EDMONTON, Alberta, June 22, 2010 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- We inspire vision! Smart Kids Group Inc. (OTCBB:SKGP), www.smartkidsgroup.com, a global provider of children's digital education and entertainment, has announced the appointment of David Benson to the Board of Directors, the creation of subsidiary company, Smart Kids Productions, collaboration with Anethum Corporation for Development of the Smart Kids Community, as well as the approval of the registration statement and acceleration letter from the SEC for an equity drawdown facilitated through Auctus Private Equity Fund.
David Benson joins Smart Kids Group as a Director on the Board and brings an impressive wealth of knowledge, he is a talented television veteran, credited in productions airing on the world's leading networks including CBC, CTV, National Geographic, Discovery Channel, BBC (UK), Outdoor Life Network, Rogers SportsNet, Life Network, Global, TSN, ABC, CBS, NBC, PBS, ESPN, TBS and others. David is credited in everything from Reality Documentaries, kids' shows, medical documentaries and Live Sports. Some of his most notable experience includes the Olympics (2 summer and winter), Commonwealth Games, NHL and CFL, Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous, Adoption Stories, Chasing the Sun (Morocco), Island of Faith (Ethiopia) and Ribbons of Steel. Corporate clients have included IBM, TELUS, Petro-Canada, CN, Canadian Pacific, Capital City Savings, ATB Financial, Syncrude, EPCOR, People Against Impaired Driving (PAID) and many more. Like other members, the Alberta Motion Picture Industries Association, IABC and CFTPA have bestowed upon David numerous nominations and awards for his projects.
David's experience will bring only positive quality edutainment to the company. David has previously worked with Smart Kids and was instrumental in bringing Richard Shergold, Founder of Smart Kids Group series Be Alert Bert® to fruition. We welcome David as a Director, friend and mentor.
Opened in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, Smart Kids Productions will be instrumental in bringing the new series, The Adventures of Bert and Clare™ to the mainstream public. Repackaging of the current series of Be Alert Bert®, Full Motion Fitness™, the songs and story books, Full Motion Fitness 2™ and the new Bert series will start, when funding is in place, our team is ready to go!
Smart Kids Productions is being led by veteran TV and Film Producer Pati Olson, a talented and creative individual who has been involved with Be Alert Bert® from the beginning with Richard Shergold, Founder of Smart Kids Group and produced numerous shows under Be Alert Bert®. Pati has been in the film and television business since 1976. As an experienced producer and writer, Pati has a passion for social/environmental themes and for arts and animation stories.
Partial credits include: the 31-episode 'Full Motion Fitness™' Tai Chi series broadcast across Canada and Australia; Pure Adventure' lifestyle documentaries for Global; 'Adventurous Souls & Rough made Boots' for Access/CLT; award winning 'Two Winters' animated Tutchone legend in English and Tutchone for A-Channel, APTN & CBC; award winning Opera 'Filumena' for CBC Opening Night; associate producer on award winning bilingual documentaries 'Music in the Wild' & 'Music For a New World' for ARTV, Radio Canada, TFO, Bravo, CBC and Knowledge; award winning animated Aboriginal children's specials 'Stories From the Seventh Fire' for APTN, ACCESS & CBC; recently completed 'Our Home & Native Land – Heroine Healers' for APTN; and an animated Short "Coo Coo" for the web.
Pati is a member of the Alberta Motion Picture Industry Association (AMPIA), Documentary Producers (DOC), Canadian Film & Television Production Association (CFTPA); Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television (ACCT).
Richard Shergold, CEO of Smart Kids Group commented, "We have been so pleased with the initial steps Anethum has taken in the development of the community site (prototype), and continuing the development and ongoing support of the site. Furthermore, we are looking forward to exploring other areas where their application of futures and technology tools can benefit Smart Kids Group."
This is the beginning of the development of a secure, social networking system that will form the Smart Kids Community, a unique Edutainment offering. Like all social networks, our community will gain value as it aids, educates and entertains community members in meeting, interacting, encouraging each other and their collaborative activities in a safe and secure environment.
Anethum Corporation (www.anethum-corp.com) is a company with competencies in software development, futures studies and collaborative systems. Led by Eric von Stackelberg, I.S.P, ITCP, an Information Technology veteran with twenty five years experience in custom and commercial software development, systems integration and new business development.
Auctus Private Equity Fund and Smart Kids Group Inc. are pleased to announce that the SEC approved the S1 registration statement and acceleration letter for an equity line of credit to facilitate on an as needed basis through Auctus Private Equity Fund.
Smart Kids Group Inc.
We inspire vision! Smart Kids Group develops, distributes and licenses quality children's character-based Edutainment products through a variety of media including television, DVD, retail, direct marketing, and the Internet. For more information about the company, please visit www.smartkidsgroup.com or e-mail the company at info@smartkidsgroup.com.
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This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and section 21B of the Securities and Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which are only predictions and only speak as of the date hereof. Forward-looking statements usually contain the words "estimate," "anticipate," "believe," "plan," "expect," or similar expressions and are subject to numerous known and unknown risks and uncertainties. These risks and uncertainties could cause the Company's actual results to differ materially from those indicated in the forward-looking statements.
Investors are encouraged to carefully review regulatory filings prior to investment consideration. Past performance is no guarantee of future success or that there cannot be losses or business interruption. The Company is in a rapid growth sector that may or may not continue to grow in the future and therefore poses risks that may be different than other investments. Management regularly provides news and additional information believed to be true and accurate at the time of dissemination but has no requirement to modify, comment or change in the future should circumstance change or information prove to be inaccurate for any reason. Additionally, the Company makes every effort to comply with all applicable laws.