Montreal — Monday September 24, 2007 - Heidi Specogna's award winning documentary The Short Life of José Antonio Gutierrez, is still on its festival tour. This unsettling and timely documentary about a young Guatemalan who became the first American soldier killed in the Iraq War has been selected at the 15th Providence Latin American Film Festival ! The film can be seen on Wednesday September 26th at 4 :30 pm at the RISD Auditorium in Providence, Rhode Island.
For more information : http://www.murphyandmurphy.com/plff/

After its World Premiere at the Sundance Film Festival in 2006, The Short Life of José Antonio Gutierrez has gone on to win the Best Documentary Prize at the Swiss Film Awards, the Fox Azteca Borders on Film Award at the San Diego Latino Film Festival, and most recently, the Best Feature Documentary Award at both the Toronto Hispano American Film Festival, and Xican Indie Film Fest Denver, 2007.

The Short Life of José Antonio Gutierrez will be available in the US as of September 25th on DVD, with dual Spanish or English packaging options, at the retail price of $24.98 USD.
It's also available to order :

- To Order from the USA
- To Order from the USA (Spanish packaging)

- To Order from Canada

- To Order from the USA

- To Order from the USA (Spanish packaging)


The Short Life of José Antonio Gutierrez DVD will be available in the US on September 25th 2007, with dual Spanish or English packaging options, at the retail price of $24.98 USD. In Canada the DVD will be available on October 30th 2007.

Pre-orders are open in both countries now !

"Critics' Pick" - The New York Times
"An artful film… a sad, illuminating story." - Newsweek
"A well-researched, graceful film." - Entertainment Weekly
"Intelligent and politically aware narration." - Variety
"A superb miniature of globalization." - In These Times
"Impeccably crafted… An unforgettable tale of hope and tenacity." Seattle Times
"Profound… one of those docs that takes the life of an individual and surrounds it with other people's stories that are just as absorbing." - Film Threat
"His story sheds light on countless others that remain untold… Fighting America's wars in the hope of becoming American." – Twitch
"Now, more than ever, it should be seen here in the U.S. for its ironies, both implicit and explicit." - The New York Observer



After its World Premiere at the Sundance Film Festival in 2006, Heidi Specogna's The Short Life of José Antonio Gutierrez went on to win Best Documentary at the Swiss Film Awards, the Fox Azteca Borders on Film Award at the San Diego Latino Film Festival, and most recently, Best Feature Documentary Award at the Toronto Hispano American Film Festival, Xican Indie Film Fest, Denver, and Atlanta Underground Film Festival.

Since it's successful international festival tour, this unsettling and timely documentary has been released in New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, and Seattle, Toronto and Montreal, and praised by critics across North America.

The film tells the moving and nearly unbelievable story of a one-time street kid from Guatemala, who headed north along the Pan-American Highway — full of hopes and desires for a better future — ultimately to die an American hero far from home in a deadly quest for US citizenship. A so-called 'green-card soldier' José Antonio Gutierrez was one of approximately 32,000, fighting in the ranks of the US Armed Forces. A few hours after the war began, his picture was broadcast all over the world: he was the first American soldier to be killed in the war. Chilling, thought-provoking, and profound, José Antonio_s story is no adventurer's tale. It is the story of a young man's attempt to survive -on both sides of the world.

The Short Life of José Antonio Gutierrez will be available in the US as of September 25 on DVD, with dual Spanish or English packaging options, at the retail price of $24.98 USD. For further information and to view the trailer, please visit the film's official website at www.theshortlife-film.com contact us for a screener at info@atopia.com. For information on other Atopia titles, please visit www.atopia.com or our MySpace page at www.myspace.com/atopiaspace.

Atopia Distribution releases its in-house productions as well as a selection of equally insightful films to audiences across the US and Canada. Daring and original, our films are critically-acclaimed features, which, in order to give the richest tour, are screened at major festivals around the world, then released in art-house and commercial theatres to garner wide media exposure prior to launching them on DVD and via the internet and via download innovator, Jaman.Com, a leader in Indie world cinema on the web.

After its World Premiere at the Sundance Film Festival in 2006, Heidi Specogna's The Short Life of José Antonio Gutierrez has gone on to win the Best Documentary Prize at the Swiss Film Awards, the Fox Azteca Borders on Film Award at the San Diego Latino Film Festival, and most recently, the Best Feature Documentary Award at both the Toronto Hispano American Film Festival, and Xican Indie Film Fest Denver, 2007.

