FAMED ANIME LEGENDS RINTARO AND KATSUHIRO OTOMO TO APPEAR AT BIG APPLE ANIME FEST

New Film from Rintaro and Otomo, "Metropolis,"
to Have U.S. Premiere at BAAF

NEW YORK (AUGUST 13, 2001): Big Apple Anime Fest (BAAF), New York's leading
Japanese Animation film festival (October 26th ­ 28th), announced today that
anime industry giants Rintaro and Katsuhiro Otomo will appear at this year¹s
festival for the U.S. premiere of their animated film, Metropolis. The new
English language version of the film, distributed by Tri-Star Pictures, will
have its North American release on November 9th.

"Fans of anime will have a unique opportunity to meet two legends of the
anime world," said Mayumi Kobayashi, Programming and Events Manager for Big
Apple Anime Fest. "The appearance of Mr. Rintaro and Mr. Otomo at Big Apple
Anime Fest will certainly serve to make this event memorable for every anime
fan."

Rintaro, an anime industry veteran, has directed everything from episodes of
the popular cartoon Astro Boy to last year¹s cult favorite X: The Movie.
Rintaro collaborated with Otomo on the Metropolis project as the film¹s
director.
Katsuhiro Otomo, director of the animated classic, Akira, is most famous in
his native Japan for his work in manga, or serialized comics. He is the
powerhouse behind the high-budget Metropolis, serving as the screenwriter.
Other Otomo films, Roujin-Z and Spriggan, will also be screened at BAAF as
part of the Otomo Retrospective.

Rintaro and Otomo are making a rare trip to America to be in New York City
to personally introduce the U.S. premiere of Metropolis at the Directors
Guild of America Theater on Friday, October 26th, at 5 pm. They will be
feted as Guests of Honor at the Mediacopy Opening Night VIP Dinner
immediately following the Metropolis premiere.

The animated film Metropolis is based on the classic manga (comic) by Osamu
Tezuka, creator of such titles as Astro Boy and Kimba the White Lion and
known in Japan as "the god of manga." The manga Metropolis, however, is a
work that pre-dated both of those animated works. Written in the post-World
War II era, the story has finally come to life as an animated film over
fifty years later.

Set in the future, Metropolis is a grand city-state populated by
humans and robots, the cohabitants of a strictly segmented society. Amidst
the chaos created by anti-robot factions, detective Shunsaku Ban and his
sidekick Ken-ichi are searching for rebel scientist Dr. Laughton, to arrest
him and seize his latest creation, a beautiful young girl named Tima. When
they locate them, Shunsaku quickly comes to realize that the eccentric
scientist is protected by a powerful man and his fierce desire to reclaim a
tragic figure from his past and therefore is beyond their reach.

About Big Apple Anime Fest:
Taking place over Halloween weekend, October 26 to 28, 2001, at the
Directors Guild of America Theater and other venues in mid-town Manhattan,
the Big Apple Anime Fest considers itself to be the "Cannes Film Festival of
the Anime Manga Culture." Japanese animation (anime) is one of the hottest
media trends among today¹s global youth. The Big Apple Anime Fest includes
both premieres and historical retrospectives in the over 250 hours of anime
programming to be presented during the weekend. The enthusiastic
participation of thousands of anime celebrities, industry executives, and
eager fans make Big Apple Anime Fest one of the most highly anticipated
annual events within Anime Manga Culture.
http://www.bigappleanimefest.com

About Rintaro:
Rintaro began his career in animation at the age of 17, working with Toei
Animation. In the early sixties, he went to work for Osamu Tezuka¹s Mushi
Productions where he directed episodes of the television series, Astro Boy
and Kimba: The White Lion. During the seventies he cemented his position as
one of the best television anime directors. His works have enjoyed
mainstream success both in Japan and the United States. These include
Harmagedon, Galaxy Express 999 and X: The Movie, all of which will be
screened at Big Apple Anime Fest as part of the Rintaro Retrospective.

About Katsuhiro Otomo:
Katsuhiro Otomo is one of the world¹s top selling manga artists, and one of
the anime industry¹s top directors. His directorial debut, a film version of
his cyber punk manga classic Akira, was an international smash hit, and his
follow-up film, the comedy Roujin Z, was a Siskel & Ebert Video Pick of the
Week. Since then, his influence has been felt on the blockbuster anime
films Perfect Blue, Spriggan, Robot Carnival and Neo-Tokyo. His
screenwriting debut Metropolis will have its U.S. premiere at this year's
Big Apple Anime Fest, screening at the Directors Guild of America Theater on
Friday evening, October 26, at 5 pm. Other works by Otomo, such as Spriggan
and Roujin Z, will also be screened at this year's Big Apple Anime Fest, as
part of the Otomo Retrospective.