Professional Motion Picture Production and Distribution NEWS

LONDON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec. 3, 2004--Shorts International, the short film distribution arm of Britshorts Ltd., announced today that it has become the exclusive distributor for the entire short film library of American Vantage/Hypnotic. American Vantage/Hypnotic, a subsidiary of American Vantage Media Corp., has one of the largest high-quality short film and animation libraries in the world. Its library, combined with Shorts International's current library of short films, will see the consolidation of one of Europe and America's largest commercial short film libraries. The combined entity will create the largest short film distribution capability across the globe.
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In addition to its short film business, American Vantage/Hypnotic has been co-producer on the hit television show "The O.C." and a producer of "The Bourne Identity." American Vantage Media Corp. acquired the business from Vivendi Universal and others earlier this year.

"Britshorts has created Europe's most extensive catalogue of short films," Carter Pilcher, chief executive of Britshorts, noted. "Consequently, we are excited to be joined by the films of some of the United States' top young filmmaking talent. The combination of these two catalogues will enable us to bring to our syndication partners an unparalleled depth and breadth of short films." Ronald J. Tassinari, American Vantage Cos. chairman and chief executive officer, said, "We are pleased to have Britshorts as the exclusive distributor for our short film library and look forward to a long and mutually beneficial relationship with them."

"Not only is this good news for broadcasters, but it is great news for aspiring filmmakers," said Pilcher. "Their films will be seen by much wider audiences, as we are now able to provide significant amounts of high-quality film content to our buyers, greatly increasing both sales and the chances that individual films will receive exposure and acclaim."

The American Vantage/Hypnotic catalogue includes a world-class collection of films by the hottest up-and-coming young filmmakers from across the globe. This library will be united with Shorts International's widely acclaimed catalogue, that includes films from the British Film Institute (BFI) library containing the Hitchcock short films, films from the Royal College of Art (RCA), films from the London Film School (LFS), the Royal Welsh College, Sgrin Wales and those from Spain's former premier distribution agency, Morphe Art Pictures.

The two libraries joined under Shorts International's distribution arm will supply the global upturn in short film popularity. Pilcher noted, "A recent study we carried out with BSkyB here in the U.K. confirmed the growth in popularity of independent filmmaking. Not only do Hollywood and international film companies cultivate ground-breaking talent that they showcase in short films, our research also showed that short films are the hidden gem -- they have enormous appeal to those who are 'in the know' and give powerful entertainment at the cutting edge."

Shorts International's extensive catalogue creates a single short film supplier for all media, including emerging platforms and markets. Audiences for short films are growing as new platforms continue to emerge. Not only are mainstream broadcasters realizing their potential to attract 18- to 34-year-olds, but broadband providers, 3G mobile phone operators and leading advertising brands are entering the market.

Shorts International has been distributing short films, animations and digital media since its launch in 2000 as Britshorts and has successfully built a catalogue of hundreds of titles. The addition of the distribution of the American Vantage/Hypnotic library to the Shorts International catalogue will make Shorts International the globe's leading short film distributor and an essential one-stop shop for buyers and filmmakers worldwide. Shorts International short films and animations are available in all territories for all media platforms, and include a wide range of genres and languages. Lengths vary from 20 seconds to more than 30 minutes. Shorts International's films appeal to a broad audience and are programmed for a wide range of interests and include family-oriented films, films with famous talent and film festival award winners.