Press release

Launches titles in online store and on Google Video

Montreal, Tuesday February 21, 2006 — Atopia is proud to announce the launch of its new online store on www.atopia.com, featuring the award-winning films Jimmywork by Simon Sauvé and A Silent Love by Federico Hidalgo now available in DVD format. Mongrel Media is handling retail distribution for both titles throughout Canada starting today, and Desert Mountain Media will launch the A Silent Love DVD in the US on April 11, 2006.

“We believe that the future of independent film distribution involves developing and implementing web-based initiatives,” said Pascal Maeder, founder and head of Atopia. “It’s with great pleasure that we announce the launch of our new online store on Atopia.com. With the launch of these two DVDs in the store, we are laying the foundation for an enterprise with a fast-growing number of titles from our catalogue of independent cinema.”

In keeping with the company’s strategy to embrace web-based initiatives, Atopia is also excited to announce that Jimmywork (nominated for a Jutra Award for Achievement in Editing), will also be available on Google Video, the world’s first open online video marketplace. Atopia is planning on adding more titles in the near future, including the acclaimed documentary S.P.I.T.: Squeegee Punks In Traffic by Daniel Cross.

Maeder added: “I am also very pleased to announce that we are the first Canadian independent film company to join Google Video’s online marketplace (currently in Beta, certain downloads are available in the US only). This will allow cinephiles to download our titles from the convenience of their computers, and own the film for a very low price, as well as choosing their platform of preference: Mac, PC, iPod or Sony PlayStation. We look forward to working with a company of such tremendous vision and technological expertise.”

Atopia is a studio based in Montréal. Founded in 2000 Atopia has since produced several critically-acclaimed feature films. Since 2004, Atopia has been operating as a fully integrated company, handling projects from development through worldwide sales and theatrical distribution in North America.

Projects in production and development for 2006-2007 include the feauture films Imitation (Federico Hidalgo), Still Life (Jeffrey Blatt), Fu Meng (Shuibo Wang), and Elle veut le chaos (Denis Côté). Upcoming releases include The 4th Life (François Miron) and Rechercher Victor Pellerin (Sophie Deraspe), as well as a selection of other international titles.

News posted Tuesday, February 21, 2006.