Pioneering Venture Between Xenon Pictures and Televisa Home Entertainment Continues to Offer the Best in Spanish-Language Programming on DVD With the Release of MARIA ISABEL on August 8th

SANTA MONICA, Calif., Aug. 1 /PRNewswire/ -- Continuing their mission to offer the best in Spanish-language programming on DVD, Xenon Pictures and Televisa Home Entertainment has joined forces once again to announce the release on Tuesday, August 8th, of Maria Isabel, a classic telenovela that is among the most beloved by audiences around the world. This deluxe box set will include 2-double sided discs with a total running time of more than 9 hours, English subtitles, a photo gallery, cast biographies and a media tribute to Carla Estrada, Mexico's leading television producer, renowned throughout the entertainment industry.

"This classic story of a poor country girl making good in the big city has been popular with generations of Latin Americans, and is emblematic of the female-driven telenovela genre," said S. Leigh Savidge, President of Xenon Pictures. "'Maria Isabel' is also a great example of the quality productions that only Televisa can deliver."

With a stellar cast that features Adela Noriega ("Amor Real") and Fernando Carrilo ("Ponderosa"), Maria Isabel was an enormous hit in Latin America, and attracted a wide audience in the U.S. during its prime-time airing in 1998, eager to follow the story of a beautiful and kind-hearted Native Mexican girl from the country, faced with the many challenges of living in the big city while she struggles to raise her adopted daughter and find the happiness she deserves.

The joint venture between Xenon Pictures and Televisa Home Entertainment has brought Latinos in the U.S., along with schools and libraries, a broad range of Spanish-language TV programming and films. It has also achieved groundbreaking sales of over a million copies of the "Chavo del 8" and "Chapulin Colorado" comedy series, created by Mexican iconoclast Roberto "Chespirito" Gomez Bolanos, the latter title being the inspiration for the "Bee-Man" character featured on "The Simpsons."

As the demand for excellence in Spanish-language programs and movies on DVD continues to grow, Xenon Pictures will continue to offer the most sought-after telenovelas, with upcoming releases that include the hit "Amarte Es Mi Pecado", the top-rated "Alborada", and the teen sensation "Rebelde" (Season 1), joining the popular catalog featuring "Amor Real", "Rubi", "La Madrastra", "A Day Without A Mexican" and "La Antorcha Encendida", among many others.

About Xenon Pictures, Inc.:

Xenon Pictures, Inc., established in 1986 and based in Santa Monica, CA, is the leading distributor of Urban, Spanish-language and alternative programming in the United States, and the exclusive U.S. distributor for Mexican media powerhouse Grupo Televisa under the Televisa Home Entertainment label, with distribution through Visual Entertainment, a division of Universal Music Group, the world's largest music wholesaler.

ON THE WEB: http://www.xenonpictures.com/