Los Angeles (April 17, 2001) Noted documentary filmmaker J. Mitchell Johnson has teamed with producer and former HBO Pictures executive Dennis Bishop to produce World Without Waves, the first feature film from Abamedia, Johnson's Texas-based motion picture, television, and new media development and production company.

Casting began in Los Angeles earlier this month, with filming slated to begin on location in central Texas and New York City on April 30th. Abamedia hopes to capitalize on the impending Hollywood writers' and actors' strikes, particularly in the area of casting, by being one of the few films starting production this month.

"One of the advantages of being a low-budget independent film trying to attract talent during this period is that we have the opportunity to cast actors who might otherwise be unavailable to us under normal circumstances," said Bishop. "They can squeeze this unique and intriguing film in before the strike hits. World Without Waves has an original and captivating premise which has a lot of people out here excited."

Johnson has directed and produced over 100 hours of award winning documentaries that have been broadcast on such networks as PBS, HBO, the History Channel and A & E as well as international channels worldwide. His productions have won numerous top awards at the major film festivals in San Francisco, Chicago, Park City, Houston, New York, Santa Fe, Melbourne and Paris. Abamedia's Red Files captured the Los Angeles based International Documentary Association's Best Limited Series Award for the year 2000.

The addition of Bishop adds considerable clout to the production team. As Vice President of Production at HBO Pictures he supervised production of such acclaimed cable movies as And the Band Played On, Barbarians at the Gate, and The Positively True Adventures of the Alleged Texas Cheerleading. During his tenure, HBO projects garnered 18 Emmy Awards, 9 Golden Globes and 24 Cable Ace Awards.

Bishop's other producing credits include such award-winning films as Inherit the Wind for MGM/Showtime starring Jack Lemmon and George C. Scott, Rysher/Paramounts The Evening Star, starring Jack Nicholson, Shirley McClain and Bill Paxton and The Academy Award winner The Trip to Bountiful starring Geraldine Page. He was also Executive Producer for Walt Disney's Houseguest and The Big Green.

Also part of the production team are: Steven Leibman, Senior Vice President of Creative Affairs, former president of The Thinking Cap Company, a licensed movie merchandiser with credits including The Empire Strikes Back, Raiders of the Lost Ark and Star Trek, and Jeff Dowd, a producer's representative and nationally recognized authority on movie marketing, distribution and exhibition. Dowd has represented or assisted such films as Blood Simple, Chariots of Fire, Ghandi, Hoosiers, War Games and Desperately Seeking Susan. In addition, Abamedia has arranged a co-production agreement with Hunnai Studios of Budapest, Hungary.

About the Film

World Without Waves sets an unusual love story within a symbolic, cautionary tale about society's increasing dependence on electricity and technology at the edge of the new millennium. A hyper successful television producer from New York City, whose identity and purpose have deserted him, stumbles into a tiny town in Texas where he immediately meets a beautiful woman whose troubled story is unveiled through her unraveling of his mystery. Both their stories unwind and wrap around each other in unexpected ways that make one question the basics of modern living, the meaning of love and madness, and whether we chose our destiny or it chooses us.

Contact:
Dennis Bishop
(915) 641-8737
(310) 351-6345
E-Mail:Abamedia@abamedia.com