N Korea kidnap movie to hit US cinemas

An award-winning documentary about Megumi Yokota, a Japanese woman kidnapped by North Korean agents in Niigata at age 13 in 1977, will be released in theatres next month, starting in Hollywood, the Washington-based production company Safari Media says.

"This is great not just for the film but for the families whom this story is based on," said Chris Sheridan, who, with his wife Patty Kim, directed and produced the film. "Hopefully, the Hollywood screenings will bring even more attention to the families and abduction issue itself."

The Hollywood opening will be part of the International Documentary Association's "DocuWeek" program that helps some of the best documentary films to qualify for an Academy Award entry.

According to the office of Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, a documentary film must be played in a commercial movie theatre in either Los Angeles or New York for at least seven consecutive days to be eligible for award consideration for the 2006 awards year.

In addition, a feature documentary like "Abduction" must have at least eight additional commercial public exhibitions for two or more consecutive days in four or more states.

"So for the next six to seven months, we will be travelling city to city for the multi-city theatrical rollout," Sheridan said.

Using rare archival footage and incredible family interviews, the film follows the agony and struggle of Megumi's parents, who have dedicated their lives over the past 30 years to searching for their daughter.

The film was screened in Tokyo last month at an invitation-only event, with attendance of abductees' family, including Megumi's father Shigeru and mother Sakie, as well as Chief Cabinet Secretary Shinzo Abe.

"It was the most emotional experience to see the families watching the film together," said Sheridan. "We've received an amazing, incredible response."

The 85-minute documentary opened at the Slamdance Film Festival in Utah in January and went on to win the Audience Award for Best Documentary. It has since gone on to win three more awards and the heart of audiences who have packed theatres across the United States, Canada and Australia.