ATN Signs “The Legend of Ponnivala” for Canadian Broadcast

*PRESS RELEASE*
>
> *FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE*
>
> *ATN Signs “The Legend of Ponnivala” for Canadian Broadcast*
>
> /- Animated epic series to air spring 2013 -/
>
> *GORE’S LANDING, ON (March, 2013) -* The Sophia Hilton Foundation of
> Canada and Soft Science Associates, Ltd., creators of the animated
> “Legend of Ponnivala” series, have signed on with the Asian Television
> Network for Canadian broadcast of the 26-episode series. The series is
> slated to launch in English on ATN in late April, with a
> Tamil-language broadcast planned for the summer.
>
> “The Legend of Ponnivala” tells the story of the epic South Indian
> heroes Ponnar and Shankar. It also relates the origins of their
> family, back to the founding of the region two generations earlier. It
> is a surprisingly expansive tale for a local legend, and includes a
> wealth of historical and social insights into medieval Indian culture.
> It draws inspiration and characters from the great Indian epic, the
> Mahabharata, while keeping its focus on farming, the lifestyle central
> to its place of origin.
>
> “The Legend of Ponnivala” has previously been seen only as a feature
> film in select international settings. One extended excerpt received a
> nomination for Best Animated Film (Home Video) at the 2012 FICCI BAF
> Awards in India. Another extract was a featured presentation at the
> MOSAIC International South Asian Film Festival in Mississauga,
> Ontario.
>
> “The Legend of Ponnivala” is derived from a vast, ancient Hindu
> folktale tradition from South India’s Kongu region. The story has
> traditionally been told through song and passed down through
> generations of singing bards. One such performance was captured on
> over forty hours of audio tape in 1965 by Dr. Brenda Beck, who
> directed the series. Art and animation on the project began in 2008.
> Animator Ravichandran Arumugam, whose grandfather was a traditional
> singer of the epic, was brought on board to lead the art and animation
> team.
>
> Also involved in the project is award-winning Celtic musician and
> world music expert Steafan Hannigan, along with the voice talents of
> Afroz Khan, Sivakumar, Lata Pada, Ishwar and Sanjay Talreja.
>
> “The Legend of Ponnivala” is an epic adventure story for all ages.
> Part mythology, part fairytale, part historical drama and part action
> series, Ponnivala promises to delight and entertain viewers of all
> ages and across all cultures.
>
> ###
>
> Social Media Links
>
> Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/ponnivala
>
> Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/Ponnivala_Publ
>
> *Links*
>
> Web: http://www.ponnivala.com
>
> IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2339958/
>
> Asian Television Network (ATN): http://www.asiantelevision.com
>
>
> *About the Sophia Hilton Foundation of Canada*
>
> We produce animated and documentary video materials that both inform
> and educate. We use a variety of styles designed to entertain our
> audience while we try to deepen viewer understanding of a given topic.
> We are especially interested in themes that cross cultural divides,
> with mutual appreciation being our key goal. We develop materials for
> use by other foundations and charitable organizations. We also
> distribute our products to schools, universities and cultural
> organizations whenever possible.
>
> *About Ponnivala*
>
> Bards in the Tamil Nadu region of South India have sung The Legend of
> Ponnivala for centuries. Now, for the first time, this exciting epic
> is available in print and on DVD from Ponnivala Publishing. Join three
> generations of a great farming family as they lay the foundations for
> a new land, facing hunger, rivalry, magic, and monsters.
> Anthropologist Dr. Brenda E.F. Beck has spent close to fifty years
> studying this remarkable but little known oral history. She now brings
> it to audiences around the world through animation, storybooks, and
> colourful comics.
>
> *About ATN (Asian Television Network International Limited)*
>
> ATN (TSX-SAT) serves Canada’s Asian community with 35 premium
> specialty television channels. ATN offers its flagship general
> interest service, several Bollywood movie channels with 800 movies a
> month, sports channels, news channels, music channels, a lifestyle
> channel, spiritual channel and several Regional Language channels. ATN
> operates the only South Asian Radio Service on XM across The United
> States and Canada. ATN is also the first and only broadcaster in
> Canada to deliver South Asian Content on a Mobile Platform in Canada.
> ATN has programming alliances with leading international broadcasters.
> *(www.asiantelevision.com
> )*
>
> *Media Contact for the Sophia Hilton Foundation of Canada:*
>
> *Steve Baric, Social Media and Communications*
>
> ponnivalapublishing@gmail.com
>
> (905) 342-2140
>
> *Available for Interviews:*
>
> Dr. Brenda E.F. Beck
>
> Steafan Hannigan
>
> Teaser Trailer:
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HS8rlOMc6t4&feature=share&list=UUwjIKLKGwRanD7bpa7529NA
>
> /*Additional images and video clips are available upon request.*/