Since it's successful international festival tour, this unsettling and timely documentary about a young Guatemalan who became the first American soldier killed in the Iraq War has been released in New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, and Seattle, and will now be presented in Montreal from September 5 to 12 at the Institut-Goethe.

The film tells the moving and nearly unbelievable story of a one-time street kid from Guatemala, who headed north along the Pan-American Highway — full of hopes and desires for a better future — ultimately to die an American hero far from home in a deadly quest for US citizenship. A so-called 'green-card soldier' José Antonio Gutierrez was one of approximately 32,000, fighting in the ranks of the US Armed Forces. A few hours after the war began, his picture was broadcast all over the world: he was the first American soldier to be killed in the war. Chilling, thought-provoking, and profound, José Antonio¹s story is no adventurer's tale. It is the story of a young man's attempt to survive -on both sides of the world.

Atopia Distribution releases its in-house productions as well as a selection of equally insightful films to audiences across the US and Canada. Daring and original, our films are critically-acclaimed features, which, in order to give the richest tour, are screened at major festivals around the world, then released in art-house and commercial theatres to garner wide media exposure prior to launching them on DVD and the internet via download innovator, Jaman.Com, a leader in Indie world cinema on the web.

The Short Life of José Antonio Gutierrez has just won the Best Documentary Award at the XicanIndie Film Festival in Denver ,CO, in the category of Latin World Cinema.

This award is the third one for Heidi Specogna film this year, following the Toronto Hispano American Film Festival, where it won the Best Feature Documentary and the San Diego Latino Film Festival, where it received the Fox Azteca Borders on Film Award.

This thought-provoking documentary continue its US theatrical run this summer with engagements in Huntingdon, NY and Houston, TX, among others. More screenings to be announced soon!

Continuing its' US tour, The Short Life of José Antonio Gutierrez moves across the country: following screenings in Seattle, New York, San Francisco and Los Angeles, this thought-provoking documentary can be seen in Chicago at the Gene Siskel Film Center on the dates below:

* Saturday, June 16, 4:45 pm
* Monday, June 18, 8:00 pm
* Thursday, June 21, 6:00 pm

Gene Siskel Film Center — 164 North State Street — Chicago, IL — Tel 312-846-2600

After being honored at the Swiss Film Awards as the "Best Documentary" in 2006, and at the San Diego Latino Film Festival where it won the Fox Azteca Borders on Film Award in 2007, The Short Life of José Antonio Gutierrez by Heidi Specogna continues to please audiences and festival juries alike! The film now has a new award to it's credit: "Best Feature Documentary" from the Toronto Hispano-American Film Festival.

The Short Life of José Antonio Gutierrez will continue its US theatrical tour this summer, screening this month in Chicago at the Gene Siskel Film Center:

* Saturday, June 16, 4:45 pm
* Monday, June 18, 8:00 pm
* Thursday, June 21, 6:00 pm

Gene Siskel Film Center — 164 North State Street — Chicago, IL — Tel 312-846-2600

We are a small independent film distribution outfit working on increasing awareness of "The Short Life of José Antonio Gutierrez" in the USA and Canada, since we believe the film is of interest to many communities accross the continent, and that the topics it contains, immigration, foreign policy, poverty, etc, are of great relevance to our lives.

Are you, or someone you know, interested in working with us on organizing a projection of the film, or writing an article about it? We would like to organize as many projections and discussions as possible about the film over the coming spring and summer months, 2007.

Please feel free to contact us for more information.

The Atopia Team

Atopia
T: +1 514 985-0873
F: +1 514 985-5876
E: info@atopia.com
www.atopia.com

In co-presentation with the Los Angeles Latino International Film Festival, The Short Life of Jose Antonio Gutierrez will be screening in Los Angeles at the Laemmle Cinemas as of May 11th.

Following openings in Seattle, New York and San Francisco, The Short Life of Jose Antonio Gutierrez/ is continuing its' USA tour in LA and pleasing audiences across the country. This thought-provoking film can be seen at the Laemmle Grande 4-Plex Cinema from Friday May 11th through Thursday May 17th 2007.

For more information about the film http://www.theshortlife-film.com/

Laemmle Cinemas --- 345 S. Figueroa St. --- Downtown Los Angeles, 90071

Laemmle Cinemas Phone: 213-617-0268

In co-presentation with the International Latino Film Festival -San Fransisco Bay Area, The Short Life of Jose Antonio Gutierrez, will be screening at The Victoria Theatre, on May 4-6, 2007; May 9-13, 2007; May 16-18, 2007.

Learn More About The Short Life of José Antonio Gutierrez
www.theshortlife-film.com

Information - Victoria Theater: 415-863-7576