Section23 Films
 |
|
| Limited liability company | |
| Industry |
Anime Japanese films |
| Predecessor | A.D. Vision |
| Founded | September 1, 2009 |
| Headquarters | Houston, Texas, United States |
|
Area served
|
United States, Canada |
| Products |
TV series Theatrical films |
| Parent | AEsir Media |
| Divisions | Seraphim Digital, Anime Network |
| Website | section23films.com |
Section23 Films (legal name "SXION 23, LLC") is an American multimedia distributor specializing in anime and Japanese films. Founded in 2009, Section23 Films is one of five successors to ADV Films, as well as the distributor for Sentai Filmworks and Switchblade Films. ADV had announced that it had sold its assets to a group of companies, including Section23, on September 1, 2009. The company is based in Houston, Texas.
Section23 Films is a distribution company devoted to marketing and releasing titles into the North American market. The company distributes titles for Sentai Filmworks, Switchblade Pictures, Maiden Japan, and AEsir Holdings.
Sentai Filmworks is an anime licensing studio. It was founded by Ledford in 2008 and partnered with ADV Films to distribute their anime onto the market including shows that were previously released and licensed by Geneon Entertainment USA, Urban Vision, Central Park Media, and Bandai Entertainment. After ADV Films sold its assets, the ADV Films name was dropped as a production entity and folded into Sentai Filmworks, with distribution being handled by Section23. Their first title was a re-release of Mahoromatic.
When asked by a fan on Facebook what the reason was for calling the company "Sentai", chief executive officer Matt Greenfield responded, "It's a multi-layered pun, mostly for the benefit of the Japanese. Although Sentai can be translated as Squadron, Regiment or Flotilla, it basically means a team or group assembled with specific training and equipment for a specific purpose. Plus, Sentai was formed to help keep the anime industry alive in the U.S., so the superhero aspect is a double-play on that that Americans can get."
Switchblade Pictures is a licensing company that mostly licenses live-action Japanese films (mostly, uncut horror, erotic and shock value cinema). Along with Sentai Filmworks, Switchblade was formed in 2008 and ADV Films also provided initial distribution. Since ADV's folding, distribution is handled by Section23. Their first release was Cruel Restaurant.
Maiden Japan is an anime licensing studio, created in 2010, that licenses subtitled and English dubbed series and collections with distribution handled by Section23. Maiden Japan is a sister label to Switchblade Pictures. Titles licensed include newer subtitled series as well as classic anime titles from the 80's and 90's (such as Patlabor, New Dominion Tank Police, and Royal Space Force: The Wings of Honnêamise). The first release for Maiden Japan was the erotic comedy Papillon Rose as a subtitled DVD collection in 2010.
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Wikipedia