Exhibit 99.1

COMPANY CONTACTS:
AMERICAN VANTAGE COMPANIES
RONALD J. TASSINARI, PRESIDENT AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
702.227.9800

             AMERICAN VANTAGE COMPANIES DELAYS ANNUAL REPORT FILING

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - April 15, 2005 --- American Vantage Companies  (NASDAQ:AVCS)
today  announced  that it will  delay the  filing of its  Annual  Report on Form
10-KSB  ("Annual  Report") for the year ended  December 31, 2004.  As previously
announced,  the Company  recently  completed the  disposition of its significant
subsidiary,  American Vantage Media  Corporation  ("AVMC"),  to Genius Products,
Inc. The work related to the disposition of AVMC required  substantial  internal
executive and accounting staff effort which otherwise would have been devoted to
the preparation and filing of the Company's Annual Report. The Company currently
anticipates filing its Annual Report by April 29, 2005.

Certain statements in this press release are "forward-looking statements" within
the meaning of Section 27A of the  Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the
Securities  Exchange  Act  of  1934.  Such  forward-looking  statements  may  be
identified  by  words  such as  "anticipates,"  "believes,"  "can,"  "continue,"
"could,"   "estimates,"   "expects,"  "intends,"  "may,"  "plans,"  "potential,"
"predicts,"  "should,"  or  "will"  or the  negative  of  these  terms  or other
comparable  terminology.  Such  statements  and all phases of  American  Vantage
Companies' operations are subject to known and unknown risks,  uncertainties and
other  factors,  including  overall  economic  conditions  and other factors and
uncertainties as are identified in American  Vantage  Companies' Form 10-KSB for
the year ended July 31, 2003,  Forms 10-QSB for the quarters  ended  October 31,
2003,  March 31, 2004,  June 30, 2004 and  September 30, 2004,  transition  Form
10-QSB for the two months ended  December 31, 2003,  Forms 8-K and Forms 8-K/A's
(Dates of Forms 8-K and 8-K/A Reports: December 31, 2003, February 4, 2004, June
2, 2004, June 10, 2004,  December 13, 2004, January 24, 2005, March 21, 2005 and
March 29,  2005).  Readers are  cautioned  not to place undue  reliance on these
forward-looking  statements,  which speak only as of the date  hereof.  American
Vantage   Companies'  actual  results,   levels  of  activity,   performance  or
achievements  may be materially  different  from any future  results,  levels of
activity,   performance   or   achievements   expressed   or  implied  by  these
forward-looking  statements.  The Company undertakes no obligation to update the
forward-looking statements in this press release.