will
handle all sales and distribution duties for the combined anime catalogue as
well as certain marketing functions. Geneon Entertainment (USA), a subsidiary
of Tokyo-based advertising company Dentsu, helped to launch anime series such
as Pokemon, Appleseed and Akira
on home video. More recent best-selling franchises include Hellsing, Ergo Proxy and the new series Black Lagoon.

ADV Films has become the number-one producer and distributor
of Japanese animation outside of Japan and has the largest English-language
anime library in the world.

John Ledford, the co-founder
and president of ADV Films, commented: "This alliance makes both companies
stronger. Anime as an entertainment category is in competition with every other
form of entertainment, and our partnership with Geneon gives us the scale to help
widen the anime market in North America."

Ledford continued: “As we look
ahead to an increasingly digital future, scale matters. In bringing anime to
new media platforms, ADV Films and Geneon can only benefit from the added clout
this alliance brings. For consumers and retailers, this transition should be
seamless. Geneon's publishing plans will continue unabated, as ADV Films works
with distribution partners to make the transition a smooth one.”