Press release

“Novel… a rap-infused, animated musical love story that morphs into a satirical geopolitical thriller” — Variety

“A last-minute shoo-in for the title of 2007’s most original animated film” — The New-York Times

“Move over, South Park. This is satire, Budapest style… The District! has to be seen to be believed, and you really should. — ****” — The Montreal Gazette

Montreal — Tuesday, 15 January 2008 — Atopia Distribution is proud to announce the January 15, 2008 North American DVD release of Aaron Gauder’s celebrated and controversial animated feature The District!. The District! had its North American bow at the Toronto International Film Festival and went on to screen at 59 fests across the world, including Karlovy Vary, Rotterdam International, Philadelphia Film Festival, Austin Fantasticfest, Mar Del Plata, Melbourne International and Sitges, winning awards at no less than 13 of them.

A group of teens from the wrong side of Budapest’s tracks band together to make themselves rich by traveling back in time, burying a horde of mammoths under the city’s streets, then returning to the present and drilling for oil. As creators of a new oil-producing nation, their scheme draws the attention of Vladmir Putin, Tony Blair and George W Bush. In the midst of it all, star-crossed teen love is in bloom. This outrageous and visually stunning animated satire plays like an unhinged ghetto updating of Romeo & Juliet smash-filtered through a politically-charged — and politically-incorrect — kaleidoscope of clashing world views and social unrest, complete with musical numbers and a wicked soundtrack of Hungarian hip-hop. You have never seen anything like it.

Atopia’s DVD edition of The District! contains the following special features:

1. excerpts from the original television series
2. a 30 minute making-of documentary
3. the film trailers of other Atopia titles.

Look for DVD release: The District!, in Canadian stores on January 15th, 2008 at the retail price of $29.98. Please e-mail us with screener or publicity requests at info@atopia.com. For further information or to view the trailer, please visit the film’s My Spage page at www.myspace.com/thedistrict_film, or e-mail us with screener or publicity requests at info@atopia.com. For information on other Atopia titles, please visit www.atopia.com or our MySpace page at www.myspace.com/atopiaspace.

The District! is also available to order on DVD:

• From Canada
• From the US

Atopia Distribution releases its in-house productions as well as a selection of equally insightful films to audiences across the US and Canada. Daring and original, our films are critically-acclaimed features, which, in order to give the richest tour, are screened at major festivals around the world, then released in art-house and commercial theatres to garner wide media exposure prior to launching them on DVD and the internet.

News posted Tuesday, January 15, 2008.