'Ringers' Invades Comic-Con!
Xoanon @ 12:02 pm EST

FANTASY LEGEND PETER S. BEAGLE AND “RINGERS: LORD OF THE FANS” FILMMAKERS TO MAKE EXCLUSIVE APPEARANCE AT SAN DIEGO COMIC-CON INTERNATIONAL

HOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIA -- Friday, July 2, 2004 -- The production team behind the independent feature documentary, RINGERS: LORD OF THE FANS and revered fantasy author Peter S. Beagle (“The Last Unicorn”) have combined forces to appear at the San Diego Comic-Con International 2004 on Thursday, July 22, 2004. A special one-hour Panel Discussion featuring ‘Ringers’ principal filmmakers and the legendary author will be held that Thursday evening at the San Diego Convention Center, where tens of thousands of enthusiastic genre fans convene for the largest event of its kind in the world.

“We are thrilled to appear at Comic-Con 2004 before our core audience, presenting never-before-seen footage from ‘Ringers’,” said writer/producer/director Carlene Cordova of the upcoming event. “Having Peter S. Beagle at our side brings us full circle in our quest to bring all generations of Ringer fans together for our film.” In addition to showing an exclusive peek at the documentary, never shown before a public audience, the filmmakers promise many surprise announcements. Peter S. Beagle will make his Comic-Con debut; revealing personal stories of his work on the 1978 “The Lord of the Rings” animated adaptation under the direction of Ralph Bakshi. Also appearing with Ms. Cordova and Mr. Beagle will be writer/producer Cliff Broadway (‘Quickbeam’ from TheOneRing.net, co-author of The People’s Guide to J.R.R. Tolkien), producer Danny Lukic, and director of photography/co-producer Josh Mandel; all of whom will share their unique stories on the film-in-progress.

The Panel is scheduled for 6:00PM in the combined Ballroom 6CDEF. After the panel, fellow Ringers from around the world are invited to relax at our informal “RingersMoot,” a gathering hosted by the ‘Ringers’ team at the MARTINI RANCH (located at 528 F Street), from 8:00PM till closing, just six blocks away in the historic heart of San Diego’s beautiful Gas Lamp District.

Comic-Con and ‘Ringers’ go hand-in-hand; where at last year’s event the filmmakers shot a large portion of their film with a unique “confessional booth.” Inside this private booth, hundreds of Tolkien fans were able to speak directly to the camera about why they love “The Lord of the Rings.” The ‘Ringers’ team will also have a table for the duration of the Comic-Con 2004 weekend, allowing fans to get better acquainted with the core people creating this documentary. While the film is currently in post-production, Ms. Cordova will be directing her crew to shoot additional pick-up footage of Ringers in costume as they visit.

San Diego Comic-Con International is the world’s largest genre convention covering the realms of Fantasy, Science Fiction, Horror, Comics, Genre feature films, Animation, and Pop Art. Comic-Con 2004 is held at the San Diego Convention Center, 111 Harbor Drive, San Diego, CA, from Thursday, July 22 through July 25, 2004, with a preview night on Wednesday, July 21st. Many thousands of dealers and artists will be in attendance to the delight of genre lovers. For more information about Comic-Con 2004 visit their official site at: comic-con.org

About the documentary:

Very funny and often moving, RINGERS: LORD OF THE FANS shows the hidden power behind J.R.R. Tolkien’s “The Lord of the Rings” -- and how after 50 years a single literary work continues to spark the minds and hearts of millions, across cultures and across time. ‘Ringers’ explores the real foundations of Middle-earth; a community of true fans who share a common bond. Moving beyond “cult classic” and over several different generations, the film unearths academics, musicians, authors, filmmakers, and a plethora of pop junkies -- the people gathered under the banner of ‘Ringer.’

RINGERS: LORD OF THE FANS spent 16 months shooting on three continents. Produced in association with the popular Tolkien fan-site TheOneRing.net, ‘Ringers’ stands as the most comprehensive film document of the ongoing fandom of “The Lord of the Rings.”

‘Ringers’ Official Website:

lordofthefans.net

Current ‘Ringers’ Interviewees include:

Actor - Sir Ian McKellen, Actor - Dominic Monaghan, Actor - Andy Serkis, Actor - Sala Baker, Author/Filmmaker - Clive Barker, Writer/Director/Producer - Cameron Crowe, Actor - David Carradine, Author - Terry Pratchett, Author - Peter S. Beagle, Author - Terry Brooks, Musician - Lemmy Kilmister, Musician - Geddy Lee, Tolkien Scholar - Dr. Jane Chance, Chairperson of the Tolkien Society - Christine Crawshaw, Author - Colin Duriez, Filmmaker/Critic - Chris Gore, Writer/Publisher - Forrest J. Ackerman, Actor - Bill Mumy, Author/Broadcaster - Brian Sibley, Illustrator/Author - Colleen Doran, Illustrator/Author - Jill Thompson, Great-Grandson - Royd Tolkien, and hundreds of Tolkien fans!

For additional information, contact:

Melanie Marquez, Publicist
9220 Sunset Blvd Suite 220
West Hollywood, CA 90069
Office: +1 323-669-1173
Cell: +1 626-833-6790