ATN to air The Legend of Ponnivala

*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 <http://www.ponnivala.com/>

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2339958/

Asian Television Network (ATN): http://www.asiantelevision.com
<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 <http://www.asiantelevision.com/>
)*

*Media Contact for the Sophia Hilton Foundation of Canada:*

*Steve Baric, Social Media and Communications*

ponnivalapublishing@gmail.com <mailto:ponnivalapublishing@gmail.com>

(905) 342-2140 <tel:%28905%29%20342-2140>

*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.*/