TORONTO, ON (October 15, 2012) – Toronto-based Fathom Film Group is pleased to announce its latest production, THE DEFECTOR: Escape from North Korea, will premiere at the prestigious International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam (IDFA) The festival, now in its 25th year, runs from November 14-25.
The feature-length documentary film was selected for the “Reflecting Images – Panorama” stream of films, which means it will be eligible for the IDFA Audience Award. IDFA selects films that are diverse, topical, politically committed and notable for both cinematic innovation and relevance to society.
“The film has been 3 years in the making and we’re excited to be launching at IDFA” says Producer/Director Ann Shin. “It’s about a human smuggler who deals with desperate North Koreans wanting to escape. Everyone involved undertook some risk to make it happen, we hope it reaches the widest possible audience.”
THE DEFECTOR: Escape from North Korea follows the perilous journey of two North Korean defectors and the broker who guides them to freedom. Their journey reflects the reality of tens of thousands of North Koreans currently hiding in China. Filmed undercover by Korean-Canadian filmmaker Ann Shin, THE DEFECTOR features never-seen-before footage and intimate access to individuals risking their lives to flee. This compelling, high-stakes story poses broader questions around human rights and the pursuit of freedom.
THE DEFECTOR will also be released online as a first-person POV interactive web documentary, enabling audiences to experience first-hand what it’s like to be a defector. Canadian film audiences will have opportunities to see THE DEFECTOR in upcoming festivals and broadcast on TVO, Canal D and CTS in 2013.
Official Trailer:
Fathom Film Group‘s innovative approaches to narrative result in cross-platform projects that tell the story across a broad spectrum of media. Our films and series are critical and thought-provoking, with related properties such as immersive interactive websites, games, educational packages and mobile applications. Our work has been broadcast, screened and downloaded around the world, garnering numerous awards at festivals.
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